Hollie Doyle hoping for more success at Newcastle © Photo Healy Racing
Hollie Doyle has the opportunity to win a second Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate in three years at Newcastle on Saturday after picking up the ride on likely favourite Trooper Bisdee.
The record-breaking jockey received a rousing reception from the Gosforth Park faithful two years ago after star stayer Trueshan put up a tremendous weight-carrying performance to land the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ – and she has high hopes of repeating the feat on her return to the north east this weekend.
Trooper Bisdee is a typical Sir Mark Prescott improver, winning six of his nine starts since entering the handicap arena – and he is four from five since stepping up to two miles and beyond.
He carries a 5lb penalty following his latest romp at Pontefract on Sunday and with Prescott’s stable jockey Luke Morris in action at the Curragh, Doyle is delighted to have been given the call-up.
“It’s great to ride for Sir Mark, we all know how good a trainer he is. He had a Royal Ascot winner last week (Pledgeofallegiance in the Ascot Stakes) and his horses are flying,” she said.
“Trooper Bisdee looks fairly progressive and has such a good record. Sir Mark is such a shrewd target trainer and you would imagine this has been a target and he is going to have not a lot of weight to carry (8st 6lb). You just hope he can translate his recent form on turf to the all-weather really.
“It would be amazing to win the race again. You can never forget Trueshan’s weight-carrying performance, but it’s good to get a good ride and hopefully I can do it again.”
Hugo Palmer saddles Chester Cup winner Zoffee and his talented stablemate Solent Gateway.
The tough-as-teak Zoffee won the Northumberland Vase over the course and distance a couple of years ago, while Solent Gateway was beaten less than two lengths into third place by Trueshan in the Plate.
Palmer, who struck gold with Caravan Of Hope in 2020, told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s a race we always target and I’m delighted to have won it before, although maddeningly it was in the Covid year and it was only worth £25,000 to the winner. It’s considerably more this year, thankfully.
“I’m as happy with Zoffee now as I was going into Chester. He looks absolutely fantastic, he’s proven on the surface, but it’s a 20-runner handicap and things are going to need to go right for him.
“He’s gone up 4lb for Chester, so he’s going to need to improve, but he was very competitive in last year’s Chester Cup off 93 (finished second), so we’ve only got a pound to improve really.
“Solent Gateway ran poorly in the Chester Cup, but he ran really well in a race he actually won last year when second at Haydock two weeks later.
“I think he’s grown in confidence from that, he’s finished third in this race before and has got good all-weather form, so I’d be hopeful of a big run from him, too.”
Michael Bell has high hopes for Duke Of Oxford, who found only Prydwen too strong in the All-Weather Championships Marathon at Newcastle on Good Friday but was unable to land a blow in the Chester Cup last time out.
Bell expects an improved performance, but admits a high draw in stall 20 is a concern.
“He’s very well, but we’re slightly deflated because he’s drawn 20, which is not ideal. He’s got a very good record at the track, so we’re going to need a little bit of luck from the draw,” said the Newmarket handler.
“When he was second up there at the end of March on Finals Day, that was his second time at the track and he handled it the time before as well, so his season has revolved around going to Chester and then going here.
“Unfortunately, at Chester we were drawn in the car park and unfortunately we’re drawn in the car park again!
“Chester is obviously a completely different ballgame when you’re drawn high and I think this is doable, but it’s going to need a little bit of tactical nous from Tyler (Heard) as to whether we go forward and get in or whether we drop in.
“It’s not complete doom and gloom, but you’d probably rather be drawn in the middle. He’s still relatively lightly raced and on his run behind Prydwen he looks well handicapped, so he definitely should be one of the market leaders.”
