Four racecourses provide the action on Thursday, with an afternoon of jumps cards preceding all-weather action at Newcastle.
GG tipster Joe Napier picks out our lucky 15 tips for Thursday. He has two selections on the Tapeta as well as a pair running at Ludlow.
Ludlow Racing Tips (Thursday 19 March)
Six contests will take place at Ludlow on Thursday, with three each over hurdles and fences. Our best bets run over the smaller obstacles on the card.
2.20 Ludlow – Queen Maeve (1pt win – 13/8)
Dan Skelton has found the right race for Queen Maeve to get off the mark at Ludlow. She is a rare jumps horse to run in Coolmore’s colours, but possesses a stout National Hunt pedigree. She ran well enough on debut for Ciaran Murphy at Leopardstown in December. Transferring to the Skeltons, she could finish only third of seven against her age group at Hereford. Her debut fifth came on good ground though, so soft may not have suited her last time. There was distinct promise on that first run and she is still comfortably young enough for Skelton to get the best out of her. With her main market rival exposed and rated 105, this could be too winnable an opportunity.
4.20 Ludlow – Don’t Mind If I Do (1pt win – 4/1)
Alan King has sent out a fair number of winners of late and Don’t Mind If I Do is well-handicapped. His second in his sole bumper to Regent’s Stroll was a solid run, though he stepped forward over hurdles. He was a close runner-up at Warwick before an odds-on success at Wincanton. More would have been expected since he went handicapping this season, though his third at Aintree was possibly over too short a trip. He then encountered softer ground than ideal at Huntingdon, but was not beaten far. That winner was third in the novices’ final at Sandown recently, so it was a respectable effort. Down 1lb and with an extra half-mile a likely positive, he should be able to give his best fresh.
Newcastle Racing Tips (Thursday 19 March)
Newcastle’s seven-race card includes a class 2 handicap feature. In that race and one other, run our two top tips at the meeting.
6.30 Newcastle – We Never Stop (1pt win – 6/1)
Fast Track Harry is a short-priced favourite, but does not convince at cramped odds. His win last time out was by a small margin and We Never Stop has slipped to a tempting rating. Kevin Ryan’s charge was last of nine at Kempton, but the Polytrack surface may not have been to his liking. Conversely, his record and Tapeta is strong; his three all-weather wins have come at Southwell and Newcastle. Coming back to this track should be a positive then and he is 3lb below his last winning mark. That win came over course and distance last April and he may be building back to form.
7.00 Newcastle – Midsummer Storm (1pt win – 4/1)
Gradually bought for larger sums throughout his youth, Midsummer Storm can get off the mark here. He is trained by Karl Burke, who is operating at a 33% strike rate in the last fortnight. The son of Night Of Thunder ran well over 1m at this track on debut in February. He only showed his inexperience late on, ultimately finishing fourth of ten. However, he was just a neck behind the 80-rated third, while the winner had raced previously too. That was surely a stronger race than this one and the drop to 7f can prove a wise move.
GG Lucky 15 Tips – Thursday 19 March
2.20 Ludlow – Queen Maeve (1pt win – 13/8)
4.20 Ludlow – Don’t Mind If I Do (1pt win – 4/1)
6.30 Newcastle – We Never Stop (1pt win – 6/1)
7.00 Newcastle – Midsummer Storm (1pt win – 4/1)
GG Lucky 15 – Thursday 19 March
Today’s Meetings & Start Times
- Ludlow – first race 14:20
- Newcastle – first race 17:25
FAQs: Today’s Racing Tips
What are today’s GG Lucky 15 tips?
Joe Napier provides the GG Lucky 15 tips on Thursday 19 March, which include selections at Ludlow & Newcastle.
When were Thursday’s Lucky 15 tips for Ludlow & Newcastle published?
GG’s Lucky 15 tips for Ludlow & Newcastle were published at 3.50pm on Wednesday 18 March.
Who is Joe Napier?
Joe Napier is the deputy editor of GG who gives tips and opinion throughout the week. He has been writing for GG for over four years and is hugely passionate about racing.
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