YOU can make a case for many in this afternoon’s Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. Golden Rules was a progressive stayer for the Gosdens in 2021, he finished fourth in the 2021 Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot over two and a half miles, when he raced too keenly early on, on his final run for them.

Bought for a song at the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale that October, he didn’t make his debut for Deborah Faulkner until March this year, when he stayed on well to win a two-mile handicap at Kempton.

The handicapper raised him by just 3lb for that win, so he gets to race here off a mark of 97, just 1lb higher than his Ascot Stakes mark.

He could be a well-handicapped horse on that mark, he goes well on all-weather, and it is likely that his trainer has targeted him at today’s race since his comeback in March.

But he has obviously had his issues, he obviously hasn’t had a lot of racing of late, and he is short.

Adjuvant could also be a well-handicapped horse too, even on a mark of 95, 5lb higher than the mark off which he won at Newmarket handicap last time.

He won well that day, it was a nice step forward on his seasonal debut, when he went down by just a neck to HMS President at the Guineas meeting. But he is short too, and he has never run on an all-weather surface.

Ran well

Rajinsky has, he won at Wolverhampton as a three-year-old, and he ran well in this race last year to finish fourth behind Trueshan, and he finished fourth in it in 2021, promoted to third.

He ran well last time in the Chester Cup too, when he was a little short of room in the home straight. But he is 6lb higher now than he was for last year’s race and, while you can see him running well again, there could be one or two more progressive horses in the line-up.

Rainbow Dreamer won well over today’s course and distance last time, and he is only 2lb higher now and, while he is 10 years old, you can see him running well, and Vino Victrix would be a player if he could bounce back to his Cesarewitch form, and he is only 1lb higher than he was then.

But Post Impressionist has more in his favour than most, and he could be primed to run a big race.

He is proven on the surface. He stayed on well to finish second behind subsequent St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov in a novice stakes over 10 furlongs at the track last May on his only run to date on an all-weather surface.

Sent off as joint-favourite for the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot on the back of that performance, he didn’t win after that until his final run of the season last October, but he ran some fine races in defeat in the interim, including when he was an unlucky-in-running third in a handicap at Haydock in September.

No mistake

He made no mistake though at York in October, he stayed on strongly and ran out an impressive winner of a one-mile-six-furlong handicap, when he had his stable companion Nathanael Greene four lengths back in fourth.

He is 10lb worse off with his stable companion today, without taking jockeys’ claims into account, but he still may be able to confirm placings, and it is significant that Tom Marquand rides Post Impressionist.

He hasn’t run since then, but he can go well fresh, he ran well on his debut last season, his racecourse debut, and it is probable that his trainer has had this race in mind for him since the start of the season.

William Haggas has his team in fine form too, he has had six winners from his last nine runners, and there is every chance that Post Impressionist can enhance those impressive stats today.

His draw in stall 19 is probably a positive too. Five of the last six winners of the Northumberland Plate were drawn 11 or higher, and none was drawn lower than seven.

Northumberland Vase

Appier could be the answer to the consolation race, the Northumberland Vase. Sean Woods’ horse stayed on well to win a handicap over a mile and a half at Newcastle in May off a mark of 76 and, a close-up third behind subsequent winner Cumulonimbus at Newmarket in May, he ran out an impressive winner of a handicap at Lingfield four weeks ago off a mark of 81.

He travelled really well in rear that day, he showed a fine turn of foot early in the home straight to pass all his rivals down the outside and he won easily.

He carries a 5lb penalty today, but that leaves him on a mark of 86, 2lb lower than his new mark. He goes into the race in good form, and he is four for seven on all-weather.

He has never won over a distance in excess of a mile and a half, but he stays that trip well and, out of a mare who won over a mile and a half as a three-year-old for Jessica Harrington, and who was placed over two miles, there is every chance that he will get the trip all right. If he does, he could go close.

Appier, 1.30 Newcastle, 5/1 (generally), 1 point win

Post Impressionist, 2.05 Newcastle, 13/2 (generally), 1 point each-way