Swinging the bat at Newcastle....

Friday, 27th June 2025

Swinging the bat at Newcastle….

Royal Ascot handicappers to follow….

In ATC today….

…. I swing the bat in all the weekend’s biggest betting heats….

The Northumberland Plate is the feature handicap at Newcastle tomorrow….

…. the off time is 3.15….

…. and my pick of the prices is TRIBAL STAR at 10s….

I’m also on SHERADANN in the 2.40 – he’s up at 12s….

…. I’m on ARCTIC THUNDER at 16s in the 1.40….

…. and I’m on TIGER MASK at 22s in the 3.45….

That’s the summary….

…. you’ll find all my reasoning below – as per usual….

Oh…. and if you’re looking for the standout place terms on offer – you’ll find them in the Bet Box below….

Read on….

-----

I’m backing Irish raider TRIBAL STAR at the 10s for the Plate at Newcastle at 3.15….

I imagine this has been the target for the 4yo ever since – perhaps before – his crackerjack of a performance over course and distance on Good Friday….

He found just one too good that day – beaten 4.5 lengths and running on well in the late stages….

…. and I reckon he would have finished closer to the winner but for suffering interference a quarter mile from home….

He’s been seen just the once since – at the Curragh earlier this month when he finished down the field over 14f….

He cut out most of the running that day – fading late on….

…. and I’m mindful that he wouldn’t have been at concert pitch in what was clearly a prep for tomorrow’s assignment….

He handled this track nicely that last time….

…. he’ll certainly appreciate the step back up in trip – he’s unexposed at these proper marathon distances….

…. his mark of 88 – he only went up 2lb for that performance at Newcastle in April – looks plenty workable….

…. and he gets weight from pretty much everything….

Ian Williams has won his fair share of long-distance handicaps….

…. and his SHERADANN is the bet for me at 12s in the Vase at 2.40….

He’s hardly set the world alight since joining the Worcestershire yard from France back in June last year….

He was well off the boil in four goes in decent handicaps which – in hindsight – look like an effort to get his mark down….

…. and he dropped from 94 to 87 before looking a lot more like it in two AW runs at Kempton at the back end of last year….

This term he started off at tomorrow’s track – over an inadequate trip – and probably needed it….

…. before getting smashed at Haydock….

Last time at Goodwood – earlier this month – was different again….

… he produced a decent effort – the form was franked earlier this week by the horse that finished directly behind Sheradann….

…. and I get the impression this is a horse coming nicely to the boil for tomorrow’s outing – which I’d suggest is the plan….

Williams has done well to get his charge here on a mark of 86….

…. with experience in decent handicaps that plenty of fancied runners in tomorrow’s race don’t have….

I see him running deep under Hector Crouch….

Earlier on the card in the JenningsBet 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap at 1.40….

…. a race in which half-a-dozen runners are making a return to the track from long breaks….

…. ARCTIC THUNDER looks overpriced at 16s….

He ran a cracker last time at Haydock on just his second go for Ed Walker and his first attempt at sprint trips….

It was an easy career-best….

…. and there could be plenty more to come from him at 6f given he’s only had nine runs to date….

…. and risen just 2lbs in the rankings to a mark of 90….

The track’s an unknown, but he’s got Paul Mulrennan aboard – and that’s certainly no bad thing at Newcastle….

I don’t really understand the price – but that’s not going to stop me sinking my teeth into it….

Rare Change is obviously upwardly mobile and a worthy favourite for the Pertemps Network Handicap at 3.45….

…. and not much else that’s been seen on the track of late stands out as an option to oppose him with….

But I do think Karl Burke’s returning 3yo TIGER MASK is worth a punt at the general 22s….

Okay he hasn’t been seen since September, and this might be a loosener from which he’ll step forward….

…. but he was running in Group races last term – and was beaten just 3-lengths by Field Of Gold at Sandown in the Solaro….

Assuming he’s fit enough to do himself justice – he could well make his presence felt at handicap level for the first time off a mark of 100….

The yard’s going great guns – and I think he’s an interesting participant in a race that might not be wildly competitive….

-----

Now, just to recap….

-----

That’s all for today….

I’ll be back with more next week….

Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk

And remember – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd