Northumberland Plate Tips: Alan King primed for second Pitmen's win with Trueshan

20 runners go to post in the 2022 Northumberland Plate on the Tapeta of Newcastle races on Saturday afternoon.

Always a fiercely competitive handicap, this two mile test quite often sees trainers predominantly known from the jumps code scooping the prize which is worth £81k to the winner.

Known as The Pitmen's Derby, it's quite the occasion at Newcastle races and the betting is headed by 5/1 chance Rajinsky trained by Hugo Palmer who saddled the 2021 winner Caravan Of Hope, who was also sent off favourite.

Third in this race last year he's eight pounds worst off at the weights on Saturday, thanks to some good performances last summer including a win over two miles at Ascot in October and a sixth place in the Cesarewitch.

The six year old gelding got the season off to a win at Ripon before finishing third in the Chester Cup last time out off a mark of 100.

As alluded to, jumps trainers have a good record in this race, saddling three winners in the last 10 years including Alan King in 2019 with Who Dares Win. The Scot is back here with 7/1 chance top weight Trueshan who will be ridden by Hollie Doyle who just seems to get better and better.

The six year old has won 10 of his 15 starts on turf including six stakes races and looks the class act in the field.

Finishing sixth in this race last season when sent off the 5/2 favourite, he's won all four starts since then, most notably when beating Stradivarius in the Group 1 Prix Du Cadran. Other successes came in the Goodwood Cup and Long Distance Cup plus he won on his seasonal reappearance in a Listed Nottingham contest.

He's only run twice on the all-weather, winning once albeit way back in 2019 although incidentally the horse he beat that day was a subsequent Northumberland Plate winner.

Towards the bottom of the weights, the Andrew Balding trained Valley Forge is best price 13/2 at the time of writing.

A winner of three of his nine runs, the improve is up four pounds following his win last month at Haydock, with the subsequent third that day running well to place in a staying handicap at Royal Ascot last week.

The other horse at the top of the betting is the Brian Ellison trained Onesmoothoperator who is available to back at 7/1.

Just the two wins to his name, he's dropped five pounds following a last place finish on his only start this season at York which was his only run on turf.

Further down there betting the eyecatchers include the Alan King trained Rainbow Dreamer who has attracted some money this week.

The nine year old has two wins over hurdles but also very adept on the all weather with seven wins from 16 races, only finishing out of the top three on six occasions.

Another horse who has seen some support in the betting is the Sir Mark Prescott trained four year old Summer's Knight.

A winner of five of 12 starts on turf, all of those wins coming last summer, this will be only his second outing on the tapeta.

The progressive Camelot gelding has risen 32 pounds in the eights since his first win last June and could step up in class here at a price.

The head of the market have a decent record in this race with four winning favourites in the last 10 years and whilst TRUESHAN may not go off the favourite he's the obvious class horse in the race and at 6/1 with William Hill offering each-way places down to seven he gets the vote despite being top weight.