Local trainer Brian Ellison finally ended his long wait for Northumberland Plate glory courtesy of Onesmoothoperator's sparkling performance at Gosforth Park.
The pace was strong throughout the famous two-mile half-furlong staying handicap, with the well-backed Sir Mark Prescott-trained Trooper Bisdee, who missed the break under Hollie Doyle, quickly pushed up into a handy position to help enforce the fractions alongside the front-running Howth.
Those towards the fore soon looked in trouble turning for home and the eye was quickly drawn to the closers, which included Onesmoothoperator and Connor Beasley. The pair arrived on the scene travelling strongly and the course regular rapidly put the race to bed with an impressive turn of foot towards the stands' side rail.
The 40/1 chance Evaluation set off in hot pursuit under Andrew Mullen, but the bird had already flown and Onesmoothoperator crossed the line with a commanding two and a half lengths to spare. Duke Of Oxford, who briefly looked like claiming the famous prize with two furlongs, finished back in third for trainer Michael Bell, with James Owens' Too Friendly back in fourth.
"I've been wanting to win it for a long time, and we knew we had him right. In the last two days, we were a bit worried about the surface being on the soft side, but the lads came in today and said it was riding a lot quicker," explained Ellison, who was born on Pitmen's Derby day back in 1952 and celebrated his 72nd birthday yesterday.
"I told Connor not to worry about the pace, as I knew Tashkhan was going to be up there and made sure there was a good pace. They went a helluva gallop and when this horse is on-song, he's some animal.
"Turning in I said, 'this has hacked up!' Connor said he could have won on the bridle, but he's a good horse when he's right.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet. I thought we'd won it with Seamour one year (2016), when he went clear and got caught, and we've come here trying to win it before and been disappointed.
"It's always in the back of your mind that you're going to get disappointed, and it hasn't sunk in that we've won it, but it's fantastic.
"Connor used to come to mine to ride when he was a baby, as his mum and dad worked for me. We go back a long way.
"I'm from here and have got a lot of connections here and a lot of family and friends. It's great for the north and great for Newcastle – it's a great race to be in.
"It's got to be (the best day of my training career). Everyone says, 'you've got to win the Plate' and it's nice to get the monkey off your back."
