ITV Racing Tips: A Couple Of Saturday Picks On Northumberland Plate Day

The madness of Royal Ascot is now behind us and although this Saturday is nothing like the quality we saw at the Royal Meeting, it still throws up plenty of perplexing punting puzzles. Billy Grimshaw has a couple of selections for the televised action which you can read here...

14:10 Newcastle

The Group 3 Chipchase Stakes sees a short priced favourite in Kind Of Blue, and for all he has outstanding claims I would be in no rush at all to back him at 11/8 or shorter. His last run can be discounted as he blew his chance out of the gate over in France, but even putting a line through that I wouldn't be keen to be with him as a short favourite given this is his AW debut and there's plenty of classy sprinters. He did win a Group 1, which has burdened him with a 7lb penalty in here, just a few starts ago and that is the clear pick of the form in here, but with the price and the question marks he's an easy avoid for me.

I quite liked Diligent Harry's latest run here over C&D in a handicap when just three lengths off and clearly not cherry ripe, and I'd expect more from him today given he's now had that run then a little break to freshen up, but stall 3 isn't ideal and he's not looked quite the force of old this season. Annaf was also on the shortlist as he has good course and distance form and can easily be excused his Ascot flop given he missed the break entirely, plus he is a hold up horse which often pays at Newcastle, but the one I'll be siding with is SPYCATCHER for Karl Burke.

He is another who last time out was slowly away and blew all chance of victory, although to his credit he was only four lengths off the winner in the John Of Gaunt at Haydock. If he can break a bit more alertly I am confident he has the pace to excel back at six here and on the form of his reappearance win I think he should be the clear second favourite here, so 15/2 each-way is an excellent price to kick us off. There are dangers aplenty in this competitive affair, but I'm hopeful of a big run from our pick.

15:30 Curragh

Easily the highest quality race of the day comes from The Curragh over in Ireland as the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes is the sole race on the card set to be broadcast live over here on ITV Racing. Prior to The Oaks I was convinced that Musidora winner WHIRL was being underestimated and she did me proud for second at Epsom. With the jockeys switched, I am fairly sure she'd have won that Classic but I guess we'll never know and team Ballydoyle will have been fairly content with the result there at any rate, so we'll move on and be grateful that she comes in here a bit under the radar rather than as a Classic winner, a reality in which she almost certainly would be favourite for this.

Kalpana is no easy beat and sets the standard given her Group 1 win last season and her excellent third here in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, for all Los Angeles didn't do much for that form at Royal Ascot. She will be challenging Whirl late on if Whirl once again tries to lead, similar to the way Winnie Hauk loomed upsides at Epsom, but I  do think they are above average three year old fillies and will prove it in the fullness of time this season. I expect Ryan Moore to be at his brilliant best on board and although Colin Keane is a fantastic rider in his own right, Moore could be the difference in this battle.

I respect the French raider Survie, and will be very fearful if the rain really pours down which it might, considering she was in the mix in the Arc and ran well last time out at Saint Cloud. I don't think her form or upside is as strong as Whirl's, however, so I will be cheering Ballydoyle home in this big Group 1 before Derby Day on Sunday.