It’s Northumberland Plate day at Newcastle and the action is live on ITV racing and our man Andrew Mount is here with his best bets for the day…
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Posted: 8:04am, Friday, June 23rd
1.40 Newcastle – POCKLINGTON (1pt win – 7/1 Ladbrokes, Coral, Boylesports)
This 6f Class 2 handicap usually goes to a runner who prepped in another Class 2 handicap, with the qualifiers winning seven of the eight previous runnings on Tapeta, and backing all 57 returned a profit of £5.50 to a £1 level stake at SP. Those drawn in stall 9 or higher were five from 24 for a profit of £27.00. POCKLINGTON, FRESH and STRIKE RED are this year’s qualifiers, with preference for the first-named despite the 311-day absence. Geoff Oldroyd’s four-year-old was an 8-1 course and distance winner on his racecourse debut back in January 2024 and maintained his 100% course record when beating 2-9 favourite Army Ethos under a penalty in March of the same year. He was beaten on turf in his three subsequent runs that year but ran with credit when a 18-1 fifth of 14 in Listed company at Newbury before his outclassed 40-1 tenth of 14 to Inisherin in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. He was a big eyecatcher on his handicap debut at York next time (also his first run since a wind operation), finishing a three-length 25-1 tenth of 22, doing third best of the disadvantaged near side group.
2.10 Newcastle – FERROUS (1pt e/w – 13/2 generally)
All-weather expert FERROUS looks worth chancing against short-priced favourite KIND OF BLUE, despite stepping up from handicap to Group 3 level. Jack Channon’s five-year-old has form figures on synthetics of 2115111 (5-7), with the first defeat by a nose and the other – a two-length fifth of 12 at Kempton – excusable, as he challenged in the ‘swamp’ on the inside rail and met with minor interference. Since Newcastle swapped turf for Tapeta in 2016 backing in-form runners (defined as finishing first or second last time out) who had raced within the past eight weeks would have found six winners (from 26 bets) for a profit of £24.88 to a £1 level stake at SP. There were no qualifiers last year, so this system has hit six of the eight winners, including six of the last seven when there were qualifiers. Ferrous is one of only two who fit the bill this year (the other is FAIR ANGELICA, whose stall 1 draw and front-running style will make life difficult, especially given the strength of the wind).
2.40 Newcastle – ARTISAN DANCER (1pt e/w – 10/1 generally)
I wrote the following piece about ARTISAN DANCER in Racing & Football Outlook after his third place at Newmarket in May…
“Backing Mark Johnston-trained handicappers at Newmarket was a profitable angle, with 109 winners from 737 runners (14.8% strike-rate) in the 2011-2022 period for a profit of £75.61 to a £1 level stake at SP. However, since his son Charlie has had his name on the licence the profits have dried up and the score following Sunday’s meeting is 11 from 118 (9.3%) for a loss of £33.42. One mistake we often make as punters/pundits is to assume that it’s business as usual when a son or daughter takes over the reins of a yard but that’s certainly not been the case with the Johnston set up, especially where race tactics are concerned. Mark’s runners could usually be relied upon to make the running – tactics especially effective on both Newmarket tracks – but plenty of the stable’s inmates are ridden patiently nowadays. ARTISAN DANCER (“held up in rear”) was a good example in the 1m6f Sky Bet Build A Bet Handicap. He could never strike a blow behind all-the-way winner LIARI and had to settle for a modest third under Oisin Murphy. The five-year-old’s patient style has been helpful on the all-weather at the likes of Newcastle and Wolverhampton (he’s 5-26 on synthetics) but he’s just one from 12 on turf. He holds an entry in the Northumberland Plate, and it wouldn’t be the greatest surprise to see him run well in that contest at likely huge odds.”
…he didn’t make the cut for the Plate but looks worth a punt in the consolation race, which looks sure to be run to suit his patient style.
3.15 Newcastle – DUKE OF OXFORD (1pt e/w – 10/1 William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral)
Last year’s Northumberland Plate third DUKE OF OXFORD was beaten by 23 lengths when 13th of 15 in the Chester Cup last time but was a badly drawn 40-1 shot and it’s safe to draw a line through that effort. Michael Bell’s five-year-old wasn’t given the most intelligent ride in last year’s renewal, making up his ground from the rear too quickly to lead two furlongs out and was passed by Onesmoothoperator and Evaluation who were held on to for longer. He has a relatively inexperienced 7lb claimer (Taryn Langley) on board today but form figures on the all-weather of 1139711323831143 (6-16) suggest he should be there or thereabouts if his young pilot doesn’t get a rush of blood to the head.
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Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.40 Newcastle – POCKLINGTON (1pt win – 7/1 Ladbrokes, Coral, Boylesports)
2.10 Newcastle – FERROUS (1pt e/w – 13/2 generally)
2.40 Newcastle – ARTISAN DANCER (1pt e/w – 10/1 generally)
3.15 Newcastle – DUKE OF OXFORD (1pt e/w – 10/1 William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral)
Artisan Dancer
Duke Of Oxford
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