ITV Racing Tips: Three Selections On Good Friday

All weather fans have a real treat on Good Friday with the AW Championships Finals being broadcast live on ITV from Newcastle, with more good quality all weather racing from Lingfield supporting the card. Billy Grimshaw has taken a look at the cards and has three he likes the look of, all coming from the valuable day up in the North East.

13:50 Newcastle - BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap

My first fancy comes in the first race broadcast on ITV from Newcastle in this three year olds only handicap, I really like the chances of favourite SILENT STRIKE for Andrew Balding. The trainer has always targeted this meeting as a key event in the build up to the flat season proper and given he has won the last two renewals of this specific race with remarkably similar types, the signs are all there this is the day for this Mehmas colt.

I'm happy with his draw in nine, happy with Oisin Murphy booked to ride again and will be very happy if, rather than last time when he got an easy lead and was collared perhaps due to inexperience rather than inability here last time in a novice, he has a pace to aim at in this competitive handicap. Al Najashi is the horse closest to my fancy in the market and while Ollie Sangster's charge could have more improvement in him, I wouldn't be confident he can dismiss a 10lb rise in the weights.

Silent Strike looks to have everything in his favour for one so lightly raced and I'd not be surprised in the slightest to see this be his last handicap run before heading off to bigger and better things on turf as the season progresses. Given the reputation of the filly that beat him in the aforementioned novice over this course and distance, going down to Soul Love of Karl Burke's by just half a length may look a serious piece of form. A repeat of that run could be enough to take this, but I'd hazard a guess he has even more improvement in the locker for a yard that are making this race their own.

15:00 Newcastle - BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap

This is a seriously competitive contest, but i am hoping the form line to focus on is a Southwell handicap in early February. Chancellor came out on top that day, but was just one length ahead of TYRRHENIAN SEA and with Roger Varian's eight year old certainly showing no signs of slowing down, I am willing to chance him at the prices to reverse that form. Chancellor certainly has more upside given he is just four and could be a real improver all year for the Gosden team, but with that Southwell result coming off levels and now the elder statesman receiving three pounds from his conqueror there is only one logical selection.

The duo finished a fair way clear in what was a fast time and there is certainly a case to be made that Tyrrhenian Sea should've been closer given he was held up for a smidgen too long and then was carried left a touch by a wilting rival when attempting to perform his late thrust. Chancellor may well have had more in the locker, but with that horse the 4/1 favourite in here and Roger Varian's runner, who has been kept fresh for this while Chancellor has run again and tasted defeat, he is worth a nibble at 8/1 each-way.

There are, of course, not just two horses in this race and I will be cursing around the living room if the old boy Witch Hunter swoops characteristically late to deny my pick with Jamie Spencer in the plate. He didn't have a great season last campaign but has the back class to be very competitive off a mark of 104 and does have form here and on all weather surfaces in general. The Lost King is the main threat outside of the formline I am focusing on for that man Andrew Balding, but although he is weighted to be very competitive in a usual renewal of this race, I do think the fact the Southwell duo are here means this is a higher quality Mile than most years.

16:10 Newcastle - Midnite All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance Handicap

NAP time now in the penultimate race from Newcastle and I am again siding with the king of AW Championships Finals day in Andrew Balding; REGAL ULIXES should take the world of beating here. He has to beat a Willie Mullins raider with Billy Loughnane booked in Gaucher, but for all you should never doubt the master of Closutton I am hopeful that the punters get stuck into him simply due to the trainer and the rarity of him sending a runner to this meeting, as I really fancy the current market leader.

Although Andrew Balding loves the all weather, I was disappointed over the winter to see they had gelded this horse as even though he'd been outclassed a few times in big races last year, I still thought there was potential for him to kick on at four. He can, of course, have an unbelievably successful career now without his two former prized possessions but there is a suspicion he will prove much, much better than this sort of company in time. His latest win at Lingfield was finally a demonstration of his talent when putting it all together as he won with minimal fuss, sweeping down the outside under a Rob Hornby exuding calmness.

Horses don't win like that unless they have buckets in hand and although plenty - including this scribe - were disappointed he could only finish sixth last time out, that was a race over a sub optimal distance and given the lack of a hard time he was given when not quite giving his all to get through a gap, there was perhaps this day in mind for connections. He will be tuned up to the gills for this by the man with no peer at this meeting and although the price is skinny enough, I am hopeful he drifts a bit given the alure of Gaucher. Anything over 5/2 is a smashing bet.