RACING on Good Friday has long been a sporting staple of Easter weekend, and the main action comes from Newcastle’s All-Weather Finals Day.
It’s the culmination of the all-weather season, with seven competitive races for punters to get stuck into, and I’ve found a couple of bets to get the long weekend off and running.
The first of which comes in the Mile final (3.00pm), where the Gosdens’ Roi De France is the market leader.
He is a highly regarded contender, enough to be sent off second favourite for last year’s Cambridgeshire, only to be soundly beaten and finish 19th.
His runs at Kempton since have seen him back on an even keel, but I want to take him on with STORM STAR.
Andrew Balding’s runner was busy last season, progressing nicely with racing and is two-from-two in 2025.
Both of those wins came over this straight mile at Newcastle and he is three from four at this track.
He’s entered in the Group One Lockinge in May and this operation wouldn’t do that unless they thought their charge was well ahead of his current mark of 95, so I fancy him each-way at 6/1.
The Sprint final (3.35pm) follows the Mile and I like the look of COACHELLO.
He has been running consistently through the winter for Mark Loughnane and is only a pound higher in the weights than when winning over six furlongs at Wolverhampton in December.
His narrow fifth to the reopposing Marshman from January catches my eye, as he gets a 10-pound swing at the weights with his course and distance conqueror which shouldn’t be ignored.
Last year’s winner Fivethousandtoone is another one to take seriously, but the Loughnane sprinter is definitely overpriced at 33/1 and is a fine each-way bet.
POINTERS FRIDAY
Storm Star e/w 3.00pm Newcastle
Coachello e/w 3.35pm Newcastle
