Lucky 15 Tips: Kevin Ryan has some aces to play at Newcastle

Plenty of good racing to enjoy on Friday, January 17 - and for our Lucky 15 tips we're heading to the north-east, and Newcastle's Gosforth Park circuit.

Seven contests to look forward to on the Tapeta all-weather surface, kicking in from 12:25, and there's a stellar cast of jocks in situ chasing some excellent prize-money. Tom Marquand, Hollie Doyle, Hayley Turner, Billy 'The Kid' Loughnane, hot-shot apprentice find Warren Fentiman - just some of the star turns looking for winners. Enjoy!

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

13:00 - Moonspirit @ 5/1

Big day for the track - excellent pots available, as mentioned, with echoes of a mini all-weather championship day. My suggestion is a little each-way L15 - the contests are highly competitive, and we can still have plenty of fun.

Selection number one is a five-year-old Kingman mare, Moonspirit, in the care of HQ handler George Boughey. The brilliant Billy Loughnane has the riding assignment.

Moonspirit produced a standout piece of form at Southwell in mid-December, after a layoff of some 133 days, when hosing up in a Class 3 handicap at a mile. She drops to 7f this afternoon which I hope won't be a hindrance, and steps up a notch in grade, too.

She was perhaps a little highly tried when contesting a Listed heat at Deauville about a week after that romp in the Midlands - not much turnaround time, either - but undoubtedly true is that she didn't get the rub of the green when looking to challenge.

She's evidently very talented and in great form. That 7f factor concerns me slightly but I suspect connections know a great deal more about their charge than I do, and are happy enough to take their chance. Cracking race.

13:35 - So Darn Hot @ 7/2

The aforementioned rising young star Warren Fentiman takes the mount on Kevin Philippart De Foy's promising three-year-old Too Darn Hot gelding.

So Darn Hot ran here 55 days ago over the minimum trip and was beaten a neck. He steps up to 6f today, same yardage as when breaking his maiden at Donny in November, and has been raised a pound for that last spin to a mark of 82.

It's a measure of his development that he finds himself in a warm Class 2 on what will only be career start number six. Warren's 7lb claim (and he looks worth every ounce) can be key here and this is another compelling clash on an afternoon chock-full of them.

14:10 - We Never Stop @ 15/2

Another Class 2, 6f speed test, for older horses this time - with a shrewd trainer once again looking to a 7lb claimer for a crucial edge.

Kevin Ryan is one of our very best (29% strike-rate in the last fortnight), and trains this four-year-old Cotai Glory gelding from his base in Hambleton, North Yorkshire. We Never Stop has finished second on his last three outings, all since the middle of December, and is in career-high order.

We're paying four places each-way, and to my way of thinking that looks an extremely achievable objective for a horse who has been knocking loudly on the door and may well be on the brink of battering it down - fingers crossed. Mason Paetel takes the mount.

14:45 - Dark Moon Rising @ 11/2

Another Kevin Ryan inmate now - a six-year-old Night Of Thunder gelding in very fine fettle himself.

Dark Moon Rising was narrowly denied in one of these here at Newcastle 42 days ago (10f) and it was nearly 3l back to the second. He's won five of 29 career starts, and been placed on a further seven occasions. He's rated 92 now, below a career-high 102 from Royal Ascot 2022, but an indicator that he retains bags of ability.

Another frankly brilliant collision between classy types, and our hope gets further, too - no bad thing when you're looking to hit the line strongly. Josephine Gordon, sought-after by a wide range of trainers, has the riding assignment.

This is an example of a Lucky 15. If you can improve upon my selections (of course you can), then go for it!

The odds can fluctuate between publishing our pieces and race-time. As a guide, a £0.25p each-way Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four won, would return around £700 for your total £7.50 stake.

Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

Horse Racing & Greyhound bets only. Excludes Virtual Racing. 5x odds on Lucky 63. 4x Odds Lucky 31. 3x Odds Lucky 15. All selections must run. Paid in cash if only 1 winner. T&Cs Apply.

Lucky 15 tips from Betfred Insights.