*Update: Due to rain in Newcastle on Wednesday the Newcastle Newmarket Handicap has been transferred to the Rosehill card on Saturday running as Race 10 at 6:25pm (AEDT)

Beaumont Racecourse comes to light this afternoon, Wednesday March 16, with the running of the Newcastle Newmarket Handicap 2016 – betting odds and tips for which are found below.

Due to run as Race 6 at 4:15pm (AEDT), this year’s edition of the $125,000 Group 3 Strathayr Newcastle Newmarket Handicap (1350m) originally drew a final field of 14 gallopers.

The early scratching of equal top-weight Famous Seamus (10), Goldstream (13) for local horseman Kris Lees, the Chris Waller-trained Religify (14) and Supara (8) for Gai Waterhouse however leaves 10 in the mix.

In an open Newcastle Newmarket Handicap betting market at Ladbrokes.com.au the current favourite paying $4.0 for the win is Waterhouse’s remaining runner Ecuador.

Jumping from barrier six with Blake Shinn in the saddle, the High Chaparral six-year-old is second-up this time in and has a strong second-up record to date of two wins and a third from five runs.

His last start was a credible sixth when beating home just one other runner in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on March 5 at Randwick, still only beaten three and a half-lengths as a $51 shot.

He is right down in class then today and will relish that as well as the distance that he has two wins and two seconds from five former starts over, the spring’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap runner-up shooting for his first win since May last year.

Equal second favourites in the Newcastle Newmarket Handicap odds at $5 each are David Vandyke’s last start Randwick winner over the mile Bull Point and Peter & Paul Snowden’s early market mover Nancy.

So will the first three score the trifecta or is there an upset Newcastle Newmarket Handicap result on the cards from the likes of Waller’s rails-drawn four-year-old Group 3 winner Sadler’s Lake ($6) first-up or the consistent Artistry ($6.50) for Team Snowden?

1^st

#14 Nancy ($5)

Well-weighted mare for the Snowden’s is up in class but deserving of a shot here. First-up she ran a close third beaten under half a length over 1200m at Randwick carrying 55.5kg. She’s drawn a treat for this in gate three, has class hoop Tommy Berry aboard and gets in on the 54kg minimum. Closing late last time out she didn’t quite get there, but she’ll be fitter for the run second-up and gets extra metres here to close any gaps.

2^nd

#10 Artistry ($6)

Going for a Snowden quinella and saying this fellow four-year-old mare also has what it takes to beat home the boys this afternoon. Last time in she won three on the trot over 1500m – 1600m in Sydney. She kicked off her autumn with a brave second only 1.2 lengths off the winner in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m). Extra metres will suit this proven and consistent miler who is also on just 54kg, and after a wide resuming run at Randwick, can finish in it with better luck from the barrier today.

3^rd

#9 Lunar Rise ($11)

Value place lies in this James Cummings-trained Starcraft six-year-old who has a solid record over the distance (15-2-4-2) and hasn’t finished out of the money in his past three. Last time out raced in Canberra’s Listed National Sprint (1400m) when one and a half lengths back for third, form that could hold here with the right run from barrier five with Jason Collett aboard this time on 54kg.

Back our insider Newcastle Newmarket Handicap 2016 tips online now at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost giving punters better prices on every race every day!

2016 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap Odds