John Burke

Morning all,

A veritable feast of top class racing over the next couple of days.  It’s the second day of the Irish Derby Festival with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby going off at 3:45. This side of the Irish Sea it’s the valuable Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.  You can watch the Irish Derby and the best of the action from Newcastle & Newmarket on the main ITV channel.

I have already looked at the Irish Derby and the Northumberland Plate earlier in the week. So today I have focused on the three other Newcastle races on ITV.

Read More »Saturday Plate Selection

Morning all,

A second day at racing at Newcastle with the Group 3 Hoppings Fillies' Stakes (7.10) the feature race of a seven-race card.

For those of you like me who like a competitive sprint handicap there’s the Gosforth Park Cup Handicap (6.35). Fourteen have been declared for this 5f handicap which looks the most interesting from a betting perspective.

It’s the first of three days racing at the Curragh as the Irish Derby Festival gets underway. The highlight of a seven-race card, which includes a four big field handicaps, is the Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup (6.43).  Eight have been declared for a race which Aidan O’Brien has won six times since 2012. Aidan runs three Wordsworth, Sussex and Temple Of Artemis in this year’s race.  Meanwhile son Joseph has won the race twice since 2017 and saddles two Master Of Reality & Gear Up.

Besides the action at Curragh and Newcastle. Doncaster, Yarmouth, Cartmel (jumps), Newmarket and Chester complete a very busy day and evening of racing.

You can ready my thoughts on the best of the evening’s action inside today’s piece.

Read More »Curragh Selection

Morning all,

Inside today’s main piece I’m looking at Saturday’s Irish Derby. Plus, I have looked at a couple of today’s races.

Read More »Irish Derby Preview

Morning all,

Inside today’s main piece, I look ahead to the weekend’s big races, in particular the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. Plus, I look at a couple of today’s races including the Carlisle Bell (2:55) which is the oldest sporting trophy in the world, having been first run for in 1599.

Read More »Northumberland Plate Preview