Tag Archive for: Northumberland Plate

Northumberland Plate joy for Ellison with Onesmoothoperator

Onesmoothoperator lived up to his name when cruising through to claim an emotional victory in the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate Handicap for Newcastle-born trainer Brian Ellison.

The handler was born on Pitmen’s Derby day back in 1952 and celebrated his 72nd birthday on Friday.

He has never made any secret of his desire to land this prestigious north-east prize and the success of Onesmoothoperator sparked jubilant scenes in the winner’s enclosure at Gosforth Park.

Given a confident ride by Connor Beasley, the 12-1 winner eased through to the front at the furlong pole on the nearside rail and comfortably beat 40-1 outsider Evaluation by two and a half lengths.

Ellison said: “I’ve been wanting to win it for a long time and we knew we had him right. In the last two days, we were a bit worried about the surface being on the soft side, but the lads came in today and said it was riding a lot quicker.

“I told Connor not to worry about the pace, as I knew Tashkhan was going to be up there and made sure there was a good pace. They went a helluva gallop and when this horse is on-song, he’s some animal.

“Turning in I said ‘this has hacked up!’ Connor said he could have won on the bridle, but he’s a good horse when he’s right.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I thought we’d won it with Seamour one year (2016), when he went clear and got caught, and we’ve come here trying to win it before and been disappointed.

“It’s always in the back of your mind that you’re going to get disappointed and it hasn’t sunk in that we’ve won it, but it’s fantastic.

Northumberland Plate Day – Newcastle Racecourse – Saturday June 29th
Connor Beasley winning aboard Onesmoothoperator (Steve Welsh/PA).

“Connor used to come to mine to ride when he was a baby, as his mum and dad worked for me. We go back a long way.

“I’m from here and have got a lot of connections here and a lot of family and friends. It’s great for the north and great for Newcastle – it’s a great race to be in.

“It’s got to be (the best day of my training career). Everyone says ‘you’ve got to win the Plate’ and it’s nice to get the monkey off your back.”

Winning owner Patrick Boyle, also a proud Geordie, said: “It’s a big thrill, it’s the biggest race in the north east and I’m from just round the corner.

“He travelled brilliant and we knew the horse was in great form. He has to come off a strong pace and he did. Fair play to Brian and the team, they’re the guys that do it all.

“I think we’ll have a celebration tonight. Brian is a great friend and he’s got family here. It means a lot for him and I’m delighted.”

Beasley added: “It’s a dream come true, to be honest. It’s obviously a race Brian always wanted to win and I’ve known him since I was a young child.

“I wouldn’t ride very often for Brian, so it was a privilege to be on board in a race that is very highly regarded on his calendar and it’s a fantastic training performance really.

“He gave me some spin round there, he travelled lovely and if anything he’s probably got to the front too soon. He had nothing to carry him, but when I did ask him the question, he was electric to the line.

“I’m over the moon for Brian and the team. This race has been on the agenda for a long time and I’m honoured to do the job for him.”



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Hollie Doyle dreaming of more Plate glory with Trooper Bisdee

Hollie Doyle has the opportunity to win a second Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate in three years at Newcastle on Saturday after picking up the ride on likely favourite Trooper Bisdee.

The record-breaking jockey received a rousing reception from the Gosforth Park faithful two years ago after star stayer Trueshan put up a tremendous weight-carrying performance to land the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ – and she has high hopes of repeating the feat on her return to the north east this weekend.

Trooper Bisdee is a typical Sir Mark Prescott improver, winning six of his nine starts since entering the handicap arena – and he is four from five since stepping up to two miles and beyond.

He carries a 5lb penalty following his latest romp at Pontefract on Sunday and with Prescott’s stable jockey Luke Morris in action at the Curragh, Doyle is delighted to have been given the call-up.

“It’s great to ride for Sir Mark, we all know how good a trainer he is. He had a Royal Ascot winner last week (Pledgeofallegiance in the Ascot Stakes) and his horses are flying,” she said.

“Trooper Bisdee looks fairly progressive and has such a good record. Sir Mark is such a shrewd target trainer and you would imagine this has been a target and he is going to have not a lot of weight to carry (8st 6lb). You just hope he can translate his recent form on turf to the all-weather really.

“It would be amazing to win the race again. You can never forget Trueshan’s weight-carrying performance, but it’s good to get a good ride and hopefully I can do it again.”

Hugo Palmer saddles Chester Cup winner Zoffee and his talented stablemate Solent Gateway.

The tough-as-teak Zoffee won the Northumberland Vase over the course and distance a couple of years ago, while Solent Gateway was beaten less than two lengths into third place by Trueshan in the Plate.

Zoffee and Harry Davies (left) winning the Chester Cup
Zoffee and Harry Davies (left) winning the Chester Cup (Mike Egerton/PA)

Palmer, who struck gold with Caravan Of Hope in 2020, told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s a race we always target and I’m delighted to have won it before, although maddeningly it was in the Covid year and it was only worth £25,000 to the winner. It’s considerably more this year, thankfully.

“I’m as happy with Zoffee now as I was going into Chester. He looks absolutely fantastic, he’s proven on the surface, but it’s a 20-runner handicap and things are going to need to go right for him.

“He’s gone up 4lb for Chester, so he’s going to need to improve, but he was very competitive in last year’s Chester Cup off 93 (finished second), so we’ve only got a pound to improve really.

“Solent Gateway ran poorly in the Chester Cup, but he ran really well in a race he actually won last year when second at Haydock two weeks later.

“I think he’s grown in confidence from that, he’s finished third in this race before and has got good all-weather form, so I’d be hopeful of a big run from him, too.”

Michael Bell has high hopes for Duke Of Oxford, who found only Prydwen too strong in the All-Weather Championships Marathon at Newcastle on Good Friday but was unable to land a blow in the Chester Cup last time out.

Bell expects an improved performance, but admits a high draw in stall 20 is a concern.

“He’s very well, but we’re slightly deflated because he’s drawn 20, which is not ideal. He’s got a very good record at the track, so we’re going to need a little bit of luck from the draw,” said the Newmarket handler.

“When he was second up there at the end of March on Finals Day, that was his second time at the track and he handled it the time before as well, so his season has revolved around going to Chester and then going here.

“Unfortunately, at Chester we were drawn in the car park and unfortunately we’re drawn in the car park again!

“Chester is obviously a completely different ballgame when you’re drawn high and I think this is doable, but it’s going to need a little bit of tactical nous from Tyler (Heard) as to whether we go forward and get in or whether we drop in.

“It’s not complete doom and gloom, but you’d probably rather be drawn in the middle. He’s still relatively lightly raced and on his run behind Prydwen he looks well handicapped, so he definitely should be one of the market leaders.”



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Hollie Doyle gets the call for Sir Mark Prescott’s Trooper Bisdee

Sir Mark Prescott has confirmed he will be double handed in Saturday’s Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate – but ante-post favourite Pledgeofallegiance will not run.

Instead, the Heath House handler will relay on Trooper Bisdee – who will be ridden by Hollie Doyle – and True Legend.

Pledgeofallegiance won the Ascot Stakes last week and Prescott feels a second big handicap bid will come too soon.

“No, he won’t run, he had a hard enough race and I think we’ll consider the two-and-a-half-mile handicap at Goodwood and the Cesarewitch and then if he’s lucky enough to win one of those we’d put him away and hope he might become a Cup horse the following year,” said Prescott on Sky Sports Racing.

“Trooper Bisdee won well at Pontefract (on Sunday), which probably played to his strengths – fast turf and two and a quarter miles. He was always going to win there and will have a 5lb penalty.

“He runs and Hollie Doyle will ride. I would have preferred it to be on turf and I would have like a bit of extra distance, but he’s in cracking form and he deserves to have a shot.

“He goes on any ground except very soft, but he has a huge advantage when it is very firm as he doesn’t mind how firm it is. Often it’s not what your horse wants, it is what disadvantages the others.

