Spirit Mixer produces 25-1 Northumberland Plate surprise
A close second to top-class stayer Trueshan in 2023, Andrew Balding's charge could finish only ninth 12 months ago and went off at 25-1 on this latest visit to Gosforth Park for a race affectionately known as the 'Pitmen's Derby'.
Bred in the purple as a son of Frankel and owner Jeff Smith's Group One-winning mare Arabian Queen, Spirit Mixer was delivered with his challenge in the home straight and knuckled down to get the better Dancing In Paris by a neck under a delighted Rob Hornby, who travelled north for a solitary ride.
'He was never a 25-1 shot in my head. I've won big races on him before and he was coming in off the back of a really good run at Goodwood,' said the jockey.
'I could have gone to Windsor and had four or five rides, but I wanted to come and ride him. He's a horse that's done no harm to me and it's fantastic to get that sort of reward today.
'There's a great crowd here today – I don't usually make the trek up north this far! I put it in my Sat Nav and it's just over five hours to get home, so this will make it a bit easier.'
He added: 'He's such a cool horse, he's seven years old now and a beautifully-bred homebred of Mr Smith's. He's just thriving and really enjoying his racing at his tender age.
'The race went pretty smooth. I thought I was jostling for the lead early enough, but he got into a battle and outstayed them then inside the last furlong.
'It's important to be riding winners on Saturdays in these big races and I've been fortunate enough to win a July Cup in these colours (on Alcohol Free), they mean a great deal to me, as does riding winners for Kingsclere.
'What a joy he is to own and to train and to ride.'
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