It’s a busy day on Friday, but there are some very small fields at Newmarket owing to the extreme heat. Some meetings have even been moved to morning starts. Therefore, the main focus of my Friday horse racing tips is Newcastle, with their evening fixture being part of the Northumberland Plate Festival.
I have three main selections, including my Friday nap of the day in the Gosforth Park Cup.
Friday Horse Racing Tips: Best Bets for Newcastle
| Bet Type | Horse | Race | Odds | Bookie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Bet | Corolla Point | 7:28 Newcastle | 3/1 | William Hill |
| Next Best | Binmalk | 5:43 Newcastle | SP – BOG | William Hill |
| Value Bet | Maple | 5:10 Newcastle | SP – BOG | William Hill |
Odds correct at 12:45 BST on 25/06/26. Odds subject to change.
As is often the case, there are no early prices for some of my Newcastle horse racing tips for Friday, as the races aren’t televised. The advice here is to use Best Odds Guaranteed, though 3/1 is a fair price about the nap of the day, Corolla Point.
William Hill supplied those odds, one of the best horse racing bookmakers around. I have some more detailed insight on these horses, and a couple of others, still to come.
Making Use of Best Odds Guaranteed
Get your free bets with William Hill now, and look out for prices coming in. If you prefer, you can wait until 8:00am on Friday, then back these runners using best odds guaranteed. Take the odds, and if your horse wins at a larger SP, you are paid out at the bigger price.
No Expiry Date
My Friday Best Bet
Corolla Point – 7:28 Newcastle
Although the Hoppings Stakes is a higher-class event, the Newcastle Friday racecard is still known as Gosforth Park Cup Night. This race is indeed the Gosforth Park Cup, a five-furlong sprint.
Plenty of these look handicapped similarly, including Paddy’s Day, Seven Questions, Vantheman, and Purosangue. The one that stands out to me though, is Ed Bethell’s four-year-old Corolla Point.
Since moving from Charlie Appleby’s yard, this gelding has won twice last autumn, and run third on two occasions this year. He was not beaten far at all at York last time in a valuable handicap, but I reckon he found the ground a bit too lively.
Though he hasn’t raced on the all-weather yet, I have few doubts about him. He is by Blue Point, whose progeny have fair stats on synthetic surfaces. More pertinently, his highest rated all-weather performers, Blue Rc and Pocklington, put up their best ratings at Newcastle.
That’s Friday’s feature race then. Saturday’s main event is of course the Northumberland Plate, and I’ll have a full preview of that on my regular Saturday horse racing tips page.
Why I’m Backing Corolla Point
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Should appreciate the Tapeta surface
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Still well handicapped and arguably getting better
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Favourite five times in a row – well liked by connections
My Next Best Bet for Friday
Binmalk – 5:43 Newcastle
The next of my Newcastle Friday tips comes in the second race, a seven-furlong novice event. Viper represents Geordie trainer Brian Ellison, and so he may be popular. I’m hoping any money that comes for him keeps the price on my horse respectable.
Binmalk, representing top owner Sheikh Ahmed and trainers Simon & Ed Crisford, is 2/1 in the betting forecast. William Buick, who is on Tyneside to ride Diamond Rain on Friday and Symbol Of Honour on Saturday, has been jocked up, and that’s a big positive.
This three-year-old son of Kingman took a big jump in form from race one to race two, when he finished a fair fourth at Doncaster. He still looked very green that day, and another chunk of improvement is expected which should see him clear of this field. The Northumberland Plate Festival is about quality owners, jockeys, and trainers, and we have that here.
Why I’m Backing Binmalk
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The Crisfords’ only runner on the card (though they did send two for Thursday)
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Has the assistance of the top-class William Buick
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Capable of running to a mark in the mid-80’s which should be too good
My Value Bet for Newcastle on Friday
Maple – 5:10 Newcastle
The opening race on the card is a class 6 handicap for amateur riders only. That’s not the sort of race I’d go anywhere near in normal circumstances, but sometimes you spot an opportunity and have to take it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the more fancied Royal Blaze or The Ubermensch took this race, but I was quite taken by the profile of Maple. He is trained by Ruth Jefferson and has a forecast price of 10/1.
The jockey in this case, Chelsea Brooks, has managed three wins and three places from 35 rides. She is certainly experienced and capable enough. In terms of form, Maple finished second over this course and distance twice earlier in the year, and has since improved his form over hurdles. He could be well treated at the weights now.
Why I’m Backing Maple
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3lbs lower than when last seen at Newcastle – but has been improving over hurdles
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Amateur jockey knows the time of day
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Already placed more than once over the course and distance in 2026
Northumberland Plate Festival Friday Tips – My Lucky 31
As well as the three horses advised above, I’m sticking two others into my betslip to create a Lucky 31.
Harry The Rogue (forecast 16/1), hasn’t been great ahead of the one-mile handicap at 6:18, but in 14 all-weather runs, he has shown pretty much constant improvement. His time is coming.
The star turn of the evening though is Diamond Rain, the high-class Godolphin mare who won the Hoppings Stakes last year. She’s back for more, but she’s a short price based on the fact that she went on to be placed in two Grade 1’s in North America last year. It’ll be great to see her again. Here’s the full Lucky 31:
| Race | Horse |
|---|---|
| 5:10 | Maple |
| 5:43 | Binmalk |
| 6:18 | Harry The Rogue |
| 6:53 | Diamond Rain |
| 7:28 | Corolla Point |
Recent Winners up to 25/1
June has been great so far. Via my horse racing previews and the regular Saturday page, I’ve backed these winners:
| Date | Winner | Advised | SP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/06/26 | Wine Dark Sea | 2/1 | 5/6 |
| 20/06/26 | Almeraq | 22/1 | 25/1 |
| 20/06/26 | Square Necker | SP | 4/1 |
| 20/06/26 | Sea Cookie | SP | 7/2 |
| 19/06/26 | Opportunity | 5/1 | 6/1 |
| 17/06/26 | Blue Bolt | 11/4 | 5/2 |
| 17/06/26 | Ombudsman | 11/8 | 11/10 |
| 17/06/26 | Alobayyah | 7/2 | 11/4 |
| 06/06/26 | Shipbourne | SP | 6/5 |
| 05/06/26 | Sallaal | 9/2 | 5/2 |