“True Legend will run, he’s been mighty unlucky a couple of times, he deserves one. Up to two miles is an unknown but I think he’ll like the al-weather. Whether he gets two miles is an unknown. Cieren Fallon will ride.”



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Ellison planning dual challenge for Northumberland Plate

North-east native Brian Ellison has famously never won the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate Handicap but he has two live chances this weekend in top-weight Tashkhan and November Handicap winner Onesmoothoperator.

Ellison was born on Plate day in 1952 and turns 72 the day before this year’s renewal.

In 2016 he came agonisingly close with Seamour, who looked home and hosed only to be caught late on by Godolphin’s Antiquarium.

This year he will saddle the highest-rated horse in Tashkhan, who was third in the Cesarewitch and the Group One Prix Royal-Oak last term, while Onesmoothoperator already has one big handicap on the all-weather to his name after the November Handicap was rerouted from Doncaster in 2023.

“They’ll both run at the moment, that’s the plan anyway,” said Ellison.

Tashkhan (inside) went close in the Cesarewitch
Tashkhan (inside) went close in the Cesarewitch (Tim Goode/PA)

“Smoothie is very good round Newcastle, he likes it there, Tashkhan, we don’t know about the surface, but he is the best horse.

“His last two handicaps have been good, he won at Chester and then his Cesarewitch run is just about the best handicap form you can get. He was beaten a head and three-quarters by the two Irish horses (The Shunter and Pied Piper).

“Will he go on the all-weather? I just don’t know but I’m not going to run him on fast ground, so we haven’t got many options.

“The track could be riding slower in this weather but while that would suit him, I’m not sure it would suit Smoothie but we can’t have everything.”

When asked to split the pair, Ellison said: “Tashkhan is very fit, I know he hasn’t run for a while but he is fit. They have both got good chances, they are similar prices and it doesn’t look like the favourite (Pledgeofallegiance) is going to run.

“Smoothie worked this morning and he worked fantastic.

“It would be a monkey off my back if I could win it, everyone keeps asking but if I don’t manage it, I’ll try next year.”



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Prescott expresses Plate doubts about Pledgeofallegiance

Royal Ascot scorer Pledgeofallegiance is not guaranteed to line-up at Newcastle in the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate Handicap – despite the ante-post favourite featuring amongst the confirmations for Saturday’s marathon event.

The four-year-old ended Prescott’s 28-year drought at the Royal meeting when striking in the Ascot Stakes and having also scored at Goodwood in the early stages of the campaign, would be seeking a hat-trick if making a quick return to action at Gosforth Park.

However, Prescott has warned the general 8-1 favourite is “unlikely” to participate at this stage as he recovers from his Ascot exertions, although he is not definitely ruled out.

Prescott said: “Pledgofallegience, the horse who won at Ascot is favourite but he is unlikely to run. I don’t feel I want to run him back as quick as that. He is unlikely, but that is not the same as he will not run.

“I think he had a hard enough race (at Ascot). If I am pleased with him this week, then I reserve the right to change my mind.”

Prescott could also be represented by Trooper Bisdee and True Legend, with the former carrying a similar profile to his Ascot-winning stablemate Pledgeofallegiance.

Trooper Bisdee returned from 263 days off the track to score at Nottingham last month before adding a convincing four-length success at Pontefract on Sunday.

Prescott added: “Trooper Bisdee will have a 5lb penalty. He would only run in the race if that got him in to the proper race.

“I would probably not run him in the consolation – probably. If the penalty got him in then there would be a serious possibility of him running (in the Plate), but then he would also have to be fine.

“Then also in the race is True Legend who remains a possibility. He is trundling along towards the race and if he got in the proper race, then he would be a very likely runner.”

Zoffee could attempt to pull off a famous double
Zoffee could attempt to pull off a famous double (Mike Egerton/PA)

There was a total of 50 confirmed for the £150,000 event on Monday with Chester Cup winner Zoffee among them.

