Newcastle top racing tip: Glorious Rio happy to face uphill battle
- Steve Jones
- 9 May 2023
As the racing calendar settles down a little after the first Classics weekend of the season, Tipstrr pundit Steve Jones has looked to Tuesday evening’s meeting at Newcastle for his daily best pick.
Early market leaders Elzaal and Safeeq are at the top of the betting for a reason, but their supports enhances the potential value of Glorious Rio, who comes here in good shape following his very solid fourth of 16 in this grade over the longer six-furlong trip at Haydock last month.
That should set him up perfectly for a return to this uphill minimum trip, over which he has enjoyed five of his seven career wins, including three over at this course.
The last time he ran over this course and distance was last November, when he finished second of 11 behind Pockley, who is a real course specialist and Glorious Rio was clearly very unfortunate to bump into such a progressive and well-handicapped winner.
However, he did beat the other ten 0-75 rivals in that event, so a repeat of that performance would make him hard to beat in this lesser event off three pounds lower.
Suggested bet:
Glorious Rio to win the 19:45 at Newcastle
Even prior to his recent Haydock run, Glorious Rio had advertised that his turn is nearing again when, on his first run back from a 100-day break, he outran market expectations to finish a never-nearer third of nine in a stronger Class 4 handicap at Southwell.
Now found pounds lower on what will be his first five-furlong run since then, he looks a good bet from what is a handy stall 7 berth, now that he returns to his favoured uphill Tapeta track in what appears to be an easier race.
Next best bet: Princess Karine
Of the others, the lightly-raced four-year-old filly Princess Karine has plenty of scope for further progress in this sphere and she arrives on the back of a couple of decent third-placed efforts, firstly here at Newcastle, and then at Beverley late last month, when she finished third of eight in higher-graded Class 4 company, despite racing very keenly.
Just a pound higher in this lesser handicap, she looks sure to go well back here again, especially if she settles better than she has in those first two outings of the season.
