Andrew Newton looks ahead to the Newcastle showdown

At the end of June and after all the carnage of the Derby and Royal Ascot Meetings, Newcastle racecourse grab the limelight as they host one of their big race days, with the Northumberland Plate.
Run over two miles, the Northumberland Plate is one of the richest staying handicap contests around and to the older readers amongst us might still be referred to as the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’.
The race was first run in 1833, so there is bundles of history to look back on, which is good news for the trends, plus being run ov...