It's Pitmen's Derby day at Newcastle on Saturday and Racing Post tipster Graeme Rodway returns with his best bets for the feature Flat meeting of the year on Tyneside.

Graeme Rodway's tips

12.20 Newcastle - Raatea @ 3/1
1.30 Newcastle - Blow Your Horn @ 4/1
2.05 Newcastle - Calling The Wind @ 12/1
3.15 Newcastle - Batal Zabeel @ 9/4

Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.

View the latest Horse Racing Odds

12.20 Newcastle - Raatea @ 3/1

Only nine runners have been declared for the Festival Handicap (12.20) and it will be a surprise if Raatea can’t follow up his victory at Haydock three weeks ago off just a 3lb higher mark.

Julie Camacho’s sprinters have been in good form this season and she had a career highlight when landing the Commonwealth Cup with Shaquille at Ascot last week.

He was coming into that race off an easy victory, that was achieved in a good time, and the same is true of RAATEA.

The six-year-old went through that Haydock race like a class act, hard on the bridle, and found enough inside the final furlong to win by a neck in what ended up being a bunch finish.

That win came in first-time cheekpieces, which are back on again here, and Raatea won this race last season, so there is no doubt about his ability to reproduce his best on this surface.

He is 5lb higher than last year, but evidently comes here thriving and should go well again.

Graeme Rodway's tip:
Raatea @ 3/1 - 1pt win

1.30 Newcastle - Blow Your Horn @ 4/1

The Northumberland Vase Handicap (1.30) looks like a competitive race on paper, but BLOW YOUR HORN is in the form of his life and comes into it ahead of the handicapper, on a four-timer.

The six-year-old is able to race under a 7lb penalty here and is undoubtedly well handicapped following his latest victory at Pontefract last Sunday when he ran out a comfortable winner.

Blow Your Horn was well suited by the strong gallop that day and made his ground easily on the outside of the field, going three or four wide around the bend but cruising into the lead.

From there it was plain sailing and he cleared away to score easily by a length and a half.

He is a two-time winner on the all-weather, including at this course on Tapeta, so the return to the surface won’t be a problem and a reproduction of his Pontefract run may be good enough.

Graeme Rodway's tip:
Blow Your Horn @ 4/1 - 1pt win

2.05 Newcastle - Calling The Wind @ 12/1

The Northumberland Plate Handicap (2.05) is the feature and it’s a devilishly difficult race. I narrowed it down to four horses and Aztec Empire, Zoffee, Rajinsky are three of them, but the one I came down on was CALLING THE WIND.

He deserves to win a big one and this is it.

Calling The Wind has twice finished second at Royal Ascot and that includes last week, when he was the only horse to give Ahorsewithnoname a fright in the Ascot Stakes.

He was no match for the winner at the line, but beat the rest comfortably and was going on again late.

He had the well-fancied Zoffee, who takes him on again here, behind in sixth that day and beat 17 other rivals.

That is the best recent piece of form on offer and Calling The Wind is equally effective on the all-weather, so he can cash in on being 2lb ahead of the handicapper.

Graeme Rodway's tip:
Calling The Wind @ 12/1 - 1pt win

3.15 Newcastle - Batal Zabeel @ 9/4

The Pertemps EBF Novice Stakes (3.15) looks like a good opportunity for BATAL ZABEEL to build on his promising debut third at York when he travelled strongly but lacked experience.

Batal Zabeel went through that race like a class act, but got unbalanced when trying to deliver his challenge a furlong out and ended up finishing six and a half lengths behind the winner.

He should improve significantly for that experience and, although he is bred to want further, the drop to 5f might just suit given he travelled so powerfully through that York race over 6f.

That form sets the standard and any improvement should be enough for him to go two better.

Graeme Rodway's tip:
Batal Zabeel @ 9/4 - 1pt win

Graeme Rodway's tips

12.20 Newcastle - Raatea @ 3/1
1.30 Newcastle - Blow Your Horn @ 4/1
2.05 Newcastle - Calling The Wind @ 12/1
3.15 Newcastle - Batal Zabeel @ 9/4

Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.

View the latest Horse Racing Odds