Spirit Mixer produces 25-1 Northumberland Plate surprise

Spirit Mixer made it third time lucky in the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.

A close second to top-class stayer Trueshan in 2023, Andrew Balding’s charge could finish only ninth 12 months ago and went off at 25-1 on this latest visit to Gosforth Park for a race affectionately known as the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’.

Bred in the purple as a son of Frankel and owner Jeff Smith’s Group One-winning mare Arabian Queen, Spirit Mixer was delivered with his challenge in the home straight and knuckled down to get the better Dancing In Paris by a neck under a delighted Rob Hornby, who travelled north for a solitary ride.

“He was never a 25-1 shot in my head. I’ve won big races on him before and he was coming in off the back of a really good run at Goodwood,” said the jockey.

“I could have gone to Windsor and had four or five rides, but I wanted to come and ride him. He’s a horse that’s done no harm to me and it’s fantastic to get that sort of reward today.

“There’s a great crowd here today – I don’t usually make the trek up north this far! I put it in my Sat Nav and it’s just over five hours to get home, so this will make it a bit easier.”

He added: “He’s such a cool horse, he’s seven years old now and a beautifully-bred homebred of Mr Smith’s. He’s just thriving and really enjoying his racing at his tender age.

“The race went pretty smooth. I thought I was jostling for the lead early enough, but he got into a battle and outstayed them then 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 (on Alcohol Free), they mean a great deal to me, as does riding winners for Kingsclere.

“What a joy he is to own and to train and to ride.”