1.18pm Newcastle - Listed Burradon Stakes
This does look to be a cracking little contest on paper, and although there is an unbeaten Godolphin horse that is sure to gather all the attention, I think there is a horse slightly overlooked in this contest who is only third-favourite at the time of writing.
The John & Thady Gosden-trained Orne does have a 5lb penalty to deal with here, but that could be just a simple case of being the best horse in the race (on ratings as well), having the best form in the race and already having race fitness very much on his side here on Friday afternoon.
A winner of the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury on his last start as a 2yo, that was a pretty nice 1¼ length win in the end, in what looked to be a pretty decent contest. He has already had two runs so far as a 3yo, where he came 2nd in a Group 2 over the mile trip at Doha, only beaten by 2 lengths, before running in a Lingfield Listed contest last time, where he came 3rd.
He was probably given a little too much to do late on last time, but he was staying on very well in the end, and if he had been in a better position as they went around the final bend, he would have definitely come closer and arguably might even have won.
That was a Listed contest over 7 furlongs at Lingfield, so essentially this will be a very different test on Friday, but I think it is very much a test that he will relish, and given how he was running on late last time, this mile trip will more than suit this horse.
- Selection - Orne (7/2)
2.25pm Newcastle - All-weather 3 year old Championship Handicap
Although lightly raced and not seen on the racecourse in 88 days, Sommelier could have been lined up nicely for this after that decent 2nd on his 3yo seasonal re-appearance over this course and distance.
He was a progressive sort in his 2yo season, after coming 4th on his debut at Southwell, and he then went on to progress pretty nicely with his two other runs that season, winning a maiden contest at Chelmsford very comfortably indeed by a little under 4 lengths, before then going on to confirm that promise by landing a novice contest at Kempton in very taking fashion, blitzing the field by a little under 9 lengths and going straight into my tracker.
He was then shortly snapped up by King Power Racing, who have been relatively quiet these past few seasons, although they do have an eye for picking up a very nice type every now and then, and they appear to have a beautiful type on their hands here.
He has form on the all-weather, which will set him in good stead here, and although beaten into 2nd last time, that looks to be quite a nice contest and very much one to keep an eye on as the turf season progresses.
That was a Class 2 contest over this course and distance, so once again that will set him in very good stead here, as we know he handles the track and underfoot conditions.
Blue Prince beat him that day, and does line up here once again, but Marco Botti's Sommelier is 4lb better off the weights with him, so that should be enough for the form to be reversed here.
Rossa Ryan has been booked, which as we all know is an excellent booking no matter the horse, and the underrated jockey deserves to land another big job in the future.
- Selection - Sommelier (10/3)
4.10pm Newcastle - All-weather Easter Classic Middle Distance Handicap
Although this would be the hardest competition she has taken on so far, I just can not let Oh So Grand go here. The manner in which she won the Winter Oaks Fillies Handicap at Lingfield last time out was a pleasure to behold, as she absolutely blitzed clear down the home straight to win in very impressive fashion by a length and a half.
Although she was only rated 89 then, and now is rated 97, so she has an 8lb raise in the weights to deal with after just a length or so victory, it was the manner in which she put the race to bed last time in a matter of strides. She travelled so well into the race before firing clear in the closing furlong or so when Jack Mitchell asked her to go, winning a lot more comfortably than the margin actually suggests.
She had also done the very same thing in her previous run, although that time around in the Winter Oaks Fillies Handicap, the turn of foot with a literal thing of beauty. As I say, this is by far the best contest she has run in during her relatively short career, but I feel she is the most upwardly mobile horse in the contest that could easily improve into a 100+ rated horse in time.
There are a few lightly-raced sorts in here who are already 100+ rated runners, like Elegant Man, but being an Irish raider, you would think the British handicapper has given him a pretty hard task here after only just three runs.
The Crisfords and her connections are just loving the progress she is showing of late, and they feel she could eventually improve into Group company after this contest on Good Friday, although she would probably have to win this to suggest that she could manage such a step up.
Her all-weather record reads at 4 wins in just 5 runs, and in that contest she didn't win, she was only beaten by a little under 2 lengths in the end. As mentioned, she is a very upwardly mobile filly who could easily have improved enough to land a contest of this nature. I can't wait to hopefully see the afterburners kick in as she flies clear like she has done on her previous two wins.
- Selection - Oh So Grand (10/3)
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell