Newcastle Betting Tips for March 20, 2025 - Consistent Koios can bounce back

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: 18 Mar 2025

Alex Marsh 18 Mar 2025

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Race 1 highlight: Buffalo, strong performance in previous races, offers winning potential
Race 6 recommendation: Koios, consistent form, favorable conditions for a Class 1 race
Value bet in Race 8: Amreekiyah, promising start with potential for further success

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A 150k Provincial-Midway Qualifier features on Thursday's Newcastle card. (Getty)

Newcastle hosts an eight-race program on Thursday and our selections can be found below.

Newcastle Tips March 20
Dailey Family Funeral 2yo Maiden Plate Tips (Race 1)
A-Plus Contracting Provincial Class 1 Tips (Race 6)
Provincial Midway Championship Qualifier Tips (Race 7)
The Adviser Collective Class 1 Handicap Tips (Race 8)

Newcastle Tips March 20

Dailey Family Funeral 2yo Maiden Plate Tips (Race 1)

Newcastle Favourite - Race 1 No. 1 Buffalo

This local gelding was a good thing beaten over 900m in the Max Lees Classic on debut last November and he was sent out at long odds for his Silver Slipper resumption at Rosehill.

Buffalo recorded the fastest last 200m of that first-up contest, where he was strong past the line over 1100m and he then overcame trouble for a sixth-of-ten finish via the Todman Stakes.

With a few more favours in those recent juvenile Group races, Buffalo wouldn't have looked out of place in what appears to be an even Golden Slipper and he's now back to a provincial maiden.

A-Plus Contracting Provincial Class 1 Tips (Race 6)

Newcastle Best Bet - Race 6 No. 1 Koios

He's also accepted for Wyong on Wednesday, but that metro BM72 option looks a tougher ask than this provincial Class 1 and Koios has drawn wide also on a tight-turning circuit (Wyong).

The four-year-old has been very consistent, with a win and three placings recorded from six appearances to date, while Koios was competitive in the two occasions that he finished out of the money.

The last of those was on March 5, where the gelding was held-up at key stages and that followed a second at Canterbury in a good form race (first and third both saluted at their next starts).

Provincial Midway Championship Qualifier Tips (Race 7)

Newcastle Feature Bet - Race 7 No. 12 Kind Words

In a very open Provincial Qualifier, Kind Words looks the forgotten runner in the early markets and with the $1 million Final being on April 12, she shouldn't be far away for a 1400m tilt first-up.

Connections would ideally be looking at a black-type win for the four-year-old, who is twice stakes-placed, but there's still options later in the autumn and she'll need to be at her top for those races.

Kind Words did take a run to get warm last campaign, however, she wasn't quite at her best throughout that spring prep, while she was sharp enough for these trips as a two and three-year-old.

The Adviser Collective Class 1 Handicap Tips (Race 8)

Newcastle Value Bet - Race 8 No. 10 Amreekiyah

There's depth to this provincial Class 1 and while this is obviously harder coming out of a maiden win on debut, Amreekiyah is a classy three-year-old who can continue to progress.

This Peter Snowden-trained filly is by Justify and out of Marianne (stakes-winning miler), with the dam having already produced Yaletown, who won the 2021 the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m).

Amreekiyah ran the fastest last 200m and 600m of the February 25 card at Kembla Grange, with that maiden producing two subsequent winners and Inevitable Truth (second) just missed in a Group 3 last week.