ITV Racing Tips: Fiery Balding colt looks the part

It's Good Friday - March 29 - and a bumper harvest for ITV racing fans. TEN live races, taken from the All-Weather Championships Finals day at Newcastle; plus some competitive action from Lingfield Park. Deep, high-quality fields, and some brilliant each-way betting opportunities.

We start at 13:53, and run through until 16:40. Lots of prize money is up for grabs, so that means some of the industry's biggest names are in hot pursuit of the cash. We had three good ITV winners last Saturday, plus a rattling good second, beaten by the merest smidge; and flagged up an 8/1 winner in Wednesday's Lucky 15 piece, among others in the week - so we're in decent nick. Right, without further ado; our ITV Racing tips.

Friday's full ITV racing menu:

Newcastle

13:53 BetUK All-Weather C'ships Marathon Handicap (Cl2) (2m1⁄2f)

14:25 BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap (Cl2) (6f)

15:00 BetMGM Fillies’ and Mares’ Championships Handicap (Cl2) (7f)

15:35 BetUK All-Weather Sprint Handicap (Class 2) (6f)

16:10 BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance Handicap (Cl2) (1m2f)

16:40 BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap (Class 2) (1m)

Lingfield

14:05 BetUK All-Weather Vase Middle Distance Handicap (Cl3) (1m2f)

14:40 BetMGM All-Weather Vase Mile Handicap (Cl3) (1m)

15:15 BetUK All-Weather Vase Marathon Handicap (Cl3) (2m)

15:50 BetUK All-Weather Vase Sprint Handicap (Cl4) (6f)

No apologies whatsoever for looking at each-way plays in several races today - super-competitive contests plus some enhanced place events make it a very sensible option in my book.

Rationale;

13:53 Newcastle - Max Vega @ 11/2

Max Vega represents two titans of racing - trainer Ralph Beckett and jockey Rossa Ryan. Half-a-furlong in excess of 2m is the trip, so staying is the name of the game here, and the selection is usually campaigned at slightly less.

Won nicely at Wolves 41 days ago (1m 4f) and that was just about as good a display as he's produced in a very consistent career. Ryan has been on board for the last two spins (like this, Class 2 heats), and it's very encouraging that he maintains the partnership as he's invariably highly sought-after.

14:05 Lingfield - Inspiritus e/w @ 15/2

James Doyle rides for Roger Varian - two more tip-top performers in our sport. Inspiritus is a four-year-old gelded son of the great Sea The Stars, and this is a classy ten-furlong Class 3 handicap.

Lightly-campaigned, this will only be career start number seven, and he's registered one win and four seconds in an admirably consistent body of work thus far. Steps up in grade today but is progressive and looks well worth a go at this handsome prize. We're paying four places, so that's exactly where I'm heading.

14:25 Newcastle - Fire Demon @ 7/2

Legendary Frankel, Dancing Brave and Enable silks are to the fore - Juddmonte stars from the past represented today by Fire Demon, a three-year-old Dark Angel colt who's scored twice in 2024 already.

Last time was a career-high, a comfortable win at Kempton at this 6f trip, and he steps up markedly in class today. He's another progressive type who looks well worth a dip at this £70k+ first prize, and the outstanding former champion Oisin Murphy, on board at Kempton, is again in the plate.

His gifted sire never ran as a three-year-old, so it's extra-fascinating to see the development at three of his talented son, who could be very smart.

14:40 Lingfield - Gincident e/w @ 8/1

A Class 3 one-mile handicap, worth £33k+ to the winner. The prize is pursued by North Yorkshire trainer Richard Fahey and his four-year-old gelding Gincident.

Stable jockey Oisin Orr rides, and this one was denied by just a neck at the trip and in the grade at Southwell last time, 24 days ago. The naughty old handicapper has put him up a pound for that, but I doubt that will stop him from running a huge race.

He's won off 82 in the past and races off 83 today. I'm very hopeful, and as it's four places each-way again, you know the drill.

