Align The Stars wins Northumberland Plate at Newcastle for trainer Charlie Johnston
Charlie Johnston added another coveted handicap prize to his haul as Align The Stars stays on strongly to land the Northumberland Plate on an action-packed day at Newcastle.
Saturday 27 June 2026 17:50, UK
Align The Stars pounced late to land the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate for