John Smith's Northumberland Plate
Heritage Handicap,
Newcastle 16:15
£150,000 added, 3yo plus,
2m 19y, Class 2   
Saturday 25th June 2016

1 Antiquarium 16/1
2 Seamour 13/2F
3 Nearly Caught 16/1
4 Moscato 14/1
20 ran Distances: 1¼l, 2¼l, nk
TIME 3m 30.91s

Newcastle Agony for Ellison as Seamour loses to Antiquarium

Antiquarium came from the clouds to mug Seamour close home and win a thrilling renewal of the Pitmen’s Derby.

Antiquarium
© Racehorse Photos
Antiquarium

Seamour looked set to give local trainer Brian Ellison a cherished victory in the prestigious heritage handicap - run on Tapeta for the first time - when setting sail for home in the hands of Ben Curtis well over a furlong out.

Antiquarium (16-1) had plenty to do as Seamour built up a big lead, but the Charlie Appleby-trained four-year-old found an extra gear for James McDonald to burst out of the pack and nail the leader 50 yards from the line.

Seamour (13-2 favourite) had to settle for second place, beaten a length and a quarter, with Nearly Caught (16-1) taking third spot for the second year running, two and a quarter lengths away. Moscato (14-1) was fourth.

New Zealander McDonald said: "I'm thrilled to ride in a big race for Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed, it's a big team effort and I'm the lucky recipient to be on top.

"Maybe there's a good one in mind in early November (Melbourne Cup). I'm sure he will, he showed a really good turn of foot which we like Down Under.

"He had a turn of foot like a miler and has plenty of pace.

"Hopefully he goes the right way."

James Ferguson, assistant trainer, said: "James gave him a wonderful ride, he didn't panic when he was a long way back and obviously knew what he was sat on.

"He'd been on the all-weather before, never over that trip but he saw it out really well.

"We're really chuffed, it's a huge team effort at home.

"We'll see what the handicapper does but there's a £100,000 open handicap at Goodwood that looks the next logical step."

Ellison said of the runner-up: "He probably went too early, but he had so much horse underneath him. He was going too well.

"It does show we have a really good horse on our hands. He'll go for either the Ebor or the Lonsdale (at York in August). That's where he'll go next.

"I've always thought he was a Group horse and he's grown up since last year.

"We had him right on the day."

Horses 468x60 Jpg

John Smith's Northumberland Plate
(Heritage Handicap)
£150,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 19y, Class 2
20 ran
Going: AW - Standard

Pos Dr D Horse SP Jockey Weight Trainer Age
1st (3) Antiquarium (IRE) 16/1 James McDonald
9-5
C Appleby 4
2nd (12) Seamour (IRE) 13/2f B A Curtis
9-5
B Ellison 5
3rd (20) Nearly Caught (IRE) 16/1 G Baker
9-8
H Morrison 6
4th (18) nk Moscato 14/1 L Morris
9-0
Sir Mark Prescott 5
5th (17) nk Saigon City 20/1 T Eaves
8-12
D Carroll 6
6th (8) ¾ Gabrial The Hero (USA) 8/1 T Hamilton
9-1
R A Fahey 7
7th (11) hd Seismos (IRE) 40/1 Daniel Muscutt (3)
9-9
M Botti 8
8th (4) Steve Rogers (IRE) 9/1 Andrea Atzeni
9-0
R Varian 5
9th (13) nk Gavlar 16/1 Callum Shepherd (5)
8-13
W J Knight 5
10th (9) ¾ Nakeeta 8/1 R Ffrench
9-2
I Jardine 5
11th (2) ½ My Reward 12/1 D Allan
9-2
T D Easterby 4
12th (19) Gang Warfare 14/1 R Havlin
9-10
S Crisford 5
13th (6) ¾ Tommy Docc (IRE) 25/1 P Makin
8-13
K Dalgleish 4
14th (14) Hardstone (USA) 66/1 P Mulrennan
8-12
M Dods 5
15th (16) 1 Notarised 33/1 J Fanning
9-7
M Johnston 5
16th (5) Angel Gabrial (IRE) 25/1 Adam J McNamara (7)
9-9
R A Fahey 7
17th (10) No Heretic 16/1 J P Spencer
9-3
N J Henderson 8
18th (1) ½ Arch Villain (IRE) 12/1 Jim Crowley
9-6
Mrs A J Perrett 7
19th (7) Sunblazer (IRE) 40/1 William Twiston-Davies
9-3
K C Bailey 6
20th (15) 5 Polarisation 8/1 James Doyle
9-3
C Appleby 4