Candy has grounds for concern

Henry Candy admits he is concerned about the prospect of soft ground ahead of Colloquial’s run in the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate on Saturday.

The Oxfordshire handler was delighted to see his six-year-old land a competitive race at Haydock earlier this month, after which he was hit with a 6lb rise in the weights.

Candy said: “He came out it very well and he’s in good form.

“That was a really good effort last time, but the handicapper certainly gave him every pound he was entitled to.

“The ground is the big problem because as he’s got older he has developed a preference for top-of-the-ground, and we could have fared better with the draw, too.”

Colloquial, who will break from stall 17 in the valuable Newcastle two-miler, can be backed at 16-1 with Ladbrokes and Stan James.