Newcastle (AW) Tips: Thursday 20 August 2026

Newcastle (AW) Tips: Thursday 20 August 2026

A six-race card on the Tapeta at Newcastle this evening, with standard going and some interesting angles across the novice and handicap contests. The Gosden yard continues to fire at this track, William Haggas always dangerous when he sends them north, and Jane Chapple-Hyam’s 1.18 A/E here tells you her runners consistently outrun their odds. Keep those stats front of mind as we work through the card.

6:54 — Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes (7f)

Selection: Star Of Commala Each-Way at 3/1 (Boyle Sports / Betfred / LiveScore Bet)

Queen’s Hame is a short price but the Haggas filly ran second last time and holds a form figure of 21, which is solid without being spectacular. At 1/3 to 2/5, you are laying out a lot of faith in a horse yet to win. The smarter play is to look for value elsewhere in this field.

Star Of Commala is the selection here. Trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, whose Newcastle AW record shows a tidy 18% strike rate and an A/E of 1.18, meaning her runners consistently deliver at bigger prices than expected. That is precisely the situation tonight. A form figure of 7-1 shows a horse that was well beaten on debut, then came back and won. That is a classic improvement pattern in a three-year-old filly. Jockey Molly Keegan-Price takes the 7lb claim, which on tonight’s weights softens the burden considerably. The yard is in form, clocking 3 wins from 14 over the past fortnight. At 3/1, this is a legitimate upset vehicle against an odds-on favourite who has yet to prove she can dominate at this level.

Navertity at 15/2 is worth a second glance if you want a saver. A debut fourth is respectable, and Stephen Hanlon has live runners when they appear here.

7:24 — Fillies’ Novice Stakes (7f)

Selection: Spirited Gesture at 1/5 (Boyle Sports / Betfred / LiveScore Bet)

This is not a betting race. Spirited Gesture is trained by John and Thady Gosden, who hit 33% at this track, and carries Robert Havlin, who rides here at 26% wins. The combination of Gosden and Havlin at Newcastle AW is one of the strongest pairings on any all-weather card in Britain. A debut winner from a yard in form at 4 wins from 16 over the last 14 days, she is a 1/5 shot for good reason and the market is correct.

The angle on Rubyroo at 8/1 is interesting if you need a play. Hugo Palmer’s record at Newcastle has been decent in recent seasons and an 8/1 shot in an eight-runner field where the favourite is 1/5 occasionally throws out unexpected placed runners. Each-Way at 8/1 with three places paid is viable for small stakes only.

7:54 — Harry Potter Droneart Show Nursery Handicap Stakes (5f)

Selection: Casino Star at 3/1 (Boyle Sports / Betfred / LiveScore Bet)

K.R. Burke has been on fire recently, landing 6 wins from 28 runners over the past fortnight. Casino Star runs for that yard and the form figures of 2623 tell a consistent story. Placed in three of the last four starts, ran just 13 days ago and comes out fresh rather than stale. Has already run over today’s five-furlong trip, so the course-distance tick is there. Drawn in stall four in a six-runner field, he avoids the extremes. Jack Nicholls claims 3lbs which brings the weight down to a workable mark.

Influencer Man is the market leader and the comment data makes him the logical top pick on figures, but 7/4 on a two-year-old in nursery company carries risk. Casino Star at 3/1 with a hot trainer, proven trip experience and consistent placed form represents the value call. If Influencer Man fires, fair enough, but the price differential is substantial enough to make the selection an attractive alternative.

This Moment at 4/1 is not to be dismissed either. George Boughey’s 21% at Newcastle means his runners are always competitive here. The 4/1 about a consistently placed runner in a six-runner sprint is solid each-way territory. Each-Way on This Moment at 4/1 with two places at 1/4 odds is a clean saver.

Today’s NAP

Star Of Commala — Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes (6:54, Newcastle AW)
Odds: 3/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 3/1 Betfred, 3/1 LiveScore Bet)

Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Newcastle AW record is the key angle here: 18% wins and an A/E of 1.18, the highest positive expectation of any trainer on this card. A horse that improved dramatically from debut seventh to a winner is exactly the profile you want stepping up against an odds-on rival who has yet to prove she dominates at this level. The yard has landed three winners from 14 runners in the past fortnight and Keegan-Price’s 7lb claim provides additional assistance. At 3/1, this is the value call of the card.

Each-Way Recommended — 3 places at 1/5 odds