Cathy O’Leary, Tony Martin’s sister, has Chester Plate winner Alphonse Le Grande, Firstman, Belgoprince and En Or engaged while Prydwen, who ran in the Gold Cup, is another possible for George Scott.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s not the conventional route, we knew we might be up against it in the Gold Cup but he went there on the back of three career-bests.

“The owners have had horses a long time and I felt he deserved the opportunity to run in the race as it is so prestigious.

“Once he was outclassed and the ground was a bit quick, Callum (Shepherd) looked after him and we knew this race was around the corner. I’ve confirmed him this morning and it will be a day-by-day thing and we’ll decide closer to the time.

“These horses are there to run, he’s not a stallion prospect, he’s a gelding, but we would only be going if he was pleasing us at home.”



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Millman pays tribute to staying star Sergeant Cecil

Rod Millman has hailed Sergeant Cecil as “one in a lifetime” following the death of his former stable star at the age of 25.

The popular stayer won 10 of his 53 races and was second on another 14 occasions, working his way up from low-key handicaps to Group One glory in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp.

In 2005, he landed a trio of major handicaps, prevailing in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, the Ebor at York and Newmarket’s Cesarewitch.

When stepping up in class, he kept on improving to secure Lonsdale Cup, Doncaster Cup and Yorkshire Cup triumphs, almost always earned in his trademark gutsy manner.

Devon handler Millman declared: “He was fantastic, one of the toughest horses I’ve ever been involved with.

Horse Racing – 2005 Ebor Festival – York Racecourse
Alan Munro (yellow cap) brings Sergeant Cecil to victory in the Ebor (John Giles/PA).

“He took quite a bit of work, but he had such a great constitution. He hardly ever had a sick day and I was so lucky to be involved with him.

“When he came to me rated 63, I thought we’d definitely be able to win a couple of races with him but I had no idea he’d go on to be as good as he was.

“Nobody did really, although Sharon, the girl who used to ride him out, always thought he was a champion, even when he was rated that low.

“But he was a horse that was a one in a lifetime and he changed everyone’s lives when we had him.”

Having initially raced six times for Seamus Mullins without troubling the judge, Sergeant Cecil joined Millman in the summer of 2002, but it wasn’t a case of instant success.

“When I first got him, he’d been with Seamus Mullins first and Seamus gave him a lovely start in life, he looked after him really, really well,” added Millman.

Horse Racing – John Smith’s Northumberland Plate – Newcastle Racecourse
Sergeant Cecil and Alan Munro winning the Northumberland Plate (Owen Humphreys/PA).

“Unfortunately for Seamus, the owner became impatient and I was very lucky to get him – and he came to me ready to go on to the next stage of his career.

“But it took me quite a long time – I think we had five or six seconds before he won a race, and he kept going up the handicap without winning.”

However, once the floodgates opened, Sergeant Cecil simply never stopped improving.

Millman recalled: “When he won his first race, I think he went up to around 80 and I thought it was going to be hard to place him, but he just kept improving every year.”

Alan Munro partnered the chestnut gelding to some memorable handicap victories, before Frankie Dettori took over when the Group-class triumphs began.

“Luckily for me, I think in 2005, Alan Munro came into our yard and he was riding out for us,” said Millman.

Racing – Newmarket Racecourse
Sergeant Cecil ridden by jockey Alan Munroe to win the Cesarewitch (Chris Radburn/PA)

“And although he didn’t actually ride Cecil work, he was always available to ride him in races and it was a big advantage having a top jockey to ride him all the time, otherwise you’re just using different people and you’re getting a different opinion on the horse.

“He was a very good jockey and he won the three big handicaps on him and unfortunately Alan suffered from low blood pressure, everyone thought it was epilepsy, so they stopped him riding for a long time and he couldn’t ride Cecil at the end of his next season.

“But luckily for me, Frankie Dettori stepped in and won three Group races with him. Frankie is obviously a brilliant jockey and he rode him very well as well, so I was lucky to have those two jockeys ride him for me.”

One quirk of fate regarding Sergeant Cecil’s stellar career was that he was hardly bred to be a stayer.

