Our form expert has three selections for Saturday's ITV Racing action from Newcastle and York on Northumberland Plate day.
The Verdict: Saturday June 27
1pt win Wild Nature in the 13:55 York at 15/2 (General)
1pt e.w. Front Line Fury in the 14:25 York at 18/1 (Paddy Power 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Saint Etienne in the 15:15 Newcastle at 12/1 (General)
1pt win Heavenly Heather in the 14:10 Newcastle at 9/1 (NON RUNNER)
Ellison can strike again in Plate
It took Brian Ellison an age to win the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate but he finally landed the race closest to his heart with Onesmoothoperator in 2024 and he could win it again on Saturday with SAINT ETIENNE.
The Malton trainer knows exactly what is required over this course and distance and he has a tremendous record with his runners over staying trips at Newcastle, his record on the Tapeta at Gosforth Park over races in excess of 1m6f reading 14 wins from 70 at 20%.
It’s dead interesting he has lined up Saint Etienne for this, then, a horse who has been racing over middle-distance trips on turf this spring that has seen his mark fall from 100 to 92 in four runs.
For his previous yard in France he had a very good record on All-Weather tracks, winning at Deauville, twice, and Cagnes-Sur-Mer, while he ran very well on the Polytrack at Chantilly, too, and while he isn’t proven on the Newcastle Tapeta, Le Havre progeny have a very good record on it (13 wins from 59 at 22.03%).
It’s no wonder he has been targeted at this race all things considered and he’s no back number on recent form, either, with his fourth in a good race at York over 1m4f off a 4lb higher mark two starts ago reading well here.
The biggest question mark is if he will stay, but his half-brother Ideal Man stayed 1m7f at Chantilly and given he was probably bought with this race in mind he’s worth chancing on that score.
Indeed, his middle-distance pace can see him travel into this sweetly and he might just have too many guns for them in the straight if things fall nicely for Connor Beasley.
The Verdict: Back SAINT ETIENNE in the 15:15 Newcastle
Wild ride for Murphy looks ideal
Over at York I like the look of WILD NATURE for Ed Bethell in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Mile Handicap.
There looks to be a very good chance the son of Kingman could dominate from the front end here under Oisin Murphy who is an eyebrow-raising booking for the four-year-old.
Formerly with Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, he won on his third start for his new yard at Kempton in November, off just a 2lb lower mark, but there’s no reason why he can’t be just as good on turf.
Indeed, he shaped with promise on his reappearance at Musselburgh, beating Misunderstood, who he raced up front with throughout, by six lengths, the pair teeing things up for course specialist Bellarchi.
That he hung on for third there was a positive, especially as he should come on for that run, and a mile at York with a potential lack of pace pressure against him looks ideal.
The Verdict: Back WILD NATURE in the 13:55 York
Fury to land knockout blow
Finally, FRONT LINE FURY looks a good each-way bet at 18/1 in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dash Handicap over five furlongs on the Knavesmire.
George Scott’s horse has tried five furlongs once in his life when he was drawn the widest of seven at Chester but he looks well worth another go at the minimum trip.
He showed he had plenty of pace when winning two six-furlong races well from the front end as a juvenile and eight runs at two has given him a solid base to work from this year.
I like his gradual progression this season and he has shaped like a drop to five will see him in a good light, particularly on his last two starts when keen at Leicester and then second at Kempton last time.
He hit the front to lead a furlong from home at Kempton before hanging left late on, but he could take another step forward off a strong gallop over five at York with Tom Marquand now booked for the job.
The Verdict; Back FRONT LINE FURY in the 14:25 York
Heather still underestimated in the Chipchase (NON RUNNER)
HEAVENLY HEATHER (NON RUNNER) is improving at a rate of knots for Tracy Waggott and she looks to have a fine chance of nailing Group 3 glory in the Jenningsbet Chipchase Stakes over six furlongs.
Backed into 40/1 from massive prices in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Shamardal mare ran a screamer beaten just a length and a half in sixth and on that evidence she deserves to be rated higher than the 104 she’s now sitting on.
There is a lot to be said for a thriving, in-form, sprinting mare and she’s fit and firing after being on the go for so long, a set of circumstances that are giving her a bit of an edge in these big-field sprints run at a strong gallop.
They should go hard again here with the likes of Marvelman, Noble Champion, Diligent Harry and Poet Master set to drag them along and that will suit Heavenly Heather just fine under Barry McHugh.
This drop in class to a Group 3 looks the perfect race for her, as for all she has been improving at five furlongs she stays six strongly and she learnt her trade at this track, winning here on three occasions.
She’s fifth in the market at a track she loves and she’s the form horse in the race, so she’s an obvious pick at the prices while she’s in the groove.
The Verdict: Back HEAVENLY HEATHER in the 14:10 Newcastle (NON RUNNER)
Preview posted at 15:45 BST on 26/06/26
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