The Weekend Winners team are back with a look at Saturday’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, live on Sky Sports Racing at 3.10pm
Host Kate Tracey is joined by BetVictor’s Sam Boswell and Declan Rix of attheraces.com to pick out their best bets for the race, and they also take a look at the Irish action, including Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes and the Irish Derby.
Twenty runners head to post in the Newcastle feature, and a wide-open contest to enjoy is expected.
Declan Rix…
“I’m keen on Solent Gateway – 25/1 is too big. He was third in this race off 90 – the same rating he’s on now – behind Trueshan two years ago and he started this season poorly, but he’s been building back into better form.
“He ran a cracker last time out at Haydock behind Divine Comedy, the only horse to give him a race – and he’s been franked at Royal Ascot. It was a big effort. He is a big player in a wide-open race.”
Kate Tracey…
“Zoffee is a very interesting character. He’s now back with Hugo Palmer after his couple of hurdles starts for Olly Murphy which he didn’t enjoy; he wasn’t so keen on hurdling when he was with Philip Hobbs either.
“He much prefers the flat and I find him funny as it’s almost with his Chester May Cup success, he was proving a point. He ran no race in this last year but it probably came too soon after running in the Ascot Stakes last season so connections are avoiding doing that. He won the consolation race in 2022, but no issues with this course and distance.”
Sam Boswell…
“I’ve got plenty of time for the favourite Trooper Bisdee which would be some achievement to make it three in a row for this season. But I like a horse called Yashin for Jessie Harrington. This horse ran in a Group 3 last time out, and I thought he ran really nicely.
“He was seventh in the Ebor last season. I was looking through the form book and back at some of the quotes – after he ran at Leopardstown they were talking Melbourne Cup.
“Obviously things didn’t transpire to that level, but I definitely think in a contest like this going up to two miles for the first time is an interesting play. I was looking into an each-way angle into this race but Yashin to me the Irish raider to go well at a price.”
Watch all the action from Newcastle on Saturday live on Sky Sports Racing, with the Northumberland Plate due off at 3.10pm on Saturday….