Millman noted: “He came from a humble background, although he was quite well bred, as his mother came from a good Hamdan family, even though she was picked up quite cheaply.

“But the funny thing is that his sire King’s Signet was a sprinter, who won the Stewards’ Cup.”



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Plate gamble could be Golden ticket to Newcastle riches

Not a name associated with big Saturday afternoon contests, Deborah Faulkner is targeting an “absolutely huge” JenningsBet Northumberland Plate success with the heavily-supported Golden Rules.

Faulkner is responsible for less than a dozen horses at her Monmouthshire yard and is pinching herself at the fact that she houses the market leader for the £150,000 Newcastle showpiece.

Bought out of John and Thady Gosden’s yard for bargain-basement price of 6,000 guineas in October 2021, Golden Rules did not make his debut for his new connections until appearing at Kempton in March of this year, when he proceeded to make every yard of the running under Oisin Murphy.

With the three-time champion jockey again in the saddle, and owner Gareth Cheshire bullish about his chances in a recent interview, the six-year-old has been backed into favouritism for the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’, which is only heightening Faulkner’s nerves.

She said: “I don’t know who is gambling on him, it’s not me because I don’t bet!

“He’s in good order, Oisin sat on him on Wednesday and he was more than happy with him.

“It’s all in the lap of the gods now and I just hope we don’t end up with egg on our face, but you’ve got to be in it to win it.”

While Golden Rules was out of competitive action for the best part of two years prior to his Kempton comeback, Faulkner revealed he has not suffered any major setbacks.

The Northumberland Plate is Newcastle's biggest Flat race
The Northumberland Plate is Newcastle’s biggest Flat race (Richard Sellers/PA)

“We didn’t even attempt to get him on the track last year. For whatever reason they sold him, he had a few issues and we’ve just given him time,” Faulkner added.

“He does a lot of swimming and hopefully that’s sorted out his impatience in a race – he seems to have settled a lot better.

“We’ve just ticked along with him and when we thought he was ready, we had a little pop with him.

“We were originally going to run him over jumps, that’s why we bought him, but the ground wasn’t in his favour at all and we didn’t want to risk him, so we went for the Kempton race.

“He’s worked very well at home, so going to Kempton it was just a case of whether he still had the enthusiasm to race and luckily for us he did.”

Faulkner will not be making the trip to the north east herself, instead electing to watch on from her home in Wales.

She said: “It would be absolutely huge if he could win. We’ve only got 10 horses and I’m not going on Saturday because somebody has to stay in the yard and as three-quarters of our workforce has gone to Newcastle, it’s left to me to do the honours with the remaining horses!

“I will be very nervous, I just hope he lives up to expectations.”

Prior to the Golden Rules gamble, the ante-post favourite was the William Haggas-trained Post Impressionist.

The four-year-old finished second to subsequent St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov on his only previous visit to Gosforth Park and while he has been off the track since winning a lucrative prize at York in October, hopes are high, despite the fact a high draw in stall 19 of 20 is hardly ideal.

“He got a lovely draw in stall 19, that’s helpful! But he’s been training well and should run well,” said Haggas.

“He wants a bit of cut in the ground – he doesn’t really want summer firm – so we thought this would be the right sort of place to start.

“He was very slow to come to hand in the spring, but he’s coming now and has had a good preparation.”

The Newmarket handler has an interesting second string to his bow in Nathanael Greene, who like Post Impressionist will be tackling the two-mile distance for the first time.

William Haggas has high hopes for both of his Northumberland Plate runners
William Haggas has high hopes for both of his Northumberland Plate runners (Mike Egerton/PA)

Nathanael Greene was fifth at Ascot and fourth at Goodwood in May, most recently finishing just over five lengths behind Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami, and Haggas feels he could outrun his odds.

He added: “I thought Nathanael Greene wouldn’t be miles away. He’s got the headgear back on and he clearly needs that, so hopefully he’ll run a good race.

“He’s run two solid races this season and I think he’ll appreciate going up in trip as well.”

Hugo Palmer is also double-handed, with Zoffee and Rajinsky both bringing strong course form to the table .

