With the Northumberland Plate the headline, Newcastle’s card heads six meetings in Britain tomorrow. Find out who we like in all eight races at the track, alongside BetUK‘s latest offer where new customers can claim £30 In Free Bets when placing a £10 bet.
BRANCASTER (1.15 Newcastle) 7/1
Any one of this nine-strong field could be the subject of strong support before the off. It is a very open handicap to open Newcastle’s meeting.
The value may prove to be with BRANCASTER for Brian Ellison. He may be eight years old, but there would be few of his age who could return off 529 days off the track as well as he did earlier this month.
In an amateur jockeys’ handicap at York, he ran a fine race to be third off this mark. His two runs previously had been all the way back in December 2020 and both had been over course and distance. They resulted in a nose second followed by a victory and both came off marks only slightly lower than the one he now carries.
Those were also his first two runs for Brian Ellison and suggested a strong liking for the track. He has often maintained his form after a break and can go close if improving for the venue once again.
TOMMY DE VITO (1.50 Newcastle) 17/2
Charlie Hills’ sprinter looks overpriced here. It seems a couple of lesser runs have ensured what he had shown prior has been forgotten.
TOMMY DE VITO had form of 112 at Kempton and Southwell over 6f between October and March, finishing strongly from mid or lower pack in each. Ultimately, that then proved his undoing at Lingfield when behind If You Dare, as he had far too much to do in the straight.
The 9 on his form card from that day is not truly representative of that effort, as he finished very close up to the third. He can be excused a complete blot at Doncaster last time, as he has been nowhere near as proficient on turf, or over 7f.
The return to this trip and a tapeta surface bodes well for him, as does the booking of Tom Marquand in the saddle. He is bang in with a chance here.
Today’s Racing
GLEN SHIEL (2.25 Newcastle) 11/2
The form of Sense Of Duty‘s Listed win was given a boost when runner-up Flotus ran so well in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. However, there does seem to have been an overreaction with regards to her price.
Easily the class horse in the race is the veteran GLEN SHIEL. His form may have taken a very slight dip since his return in May, but Archie Watson usually save him from the summer, in which is form is stronger. He also returned in May last year and ran below his best before finishing second in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
He has still run respectable races this term and you only have go back three starts for another Group 1 runner-up effort, in the British Champions Sprint Stakes last October. It is also noteworthy that he has an excellent record at this track.
He won here twice in the summer of 2020 and all three of his all-weather wins have come at Newcastle. This is a place he excels at and he should be much closer to favouritism.
EVALUATION (2.55 Newcastle) 6/1
Though all four of EVALUATION‘s wins this year have been on turf, he is a horse in tremendous form.
The switch back to the all-weather brings its own challenged, but it is difficult to ignore his claims. His first win, since switching to Keith Dalgliesh in March, came by 6 1/2 lengths at Wetherby in May.
He followed that up with narrower wins at Ripon and York, but he was rampant again at Musselburgh, galloping his rivals into submission late on. A further 6lb rise comes with that, but it appeared there was plenty left in the locker.
It is possible he will have been overraced sooner rather than later, but for now it is worth backing him to continue his fine run of victories. He ran some decent races on similar surfaces for Stoute and could easily prove this price is a mockery.
SOLENT GATEWAY (3.30 Newcastle) 15/1
The Northumberland Plate could make many headlines if Trueshan is able to win off his ludicrous weight at the top of the handicap.
However, a concession of 19lb and more to some useful stayers is surely going to prove slightly too much for him. Onesmoothoperator is a horse who is improving in line with his name, but bottom-weight SOLENT GATEWAY is most appealing.
Hugo Palmer’s charge was a very smooth winner at Chester on his first attempt at 2m last August. From then on, he has either had ground excuses, at Newbury at the end of last year, been too keen, as in the Chester Cup, or been horribly unlucky in-running, as at Epsom most recently.
His other run since that victory saw him finish third at Epsom behind a course specialist, though he may easily have won if able to extract himself from the inside sooner. This mark of 90 is definitely one he can win off if things fall into place.
His price definitely underestimates him if it does and he will stay this trip if settling. He should be taken very seriously as a winning threat.
CLEARPOINT (4.03 Newcastle) 4/7
Karl Burke newcomers will suddenly rise to the top of many shortlists after Holloway Boy’s Chesham Stakes success. Naomi’s Charm is a half-sister to Triumph Hurdler Quilixios just to add further intrigue.
However, both horses who have run are worth the most attention. Harry Brown‘s runner-up effort was not franked by the winner at Royal Ascot and CLEARPOINT could easily have more to come for Richard Fahey.
The son of the very speedy Ardad drew clear in very likeable fashion at Ayr on debut. That 3 1/4-length success suggested he could easily follow up under a winner’s penalty before tackling trickier assignments down the line.
He will not be a fancy price to do so, but he is one for the accumulators as he is by far the most likely winner.
Check out Tipster Daryl Carter’s Best Bets for Saturday
BOOSALA (4.38 Newcastle) SP
Biggles seeks a fourth successive victory for Ralph Beckett here, but the class horse can claim the win here in the shape of BOOSALA.
The five-year-old is still very lightly-raced after only eight career runs, but he has been very useful in the handicaps he has run in. Group and Listed races have been beyond him, but in handicaps he has form of 122.
The win came off a mark of 97 at Doncaster last November and he very nearly followed up over course and distance. That defeat by Lord Of The Lodge may have come at odds-on, but the form has been boosted by the winner since.
He was also runner-up at Chester off a mark of 104 last time, going down by only a nose when not getting as much luck as the winner. A 1lb rise is one he can shake off.
SPIRIT DANCER (5.13 Newcastle) SP
Another who may well win for the new Richard Fahey-Oisin Orr combination is SPIRIT DANCER. The course and distance winner has every chance of maintaining a 100% record here.
Indeed his win at this venue came in this exact race a year ago. He pulled over three lengths clear by the line and was then competitive after an 8lb rise thereafter. He was runner-up at Chester, then fourth of 18 at York off a rating of 94.
Two runs since have been less impressive, but soft ground possibly went against him at Redcar and he can be excused his return at Epsom after seven months off. Being dropped 1lb for that run may even be generous by the handicapper.
A second successive win in this race could well be in the offing.
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