Horse Racing Tips: Betfair Good Friday Racing Cheat Sheet

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Tips Summary

Please Note: Prices quoted in table below were correct at time of each writer/tipster's column being published on Betting.Betfair.

Race	Tipster	Tip/Runner	Odds
13:15 Newcastle	Sam Turner	Billecart	3/14.00
13:50 Newcastle	Sam Turner	Al Najashi	7/24.50
14:25 Newcastle	Mark Milligan	Stateira	13/82.63
14:40 Lingfield	Timeform Verdict	Dark Ace	7/24.50
15:00 Newcastle	Tony McFadden	Blue RC	9/25.50
16:10 Newcastle	Mark Milligan	Regal Ulixes	9/43.25
16:42 Newcastle	Sam Turner	Tribal Star E/W	11/112.00

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Good Friday horse racing tips and insight

13:15 Newcastle - Sam Turner: Bille can cart his way to victory

A facile five-length defeat of a Shadwell debutant at long odds-on may not scream strong form, but there are reasons for believing that Billiecart's novice win last month was a better performance than it looked at first glance.

A strong early pace, set by rank outsider Shimmering Spirit, contributed to an unusually strong speed figure given the apparent uncompetitiveness of a four-runner contest featuring a 1/6 favourite.

As you would hope from a colt entered in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas, Billiecart stretched readily clear in the closing stages to put good distances between himself and his toiling rivals.

That victory, not matter how straightforward, did give the selection a valuable experience of the straight at Newcastle as well as confirming the promise he displayed in a strong July Course maiden at Newmarket in the summer was not misplaced.

The winner Distant Storm and runner-up Constitution River are now rated 115 and 112 respectively following further successes as juveniles which have seen the former installed as a 12/1 shot for the Guineas, while Ballydoyle's Wootton Bassett colt, beaten just a short-head that day, is 20/1 for the Derby.

Billiecart clearly excelled trying to keep tabs on a pair of exceptional juveniles and he looks worth supporting to continue his education in style in this Listed affair.

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13:50 Newcastle - Sam Turner: Al Najashi fancied to complete five-timer

The handicapper must have a few sleepless nights over his appraisal of Al Najashi given Oli Sangster's colt began his handicap career off just 53 at Southwell in January.

Now rated 85 following a rapid four-timer recorded at four different tracks over six and seven furlongs, the son of Territories bids to complete a stunning fifth successive victory in this fiercely competitive Class 2 handicap.

There have been a number of horses which have racked up sizeable winning sequences this winter and soared in the handicap as a result with Yorkshire Glory (rating of 46 to 73) and Aisling Oscar (46 to 78) proving two of the headline acts, while Al Najashi is another to have left a basement rating iwell behind in swift time.

The application of the tongue tie seems to have worked the oracle for the selection who proved his suitability for the track with a facile triumph here over seven furlongs in February and the speed figure of his Wolverhampton romp six days before entitles him to take high rank here.

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14:25 Newcastle - Mark Milligan: In-form Balding team can bag another winner

As is now tradition, all-weather racing takes centre stage on Good Friday and ITV are showing a packed day of racing from both Lingfield and Newcastle.

It's up at Gosforth Park where the best opportunities lie and probably the bet of the day is Stateira in this 7f Fillies' and Mares' Championship Handicap.

Andrew Balding has his team in flying form right now and this four-year-old daughter of Persian King was most impressive when bolting up over this C&D last time. That was her first try back at this trip since winning at Southwell on debut in early-2025 and she seemed to relish it, sent to the front by Oisin Murphy and coming home four lengths clear of Nikki Swango.

The selection has been hiked up 10lb by the handicapper for that success, but she still looks fairly treated on the back of that win and Stateira can go in again.

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14:40 Lingfield - Timeform Verdict: Dark can be the Ace in the pack

An open-looking sprint which can go the way of Dark Ace, who had a trio of recent winners behind him when scoring back from a break at Wolverhampton a fortnight ago and Ado McGuinness' 4-y-o can defy a 4 lb higher mark.

