The ITV crews head north to Newcastle and York this weekend with a total of eight races to be screened live from the two courses. There will also be an additional race from the Curragh in Ireland.
- 1:40 Newcastle: JenningsBet 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap – Pocklington @ 7/1
- 1:55 York: Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Mile Handicap – Archivist @ 7/4
- 2:10 Newcastle: JenningsBet Chipchase Stakes – Kind Of Blue @ 11/8
- 2:25 York: Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Criterion Stakes – Lake Forest @ 15/8
- 2:40 Newcastle: JenningsBet Festival Northumberland Vase Handicap – Savrola @ 15/2
- 3:00 York: Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dash Handicap – Habooba @ 10/3
- 3:15 Newcastle: JenningsBet Northumberland Plate Handicap – East India Dock @ 11/2
- 3:30 Curragh: Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes – Kalpana @ 11/10
- 3:45 Newcastle: Pertemps Network Handicap – Tiger Mask @ 14/1
Newcastle’s Northumberland Plate Day is the final day of their biggest fixture of the season. The title race is a flat handicap run over a distance of 2m½f and carries a prize fund of £150k. This race is almost 200 years old and is often referred to as the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ as it was originally staged during a holiday for the local miners.
Jumps trainers have a strong record this race and the market is headed by Pappano for Willie Mullins’ who had two winners at Royal Ascot last week. Also prominent in the betting is Triumph Hurdle winner, East India Dock, who won the Chester Cup in May and was sixth in the Ascot Stakes last week. Last year’s winner, Onesmoothoperator for Brian Ellison, is also has odds in single figures however the last horse to win the Plate in successive years was Tug Of War back in 1978.
Four other races will be televised on Saturday, starting with the JenningsBet Handicap over 6f. The Group 3 Chipchase Stakes is the highest class race on the card and is also run over 6f. Current favourite, James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue, won the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October after being runner-up in Haydock’s Sprint Cup the previous month. Next is the Northumberland Vase, the consolation race for horses missing out on the Plate, with the Pertemps Network Handicap over 7f the final live race from Gosforth Park.
Also televised on ITV this Saturday will be three races from York. Their big race of the day is the Group 3 Criterion Stakes which has been switched to the Knavesmire from Newmarket this season. Currently vying for favouritism are Lake Forest for William Haggas, who was fifth in last week’s Queen Anne Stakes, and Andrew Balding’s Formal who won the Surrey Stakes at Epsom’s Derby meeting. Also live from York will be the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Mile Handicap and the 5f Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dash Handicap.
The remaining live contest will come from the Curragh with the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes the penultimate ITV race of the day.