Rajinsky has finished third and fourth in the last two renewals, while Zoffee plundered last year’s Northumberland Vase – the consolation race for the Plate.

Zoffee winning last year's Northumberland Vase
Zoffee winning last year’s Northumberland Vase (Richard Sellers/PA)

“He’s getting better all the time, Rajinsky. He’s produced two career-bests from three runs this year and we were praying to be able to run him in the Queen Alexandra at Ascot last weekend,” said Palmer.

“I think he’d have been the top-rated horse in the race and I think he’d stay that far, but we are where we are and he’ll have no ground concerns at Newcastle.

“Zoffee is such a consistent horse – if they were all like him it would be an easier game.

“He found the line really well at Ascot (sixth in Ascot Stakes), for all he found it possibly just a furlong too far.

“He’s very well versed at two miles, he copes with that trip and he obviously won the consolation last year, so it’s always been the hope that he could try to follow up in the big one this year.”

Rainbow Dreamer won at Newcastle on Good Friday
Rainbow Dreamer won at Newcastle on Good Friday (Richard Sellers/PA)

The Alan King-trained Rainbow Dreamer is another Newcastle regular and has been kept fresh for this race since winner the Marathon over the course on All-Weather Championships Finals Day in April.

King said: “He’s a much better horse on the all-weather and he seems well when he’s lovely and fresh, so it was always the plan to give him a break and train him for this.

“It’s all gone very well – he seems to love it. He’s a bit higher than he was last year and it won’t be easy off that sort of rating, but he seems very well and this was the obvious place to come.

“Let’s hope he runs well.”



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Palmer planning dual assault on Northumberland Plate

Zoffee and Rajinsky are set to give trainer Hugo Palmer a strong hand in Saturday’s Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.

Both horses bring strong course form to the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’, with Rajinsky finishing third and fourth in the last two renewals and Zoffee winning last year’s Northumberland Vase – the consolation race for the Plate – on his only previous visit to Gosforth Park.

Rajinsky made a flying start to his campaign by inflicting a shock defeat on star stayer Trueshan in the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham. He was well beaten in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot next time, but bounced back to finish a close-up fifth in last month’s Chester Cup.

Rajinsky (orange) sees off Trueshan at Nottingham
Rajinsky (orange) sees off Trueshan at Nottingham (Joe Giddens/PA)

The admirable Zoffee filled the runner-up spot on the Roodee, going down by just a neck to Metier, and ran another fine race in defeat when sixth in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting last week.

“At this stage the plan is to run both horses,” Palmer confirmed.

“Poor old Rajinsky doesn’t get much luck with the ground in the British summers we get these days, but he ran a great race at Chester and ran a great race in the Northumberland Plate last year.

“It’s a valuable race and he goes on the surface so fingers crossed, but he does have a lot of weight.”

He added: “Zoffee appears to go on any ground and I thought he ran a really great race at Ascot, coming from far too far back from an awkward draw.

“We had runners every day at Ascot so I didn’t see him canter again until this morning (Monday), but he’s full of his usual enthusiasm and Charlotte Kerry, who rides him every day, says he feels fantastic.

“I guess we won’t really know until there’s a furlong to run on Saturday, but he’s certainly in good nick.”

Palmer’s pair were among 48 horses left in the Northumberland Plate Monday’s confirmation stage, with Rajinsky joined at the head of the weights by the William Haggas-trained Roberto Escobarr.

William Haggas has three contenders for the Northumberland Plate
William Haggas has three contenders for the Northumberland Plate (Nigel French/PA)

Haggas is also responsible for the well-fancied Post Impressionist, as well as Nathanael Greene.

Other leading hopes include Michael Bell’s recent Newmarket scorer Adjuvant and Golden Rules, who won on his first start for Deborah Faulkner at Kempton after being bought out of John and Thady Gosden’s yard for just 6,000 guineas.

Omniscient (Sir Mark Prescott), Law Of The Sea (Ian Williams) and All-Weather Marathon winner Rainbow Dreamer (Alan King) also feature.



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