Best Bets for Northumberland Plate Day

The racing focus switches to the North East of England this coming Saturday. Large and small, every racecourse has its seasonal highlight - for the Tapeta course at Newcastle, that highlight arrives in the shape of Northumberland Plate Day.

The titular handicap takes centre stage on an excellent eight-race card and serves as a beacon for the more talented staying handicappers from all corners of the UK and beyond.

First run in 1833, the 2m½f Northumberland Plate soon captured the imagination of the locals. The event later became a public holiday for the mine workers in the area – leading to the nickname of the "Pitmen’s Derby". Switching from turf to a Tapeta all-weather surface in 2016, the £150,000 contest maintains its immense appeal to this day.

With the consolation event of the Northumberland Vase and Group 3 Chipchase Stakes heading up the undercard, a near sell-out crowd is all but guaranteed on Saturday afternoon. For those attending or watching on TV, one way to add to the excitement is by placing a bet or two on the action.

Here, using data presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out the leading trainers, jockeys, and sires, since the meeting switched to Tapeta in 2016, before sifting through the entries to identify our top trend pics for the 2025 edition.

Top Trainers

Newmarket handler William Haggas takes the top spot in our standings. Notably, all four of Haggas’s wins came in 6f events, including the past three editions of the Chipchase Stakes.

Fellow Newmarket trainer Roger Varian is amongst those on three wins. Varian’s wins displayed a more varied pattern, coming over 5f, 7f and 2m½f.

Charlie Johnston has yet to strike at this meeting since taking over from his father Mark.

Hugo Palmer struck in the bigger events on the card, registering a win apiece in the Chipchase Stakes, Northumberland Vase, and Northumberland Plate.

We have grouped the Charlton winners together, with our sample featuring one win for the now-retired Roger, one during the time Roger teamed up with his son Harry, and one since Harry took over on his own. The Charlton’s spread their wins around – striking at 6f, 1m4½f, and 2m½f.

Top Jockeys

One of the stars of the recent Royal Ascot meeting, James Doyle leads the way among the riders. Doyle's wins came for four different trainers (Ismail Mohammed, Hamed El Jehani, Mark Johnston, and Harry Charlton) and in four different races.

The husband-and-wife duo of Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle enjoy their trips to the North East. Tom claimed two Chipchase Stakes for William Haggas and a Northumberland Plate for Alan King. Hollie fared well in the longer events, with a win in the Northumberland Vase and the Northumberland Plate. Her third success came in the closing 1m4½f handicap.

No real pattern to the Ben Curtis victories, with the rider striking over 5f, 6f, and 2m½f. Riding in the US these days, Curtis is an unlikely attendee at the 2025 meeting.

Andrea Atzeni was a dependable partner for Roger Varian’s runners at this fixture but now plies his trade in Hong Kong.

Top Sires

Not the strongest of fixtures for sire trends. Only two sires picked up more than two victories, led by Dark Angel on four. The solid speed influence struck twice in the 7f handicap on the card and once in the Chipchase Stakes.

All three of Exceed and Excel’s wins came over 5f or 6f.

Race by Race Trends Picks

• 1:40 JenningsBet 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap - The Dark Angel gelding Strike Red is a dual course and distance winner and only 1lb higher than when fifth in the 2024 edition of this. Lou Lou’s Gift represents the William Haggas yard and landed a course and distance novice event last season. However, this can go to Fivethousandtoone. The son of Frankel finished fourth in the 2024 Chipchase Stake and is 3lb lower than when claiming a course and distance contest in March 2024.
• 2:10 JenningsBet Chipchase Stakes - Group 1 winner Kind Of Blue sets the clear standard here. However, the mount of James Doyle was way below expectations on his seasonal return and must concede 7lb to a field of useful rivals. We prefer to take an each-way chance on the Dark Angel colt, Ferrous. Arriving seeking a four-timer, he boasts career form figures of 2115111 in 6f all-weather events, with the most recent of those wins coming over this course and distance.
• 2:40 JenningsBet Festival Northumberland Vase Handicap - Representing the Harry Charlton/James Doyle combo, Tryfan catches the eye in the consolation race for the Northumberland plate. Boasting form figures of 312 at this track and a winner at up to 1m6f on turf, this unexposed sort should go well. However, at a likely bigger price, we prefer the each-way claims of course and distance winner Weddell Sea. 6lb lower than when a most unlucky fifth here in April, this son of Sea The Stars can at least hit the frame.
• 3:15 JenningsBet Northumberland Plate Handicap - If in the same form as when landing the Chester Cup in May, the James Doyle-ridden East India Dock may take some stopping in the feature. However, this will represent his first start on the Tapeta, which puts us off at a single-figure price. The Dubawi gelding Faylaq has run well in the past two editions of this but is fully 16lb higher than when sixth in 2024. The Sea The Stars' four-year-old, Tribal Star, is another to note, but our vote goes to the Frankel gelding

  Spirit Mixer. An excellent second in the 2022 edition, he is 8lb lower this time.

• 3:45 Pertemps Network Handicap - The Roger Varian-trained Dosman and James Doyle-ridden Native Warrior are the two for the shortlist in this event. There’s little to split the pair, with Dosman having the advantage of an all-weather success to his name. However, Dosman has gone completely off the boil in his two most recent outings. As such, Native Warrior may be the safer option. A solid third behind Notable Speech on his only previous all-weather outing, the Wathnan Racing runner may be up to taking this.
• 4:25 Pertemps Education Network EBF Novice Stakes - Only one trends qualifier in the penultimate event. The Kodiac colt Ninth Crusade made an excellent start to his career when claiming a 6f maiden on the Tapeta at Wolverhampton. Likely to step forward from that effort, this speedy sort looks to have a solid chance of following up.
• 5:00 Pertemps Network Education Handicap (Div I) - It’s a similar story in the finale, with the Dark Angel mare Fleur De Mer the only trends qualifier. Whilst Dark Angel typically excels over shorter than the 1m4½f trip of this event, this Martin Todhunter runner has been campaigned at up to 2m. 7lbs lower than when second over this track and trip in March 2024, she may have an each-way squeak.
• 5:30 Pertemps Network Education Handicap (Div II) - No Qualifiers

Northumberland Plate Day Selections

• 1:40 - Fivethousandtoone each way @ 12/1 with BetGoodwin
• 2:10 - Ferrous each way @ 13/2 with QuinnBet
• 2:40 - Weddell Sea each way @ Best Morning Price
• 3:15 - Spirit Mixer each way @ 28/1 with BetGoodwin
• 3:45 - Native Warrior to win @ 9/2 with QuinnBet
• 4:25 - Ninth Crusade to win @ Best Morning Price
• 5:00 - Fleur De Mer each way @ Best Morning Price