Stable-switcher Uncle Don needs things to drop right given his late-coming style but he can give the selection most to think about, with Silky Wilkie and Justcallmepete another couple who may well have a say, too.

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15:00 Newcastle - Timeform's Tony McFadden: Thriving Blue RC of interest

The All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap looks as good a race as any on the card with the weights headed from a BHA mark of 109 by the smart gelding Chancellor, winner of a listed race at Southwell on his last run over this trip.

However, preference is for another four-year-old a bit further down the weights. Blue RC made a successful debut for James Tate on the all-weather at Chelmsford just over a year ago and went on to win turf handicaps in the summer at Thirsk and Yarmouth. He then progressed further later in the year back on the all-weather, finishing second at Kempton and then at Chelmsford where he looked unlucky not to win.

Blue RC duly made amends next time, and in good style, seeing off in-form rival Two Tempting with something up his sleeve when successful at Southwell on New Year's Day, a performance which earned him the 'Horse In Focus' flag. That was a smart effort to beat a rival who was third in Chancellor's race next time and, kept fresh since, the thriving Blue RC is very much of interest here.

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16:10 Newcastle - Mark Milligan: Back Regal to be crowned champion

Balding has enjoyed plenty of success on this card in recent years and he can bring up a double with Regal Ulixes in the Easter Classic Handicap.

This race has lost some of its lustre since being switched to handicap status in 2024, but that means it's become more competitive as a result and this year's field has once again held up well.

Willie Mullins' Gaucher heads the weights and he's been a revelation since dropping in trip and switching to the all-weather at Dundalk. However, he faces no easy task under top weight in this contest bearing in mind he'll need a clear career best if he's to complete the hat-trick.

I'm much more tempted by Regal Ulixes, who stamped himself a genuine contender for this race by winning at Lingfield in February.

He wasn't seen to best effect when sixth back over a mile in the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton last time, ending up further back than ideal but still shaping as if in top form.

The return to 1m 2f here will be right up his alley and he'll take plenty of stopping.

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16:42 Newcastle - Sam Turner: Back Tribal to Star in finale

A long memory can sometimes be a valuable asset in this game and, having backed and tipped Tribal Star at a sizeable price in the 2025 running of this event, the scars haven't yet quite fully healed.

It certainly wasn't the worst bad beat of my punting career as the selection was readily put in his place late on by impressive winner Wonder Legend who, rather notably, was thought good enough to contest the Gold Cup at Ascot on his next start.

Aside from bumping into a horse in a handicap which was then sent off at just 25/126.00 for Group 1 glory, Tribal Star also met his fair share of issues during the race as he was parked four deep for the first mile before rider Jamie Powell finally found some cover.

Still travelling smoothly turning for home, Powell wisely chartered a course to the stands' side rail aboard the Ado McGuinness-trained gelding, only to find Humble Spark trying to burrow up his inner two furlongs from home.

The inevitable collision ensued and, while Humble Spark came off worse, Tribal Star took a good few strides to regain his equilibrium before finishing strongly into second.

The five-year-old has undergone the same preparation for this year's renewal, taking in a Dundalk event on route to the north east and it was interesting to note the RaceiQ data from that creditable fourth to Easter Classic contender Gaucher.

To his credit over a trip well short of his best, Tribal Star clocked a faster finishing speed percentage than the winner and was only marginally slower from the three-furlong marker, figures which suggest he is just as good as twelve months ago, if not better.

This event has the potential to be another strong renewal with Cesarewitch winner Beylerbeyi a worthy favourite having excelled in his three qualifying runs, all over an inadequate trip.

However, the Sportsbook is offering four places and Tribal Star looks more than capable of filling one of those to provide his backers with a profit from the place part of the bet, while he also retains a live chance of going one better for a stable which struck at Dundalk this week.

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