TimeformBlog

Timeform look ahead to the weekend's best racing in Britain and Ireland, which inculdes the historic Northumberland Plate Handicap at Newcastle and the Irish Derby at the Curragh...


The best of the British meetings set to take place on Saturday is the one at Newcastle, where the feature event is the two-mile Northumberland Plate, due off at 15:05. The present favourite is last year's winner Overturn, who has secured a good draw for a front runner and will have the assistance of 5-lb claimer Henry Brooke who is better known for his NH exploits. Though obviously dangerous to dismiss bearing in mind his high-class hurdling form, Overturn doesn't look particularly well treated any more on the basis of his efforts on the level. Other major contenders include Activate, whose chance hasn't been helped by a wide berth, Harlestone Times and Investissement.

The highlight of the supporting card at Newcastle is the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes over six furlongs, for which Regal Parade, who goes unepenalised for his win in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last year, sets the standard.

Newmarket's July Course also stages good racing on Saturday afternoon with a couple of listed races set to take place along with the Group 3 Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs. This year's renewal of the Criterion looks both highly competitive and well up to standard, the likes of Flambeau, Redford and Dever Dream all having the form to figure prominently in an average running for the race. The six-furlong Empress Stakes features a number of promising two-year-old fillies, chief among them the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained My Propeller, who won a maiden at Pontefract by 17 lengths last Sunday. The other listed race is the 12-furlong Fred Archer Stakes, while the valuable Timeform Millions 3-y-o Cup is another race of interest on the card.

The two other afternoon Flat meetings in Britain take place at Windsor, where there is a listed race set to take place, and Chester, while the evening action will take place at Doncaster and Lingfield.

Saturday is also a big day in Ireland where there is Group 1 action on the Curragh in the shape of the mile-and-a-quarter Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares. This year's has the potential to be a cracker with the multiple Group 1-winning older fillies Midday and Snow Fairy set to clash with the classic generation, the best of whom is Irish Guineas winner Misty For Me. There are a couple of Group 3 races on the supporting card at the Curragh, namely the six-furlong Grangecon Stud Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the mile-and-three-quarter Curragh Cup.

On Sunday there is Flat racing in Britain due to take place at Salisbury and Windsor, while there is also an interesting NH card slated for Uttoxeter where the best race is the three-and-a-half-mile Summer National.

Back at the Curragh, Sunday is Irish Derby day and nine three-year-old colts will go to post for the showpiece event which is due off at 15:50. Five colts who ran in the Derby at Epsom will reoppose, namely Treasure Beach, Carlton House, Memphis Tennessee, Native Khan and Seville. Of them, the market favours Carlton House to reverse form with Treasure Beach from Epsom. There's plenty of quality on the supporting card at the Curragh, notably in the form of the Group 2 Railway Stakes over six furlongs for two-year-olds. Aidan O'Brien has won the race in the past with the likes of George Washington, Holy Roman Emperor and Mastercraftsman and he has a strong-looking entry this year that includes the Coventry winner Power.



For more racing betting articles, go to http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/