15:00 Newcastle - Wild Side e/w @ 7/1

A tip-top 7f Class 2 handicap for the ladies now, with a Fillies' and Mares' heat worth £77k+ to the winner. Wild Side represents another lethal partnership in racing (George Boughey/Rossa Ryan), especially on what we used to call 'the sand,' in less technically enlightened times.

This four-year-old daughter of Kodiac has been in good form over the winter, and lines up today after an 88-day refresher break. That last race in January was here, same trip/grade (3rd), and I can imagine his shrewd and talented handler immediately pencilled this valuable prize in his notebook.

The booking of Rossa up top merely adds to my firm hopes. Standard three places each-way are on offer in what's expected to be a nine-runner field only. I'm excited about this one and at the current sevens or thereabouts looks a brilliant e/w proposition to me.

15:15 Lingfield - Tenerife Sunshine e/w @ 10/1

James Doyle rides this four-year-old Lope De Vega gelding for trainer Charlie Johnston. It's a 2m Class 3 handicap for stayers, and Tenerife Sunshine tries the distance for the first time.

He looks worth the step-up, often running on at the death without quite having the gears to get his head in front. He's won a couple of races but has been placed in his last three, all since late January.

He certainly wouldn't be the first to hail from the Johnston's base high on Middleham Moor to benefit from moving up a few furlongs, and is a sporting e/w shout (we're paying four places).

15:35 Newcastle - Batal Dubai @ 9/2

This one has been threatening to win again since scoring in October last, but has been hitting the post somewhat in three subsequent, highly-respectable runs.

Batal Dubai is a talented four-year-old Profitable colt in the care of Harry Charlton, and Cliff Lee takes the mount. He's up a pound to 93 for that latest near-miss, but could easily be carrying more if any of those spins had yielded a win, which could readily have been the case.

So - a racing weight of 8st 9lb looks extremely tempting, and as we're paying four places you might want to consider that. For me he's virtually a winner without a penalty, if you follow my thread. Today could easily be his day.

15:50 Lingfield - Prince Of Zenda @ 4/1

My selection is one of two Middleham Park Racing entries, and will be ridden by crack Irish pro Shane Foley, who's strongly associated with the great Jessie Harrington back home.

Prince Of Zenda is a four-year-old Kingman gelding who won with authority here 62 days ago (same 6f trip) and looks to land a hat-trick - plus a tasty first prize of £33k.

The highly-capable Hugo Palmer trains, and though this mark of 89 is easily a career-high it's encouraging to me at least that claimer Brandon Wilkie rides the other Middleham Park horse, and top jock Foley is engaged here instead of Wilkie or perhaps another apprentice to reduce the burden.

16:10 Newcastle - Teumessias Fox e/w @ 17/2

We've selected a five-year-old King Power gelding in the care of Andrew Balding, and ridden by Oisin Murphy. Teumessias Fox won in this grade over 2f further at Kempton last time (62 days ago) and daylight was second, frankly.

He was claimer-ridden that day, and gets Murphy now. He's run well here previously and even at five looks to be presently on the upgrade. He's a smashing e/w price in my book and as we're paying four places that's exactly the way I'm leaning.

A massive pot of £100k+ is up for grabs and though a mark of 105 demands a career-high performance he might just be in the kind of form to find one.

16:40 Newcastle - Symbol Of Light e/w @ 13/2

Trainer Julie Camacho distinguished herself with the handling of Group One July Cup hero Shaquille, and this gelded five-year-old son of Shamardal runs in the same colours.

Not quite in the same parish form-wise, but a talented 98-rated miler coming here after failing by a whisker to land a good Kempton contest under Tom Marquand 51 days ago. I'd like to think he was put away afterwards for a nice little rest before this one, with £77k available to the winner.

Ryan Sexton is the lucky man who's on top on Friday and Symbol Of Light, a former Charlie Appleby inmate, has a grand e/w shout for me (we're paying four places).

If you're playing, have fun, and enjoy what is a superb afternoon of flat racing. See you tomorrow for Saturday's ITV fare; and as always, good luck, and take care.

ITV Racing tips from Betfred Insights.