Newcastle Saturday

Northumberland Plate

HAVING finished an excellent second to Trueshan in this contest three years ago before a mid-field effort in 2024, Spirit Mixer (Andrew Balding) belatedly grabbed the big pot he’s promised when winning the latest renewal of the £81,000 handicap.

Sent off a relative outsider at 25/1 after defeat in a lower-class handicap at Goodwood on his previous run, he showed that he’s still capable of very useful form by asserting in the straight and then holding off the challenge of Dancing In Paris (Ian Williams/Marco Ghiani) to score by a neck, with three lengths back to Charging Thunder (James Owen/Harry Davies) in third.

Spirit Mixer, in the Jeff Smith colours, made headway from midfield on the turn and led two furlongs out before staying on best for a deserved success from a mark 9lb lower than when chasing home Trueshan in 2022, and 2lb lower than when disappointing here a year ago.

“He’s a star,” said jockey Rob Hornby. “Andrew offered me the ride early in the week and I couldn’t turn him down, because Spirit Mixer is so honest. He’s such a cool horse. He’s seven years old now and a beautifully-bred home-bred of Mr Smith’s. He’s just thriving and really enjoying his racing.

“The race went pretty smooth. I thought I was jostling for the lead early enough, but he got into a battle and outstayed them inside the last furlong.

“It’s important to be riding winners on Saturdays in these big races and I’ve been fortunate enough to win a July Cup in these colours. They mean a great deal to me, as does riding winners for Kingsclere.”

Harry finds his old form

DISAPPOINTING in four previous runs this season, Diligent Harry (Clive Cox/Saffie Osborne) was sent off at 16/1 in the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes, but bounced back to his best under a cool, front-running ride to land the prize by a neck from the strong-finishing Annaf (Mick Appleby/Danny Muscutt), with Ferrous (Jack Channon/Connor Beasley) beaten two and a half lengths in third and favourite Kind Of Blue disappointing for the second successive start since his win in the British Champions Sprint at Ascot in October.

Diligent Harry has been Group 1-placed in the past, but this was a breakthrough win at pattern level for the six-year-old, who was refitted with cheekpieces having been too free in blinkers on All-Weather Finals day here on his most recent start.

He seemed to gel with his new rider, but was seen to maximum effect on the day and isn’t certain to back this up, particularly on turf, a surface he’s yet to win on.

Speaking on Sky Sports Racing, winning rider Saffie Osborne said: “Clive was very confident. I started going into Clive’s a couple of months ago now and rode this horse work in the past couple of weeks. He’s a seriously classy horse and Clive was very keen on his chances today.

“Clive was keen not to wrestle and fight for cover, so from that draw, I was happy to let him slide on.

“He’s got such a high cruising speed, and I was then able to get a breather into him. He’s seriously tough. As soon as he felt (Annaf) come to his girth, he just went again.”

York Saturday

QUINAULT (Stuart Williams/Jason Hart) has been a money-spinner since TJE Racing (Tom & Julia Morley and Emily Stevens) picked him up for 25,000 gns after he was unplaced on his only start for Godolphin.

The remarkable five-year-old gained his first group-race success when making all for a 12/1 win in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes, a contest which has been moved from Newmarket this year.

Quinault won six handicaps on the bounce for Williams and TJE Racing in 2023 and has previously been successful at Listed level, but this represents his biggest win.

Wearing his trademark hood, Quinault was quickly into stride and skipped clear of Lethal Levi before the turn, with most of his rivals flat out in pursuit.

This trip is the limit of his stamina, but while his margin was eroded in the straight, he never looked like being overhauled and had a comfortable length to spare over Room Service (Kevin Ryan/Tom Eaves) at the line, with Paborus (Ed Bethell/William Buick) half a length away in third.

The winner could return here for the City of York Stakes in August to defend his unbeaten Knavesmire record, with that race being raised to Group 1 status for the first time in 2025.

High-class horse

Williams said: “He’s just a high-class horse who loves to win.

“Once he gets in front and gets rolling along at a place like this, he’s hard to catch.

“He’s a fast horse and he’s definitely bred to go a bit further.

“Tom and I continually have this argument whether he’s best over a stiff six furlongs or an easy seven, but I think it’s probably either.”

Quinault was cut to 16/1 (from 50s) by Paddy Power for the Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, but he’s unlikely to head to Goodwood, as his trainer explained.

“We’d like to come back here in August,” added William.

“This was a win-and-you’re-in race for it.

“We’ll aim for that and work back from there. He tries very hard and that’s the key to it.

“It’s his first Group win and it means a lot.

“I took him to Dubai in the winter and ran him in a Group 1 as we’ve always thought he was capable of this sort of thing.”

TONY Martin was celebrating at Newcastle’s Plate meeting for the second successive year when taking the mile-and-a-half handicap courtesy of Pralongan (Jim Crowley), who landed a gamble having been backed into 7/4 favouritism, thereby following up a win over hurdles at Downpatrick earlier in the month.

Also celebrating winners on English soil over the weekend was Cian Collins, who registered a double at Cartmel’s Sunday meeting via Greatness Awaits (Danny Gilligan) and Fiveonefive (Jordan Gainford) in a pair of handicap hurdles, with the winners well found in the market at 5/2 and 3/1, respectively.

The latter is becoming something of a course specialist and was gaining his third Cartmel success in the familiar colours of Salvo Giannini, who has seen his yellow and green silks carried to victory in the Irish Grand National (Mudahim) and Galway Plate (Amlah) over the years.