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As promised racing fans, here is my ultimate guide to the biggest race of the day tomorrow ā The Northumberland Plate. Twenty runners will contest in this yearās renewal at Newcastle and this race most surely has some history worth checking into, as it dates all the way back to 1833.
So, here we have a big two-mile Handicap with plenty of runners. There has been plenty of money going on the current favourite, Golden Rules, but is he still worth backing at a short price?
At the end of the day, there can only be one winner here in a deep Handicap like this and Iām going to take on the favourite. But first, take a read of my runner-by-runner guide, so you know exactly what you are looking at. At the end of this guide I will also give you my own verdict on which horses will take the top three places, so letās see if we can land some wins tomorrow!
Thereās still time to grab this awesome Bet Ā£5, Get Ā£20 in free bets offer from Ladbrokes before the weekend racing action kicks off!
Rajinsky won a Listed race at Nottingham in April and generally has a decent record in big field Handicaps. He also finished fifth in the Chester Cup, so staying the trip is absolutely no problem for him, but he may find one or two better Handicapped in such a competitive event. Not one to write off though and he has EW claims.
Rainbow Dreamer has been a very reliable performer for Alan King, but I think his best days as a Handicapper may be behind him. He doesnāt have much room for manoeuvre off his mark and it will take an exceptional performance for him to win this.
Calling The Wind managed a solid second at Royal Ascot last week and he gets to run here off an unchanged mark. A repeat performance would be good enough to see him more than competitive here, especially as the 2lb increase in weight he is due for his latest run has not yet been applied. There is no guarantee that he will perform as well on the all-weather, but he is an interesting contender off an unchanged mark.
Once upon a time Berkshire Rocco finished second in a St Leger, but he hasnāt done much since. Thereās likely too much to find here and he has it all to do off this mark.
Omniscient was progressive throughout 2022 and just missed out on a spot at Royal Ascot where he was a reserve. He has a decent enough chance based on his previous form and he was really impressive on his final start of last year. However, the question mark surrounding his chances is the step up in trip. He is bred to stay, but hasnāt been tried beyond a mile and a half, which is a slight cause for concern here.
Zoffee is another progressive type from the Hugo Palmer yard. He won the Vase here over C&D, finished fifth in the Cesarewitch and also managed runner up in the Chester Cup so he has plenty of experience in these Handicaps. He isnāt likely to be far away if turning up in similar form.
Post Impressionist is a smart looking gelding by Teofilo, who improved for the application of cheekpieces last time out and is surely still open to plenty of improvement. He holds major claims on his most recent start and even though a race of this size wonāt be something he has experienced before, he has every chance.
The two-mile trip should suit Adjuvant and he has strong claims under Billy Loughnane here. He has plenty of experience on the all-weather and he is still on an upward curve. He looks likely to be one of the better-Handicapped runners in the field and I think he will flourish with the step up in trip.
Golden Rules has been the talking horse and subject to a major gamble for connections, so it will be interesting to see if he can live up to the hype. We know he handles the surface well and heās highly likely to go well under Oisin Murphy, but can you back him at 5/2 knowing he opened up at a much bigger price?
Another that has received a lot of market support this week is Vino Vitrix. He had excuses on his last two outings with the ground being soft and he evidently acts much better on a faster surface. He is well-Handicapped and if he turns up in tip top shape, he is one to consider.
Law Of The Sea has done really well in his three starts for Ian Williams and he was a big eye-catcher last time out, which saw him finish fourth in the Ascot Stakes last week. He also ran a belter to finish fourth in the Chester Cup on his stable debut. If he is as effective on the artificial surface here, then he has solid claims.
Themaxwecan has been well down the field in his two previous starts in this race and has been really out of sorts in general just lately. He needs a big turn of events to get competitive here.
Good Show has plenty of stamina in his pedigree and however he fares today, heās sure to be staying on nicely come the finish line. He has won twice over a mile and a half and I think he is one of the most promising outsiders in the field.
Although Aztec Empire looked like he was going places early on in his seven race career, he has shown very little in his more recent efforts, so heās hard to trust at this stage.
Sir Chauvelin finished third in this race in 2018, but tailed off in both of his subsequent attempts. He will need a serious revival of his early form to even compete for the places here.
Nathaniel Greene has been a solid enough horse and his past form with Ascot Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami, makes him a little more appealing. Thereās no denying he could pose a serious threat at this trip, although he hasnāt improved much in recent times. Perhaps the application of cheek pieces and his first try overt two miles will be the perfect recipe.
Matchless has been fairly consistent over Hurdles, but he has an awful lot more on his plate here on the all-weather. Heāll have no problem staying the trip, but I doubt that he has the gears to get competitive.
The price is about right for Green Team and he probably needs to get going now if he is to figure here.
Mountain Road showed some nice form on his debut, but was very disappointing at Goodwood on his latest start, which makes him hard to trust here, but it wouldnāt be a complete surprise to see him in the place money.
Good Show really interests me, especially at his price and I think he can improve again. I am expecting to see him hit the places with the stamina thatās in his pedigree.
The hot favourite here, Golden Rules, has an obvious chance, but I canāt back him with the knowledge that heās been gambled into a short price.
Law Of The Sea poses the main danger to my selection and having run a cracker at Royal Ascot, he has all of the right credentials to do well here.
However the one Iāve decided on is Adjuvant, who is on an upward curve and looks sure to be ahead of his mark. Heās a strong traveller who has a lot of potential still to come and I think he is the most obvious winner of the Northumberland Plate.
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