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Northumberland Plate tips and predictions: Spartan Army our choice
Find the latest Northumberland Plate odds, along with our expert’s win and each-way tips plus a betting offer for the big race on Saturday
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The third day of Newcastle’s Pitmen’s Derby meeting takes place on Saturday and the Northumberland Plate is the big race of the afternoon. It comes up at 3.10pm and will be shown live on ITV.
The biggest contest run on the all-weather all season, the Plate typically goes to a tough and genuine stayer who is capable of slogging it out up the long straight at the Tyneside course.
A field of 20 has been declared for Saturday’s race and our expert has picked out a pair to follow.
Northumberland Plate tips, Newcastle, Saturday, 3.10pm
- Selection: Spartan Army @ 10/1 with Betfred
- Next best: Duke Of Oxford @ 8/1 with Betfred
Odds, correct at the time of publishing, are subject to change.
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Spartan Army looks ready to march to Plate glory
The key piece of form here could be the all-weather championships, where subsequent winner Prydwen beat Duke Of Oxford and SPARTAN ARMY into second and third. There was only a head between Duke Of Oxford and Spartan Army, but the third is fancied to reverse the places.
Duke Of Oxford came from a long way behind in a moderately run race but he did cut all the corners, whereas Spartan Army was forced to race wide. The son of Highland Reel lost in the region of three lengths going around the longest way that day, which gives hope he can find the head needed to beat Duke Of Oxford if getting an easier journey.
Spartan Army races off the same mark of 95 here, having been dropped 1lb in the weights for a disappointing run on the turf at Newbury last time. However, all his best form has come on the all-weather and trainer Alan King has targeted this contest, wasting no time by going for other races in between.
King has given the selection a 71-day break to get him primed for this return to Newcastle, and Spartan Army has two firsts and a third when running after a rest. He evidently goes well fresh and this will have been the aim, so everything looks in place for him to return to winning ways.
Selection: Spartan Army @ 10/1 with Betfred
Oxford capable of running a big race in Northumberland
It is not certain that Spartan Army will reverse the course-and-distance (C&D) places with DUKE OF OXFORD, though, and with that in mind the Michael Bell-trained four-year-old is the danger.
The son of Kingman is another who saves all his best form for the all-weather and followed his two wins at Kempton over the winter with a couple of good efforts in defeat over C&D.
He was beaten into third by Zealandia here in January before returning to post that good second on all-weather championships day, finishing one place ahead of Spartan Army.
He did get a better trip than Spartan Army on that outing, but also came from further back, and it was an eyecatching effort. However, he was unable to build on it on the turf in the Chester Cup last time.
That should not be a huge concern, though, because Duke Of Oxford has yet to transfer his smart sand form to the grass, and there is a good chance that he is simply a better horse on the all-weather. He gets the chance to prove that point now he is back on the Tapeta here and could return to his best this time.
Selection: Duke Of Oxford @ 8/1 with Betfred
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