Newcastle tips: Romieu may relish all-weather test

The drama of Royal Ascot has been and gone but racing fans can still enjoy some stellar Flat action on Thursday as Newcastle hosts an eight-race card ahead of Saturday’s Northumberland Plate.

They go from 14:00 to 18:05 on Tyneside and there are plenty of interesting runners heading to the north east, including one for Roger Varian in the feature race, the Seaton Delaval Handicap at 15:45.

14:00 Beta Reader @ 11/4

The opener at Newcastle looks a trappy heat, with six of the nine runners likely to go off at a single-figure price. However, the one which stands out from the crowd is BETA READER.

Charlie Johnston’s three-year-old won on his handicap/seasonal debut at Wolverhampton in March but has yet to build on that effort. A return to course and distance saw him beaten into sixth as favourite and his three runs since have resulted in finishes of sixth, fourth and third.

Those efforts mean he is now on a mark of just 61 - one lower than the 62 he won off on his handicap debut - and that certainly looks workable, especially with the return to 7f after three runs over a mile sure to help, too.

Beta Reader is in good hands and it should only be a matter of time before he returns to winning ways.

15:10 Romieu @ 12/1

The first of two Class 2 handicaps on the card will see 11 charges battle it out for the Belmont. There are a few interesting runners, including Fantasy Believer for Ed Walker, who enjoyed a strong Royal Ascot, but preference is for Adrian Keatley’s ROMIEU.

The son of Lope De Vega bolted up on his stable debut to win by three-and-a-half lengths at Redcar and a follow-up fifth of 14 at York was another promising run. Having just an 11-day break means his disappointing last run can be chalked off, too.

Upped trip to 1m2f should be no issue based on his breeding and a mark of 90 could be exploited by Keatley’s charge.

15:45 Fantastic Fox @ 15/2

The second Class 2 Handicap is the feature race, the Seaton Delaval Stakes, and it looks a great opportunity for FANTASTIC FOX to finally return to form and at least make the frame.

The son of Frankel loves Newcastle, posting form figures of 1,3,3 and 2 before a disappointing ninth of 14 in April. He was reported stiff after that run, though, and provided he has suitably recovered after a two-month break, he could resemble something close to his best this time around.

His trainer, Roger Varian, has an excellent Newcastle record, with 26 per cent of his runners winning there since 2021, suggesting he is in great hands. With so much going for him and a potentially double-figure price, he represents a great each-way play.

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