Northumberland Plate
| Handicap race | |
| Location |
Newcastle Racecourse Newcastle, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1833 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | John Smith's |
| Website | Newcastle |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2m 56y (3,270 metres) |
| Surface | Tapeta |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-years-old and up |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse |
£140,000 (2015) 1st: £86,226 |
The Northumberland Plate is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of 2 miles and 56 yards (3,270 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July.
The event was established in 1833, and the inaugural running was won by Tomboy. It was initially held at Town Moor, and it was part of a meeting first staged at Killingworth in 1623. It was transferred to its present venue at Gosforth Park in 1882.
The Northumberland Plate originally took place on a Wednesday, and for many years the meeting was a holiday for local mine workers. The race became popularly known as the "Pitmen's Derby". The meeting ceased to be a holiday in 1949, and the race was switched to a Saturday in 1952.
The Northumberland Plate is now one of the richest two-mile handicaps in the world. It has been sponsored by John Smith's since 2003.
Since 2016, it has been run on an artificial all-weather surface, Tapeta, having previously been run on turf.
Most successful horse (3 wins):
Leading jockey since 1985 (2 wins):
Leading trainer since 1985 (3 wins):
* The 1946 running took place at Aintree.
...
Wikipedia