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THE big betting race of the weekend is undoubtedly the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle with 20 horses set for a lung bursting rush over a circuit of the Gosforth Park track at 2.05.

The ante-post favourite, Post Impressionist, has been the big gamble this week from 10/1 to half those odds, but it was clear at the back end of last year that a test of stamina was exactly what this son of Teofilo wanted. 

He was upped from an extended 10 furlongs to 14 in one go and that resulted in a desperately unlucky run at Haydock when behind Double Cherry, but he more than made up for that when beating the same horse at York in a very competitive three-year-old handicap off a mark of 82. Of course a 13lbs higher mark asks plenty more here, but it would be natural to assume that the step up to two miles on only his second all-weather start could glean even more improvement. 

Adjutant cruised home in a class three handicap at Newmarket and both his runs this season have been well and truly cemented since by those horses around him. That duo have solid claims if the handicapper hasn’t got hold of them, but are consequently at the top of the betting and I think the selection, a stable mate of the market leader, offers much better value in the form of NATHANAEL GREENE. 

His run behind Courage Mon Ami has obviously been given a huge boost, but the biggest pointer to him taking a massive step forward is the stamina-sapping two miles here, and a likely much quicker pace. On several occasions he has been badly outpaced as the pace has quickened only to stay on too late in the day. 

Dropped to a mark of 88, he was only four lengths off Post Impressionist in that aforementioned York race, but that was a relatively slowly run affair and he was basically outpaced. Now fully 20lbs better off here, it is worth remembering he went off at 4/1 favourite that afternoon and the winner at 6/1. 

The consolation to this famous race at 1.30 has only attracted the 14 runners this time around, but I fancy that THERMOSCOPE will prove the best each-way play here having not been suited by a slowly run race over 13 furlongs last time out at Hamilton Park.

Previously an easy winner at Musselburgh, this lightly raced five-year-old may be able to give trainer Keith Dalgleish a nice send-off in his final season of training. The biggest dangers to the selection could well be Appier, and the three-year-old Hadrianus. The last named had a horrible wide passage in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and is worth another chance here off a mark of 102.

Others to note on Newcastle’s biggest day of racing include ANIMATE in the opening sprint handicap at 12.20 and RI NA FARRAIGE at 4.25. The last named is particularly interesting as he has been kept in his box due to the prevailing fast ground, but a run on this Tapeta surface gives him a chance to show that his current rating of 70 is well within his capabilities.

It is Irish Derby weekend at the Curragh, but I am really keen on a runner in one of the lower graded handicaps due off at 5.40 over two miles.

There is plenty of chaff amongst little wheat in this finale here and although the likes of the top weight Magella Strait and the lightly raced Ted Hastings (good booking of Billy Lee by Gordon Elliott) are both interesting but FIRSTMAN is not in at the sharp end.

Three from 24 on the turf (has an even better record on sand) he has close form lines to the likes of Royal Ascot Okita Sushi (2nd off 88 at Dundalk) and an eye catching run behind Nusret over the course and distance last time out. His young rider that day was happy to stick to the inside for much of the home straight and didn’t really see that the field were coming back onto him, and by the time he pulled the six-year-old gelding out it was too late, and he was merely pushed out hands and heels to finish a two and a half lengths sixth of 10. 

Set to run off a 2lbs lower mark here, I fancy that the bay gelding can mow this lot down as they hit the rising ground if 7lbs claimer James Ryan doesn’t make the same mistake as his predecessor in the saddle.

Earlier on, INSTANT APPEAL should go one better than his second behind Deepone on his career debut at Leopardstown in the maiden at 1.40, but an even stronger wager could well be APACHE OUTLAW in the five furlong handicap at 2.50. The Joseph O’Brien-trained charge was a huge eye catcher three weeks ago when he came from some way back when a never nearer fourth behind Run Ran Run. The son of Churchill is able to run off a 1lb lower mark here.

Elsewhere, CUBAN BREEZE can end a frustrating run of placed efforts in the class three, six furlong event at Chester (3.07), while at Newmarket we should get a big run for our money from ALDAARY who is set to make a belated seasonal debut in the Group Three Criterion Stakes at 1.50. He is the strong pick to see off last year’s hero Pogo, who takes a drop in grade here after finishing out the back in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.