Newcastle and Newbury tips: Best bets for Saturday’s racing

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Horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has been taking a look at two cracking cards at Newcastle and Newbury

Saturday’s racing tips

• Wiseguy (Newbury, 12.30) – 0.5pts each-way @ 11/1 (bet365)
• Indemnity (Newbury, 14.15) – 1pt win @ 9/2 (Betfred)
• Myretown (Newbury, 14.55) – 1pt win @ 5/1 (William Hill)
• Wal Buck’s (Newcastle, 13.25) – 0.5pts each-way @ 13/2 (bet365)
• Docpickedme (Newcastle, 15.15) – 0.5pts each-way @ 9/1 (bet365)

It’s Coral Gold Cup day at Newbury and I’ve picked out three to follow at the Berkshire track, alongside two runners that caught the eye at Newcastle, which plays host to the Fighting Fifth Hurdle on Saturday afternoon.

Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase Tips (14.55, Newbury)

Let’s start with what remains one of the most prestigious races on the calendar, the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. Greats, including Mill House, Arkle, Burrough Hill Lad and Denman have their names etched on the roll of honour.

Given its status as one of the richest handicaps in Europe, this Grade 3 contest has become a race where second-season chasers have enjoyed plenty of success, largely because they’re improving, maturing and the handicapper has not yet been able to get a full grasp on their abilities.

This year’s field is no exception, with a whole host of runners fitting that category and mostly having their first or second start of the campaign. It’s a race that has been won by three favourites in the past decade, while six of those successful in that period have returned single-figure SPs and at the other end of the market, if you will, only two winners have been priced at odds greater than 12/1 on betting sites.

With the 2020 winner Cloth Cap as the outlier who carried just 10st to victory, all of the other winners in the last decade have carried between 10st 7lb and 11st 5lb. Only the now-retired Colin Tizzard has trained the winner twice in that time.

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Colin’s son Joe now heads the operation and saddles the third favourite The Changing Man but he’s in his third season now and, while very consistent and a leading player here, he may be vulnerable to something potentially better handicapped.

Resplendent Glory is an interesting runner who is proven over 3m4f, while he warmed up for this with a win at Carlisle over 2m4f recently. An extra 6lb rise by the handicapper for that won’t help and he’ll surely need to improve again to win this.

Panic Attack is stepping up significantly in trip here, having won the Paddy Power Gold Cup impressively a couple of weeks ago. He gets in with just a 4lb penalty and his pilot takes off 3lb of that. There’s no doubt he’s very well in and if he stays he could pick up another big pot, while Victtorino goes well when fresh and is another likely contender.

All the top Irish trainers are represented, with Willie Mullins sending over four runners and you’re never going to dismiss their chances but I’m not sure how well treated the look.

So, it’s to another celtic nation that we turn for the selection, because I like the look of the favourite here, MYRETOWN. He gets some ease in the ground, which he’ll relish. I was on when he won the Ultima in great style at Cheltenham last March, for which he has been put up 15lb.

Trainer Lucinda Russell, now one half of the team along with Michael Scudamore, says she thinks he’s the best she’s trained and he could still be very well treated off a mark of 142. She is not normally given to hyperbole.

We know he can cope with the hustle and bustle of big fields and if he is going to live up to his trainer’s thoughts, then I think he is very backable at 5/1 on horse racing betting sites. If you prefer a bit of insurance, you can obviously back him as an each-way bet to nothing.

Newbury tip 1: Myretown – 1pt win @ 5/1 (William Hill)

Coral Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase (12.30, Newbury)

I think there’s a cracking each-way bet here in WISEGUY and I would not be surprised if he wins the race for a second race in succession.

He’s only 2lb higher than he was last year, which is largely because his form tailed off thereafter. If you watch his performance in this race last year, his jumping could have been better, including when he relinquished the lead at the last but he soon recovered and looked to have much more in hand than the official winning margin.

His CV says the time to catch him is first time out, so I’m not too bothered that he didn’t go on last season and he looks a value each-way play at 11/1 on some betting apps.

Newbury Tip 2: Wiseguy – 0.5pts each-way @ 11/1 (bet365)

Coral Racing Club Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (14.15, Newbury)

I put up INDEMNITY as my selection when he ran at Ascot recently, and unfortunately, he bumped into one in Alexei in that race, with the Joe Tizzard-trained winner looking destined for better things.

Emma Lavelle’s five-year-old lost little in defeat and, in fact, came up with an improved performance, despite finishing three lengths behind the winner in second. The handicapper has been quite lenient in only putting up my pick 1lb since and I think he is well worth sticking with.

Newbury Tip 3: Indemnity – 1pt win @ 9/2 (Betfred)

BetMGM Handicap Chase (13.25, Newcastle)

At Newcastle, I’m going to give the Fighting Fifth a swerve in terms of a betting proposition, as it’s a very trappy-looking contest and I’d rather take the plunge in this marathon chase on WAL BUCK’S.

Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore could be forgiven if minds are elsewhere on the day but this JP McManus-owned six-year-old can also provide them with another winner, now stepped up in trip.

He’s only won one of his seven chases so far and was below par on both his last two starts. However, I can’t help but think back to his easy Haydock win over an extended 3m1f last December and have kept an eye out for his performances since.

Conditions will suit and he’s back on what still looks to me to be a very workable mark of just 110. I’d like to stick with him in a race that has a fairly open look to it.

Newcastle Tip 1: Wal Buck’s (Newcastle, 13.25) – 0.5pts each-way @ 13/2 (bet365)

BetMGM Rehearsal Handicap Chase (15.15, Newcastle)

There’s a decent pot of £70,000 up for grabs for this chase that was for many years run at Chepstow. It’s a few yards short of three miles and it’s a race won by trainer Venetia Williams three times in the last nine years, including the last twice. There have been a couple of upsets in that period but all the other eight winners have returned SPs of no greater than 9/1.

Venetia saddles Hold That Taught this time, at a double-figure price and while you wouldn’t say he can’t win, his recent form doesn’t look red hot and he’s 4lb out of the handicap.

Deafening Silence looks to have decent claims for the Skeltons, on his reappearance but I am siding with DOCPICKEDME, for the in-form Richard Hobson. He had a recent spin over hurdles, which should have him cherry ripe for this. He acts on most ground, including on the forecast good to soft and he is well treated on his best form.

With his claimer taking another 5lb off his back, he looks a decent each-way play at 9/1 on horse racing betting apps, at the time of writing, with the ‘dead eight’ declared.

Newcastle Tip 2: Docpickedme (Newcastle, 15.15) – 0.5pts each-way @ 9/1 (bet365)

Newbury free bet offer

Each Saturday, LiveScore Bet run a money-back offer relating to one of the races being shown on ITV Racing that day. This week, that race is the 14.15 at Newbury.

I’ve picked out Indemnity as one to follow in that race and if you were to follow my selection on LiveScore Bet for that race and he doesn’t go on to win, you’ll receive your stake back in free bets.

There’s no need to opt in to the offer, just place a wager on the race and if your selection fails to win, you’ll receive a free bet refund, up to a maximum of £10.

Only the win part of any each-way bets will be credited back to LiveScore Bet punters.

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If you plan to have a bet on Friday’s racing, make sure to gamble responsibly.

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Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino bonuses you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

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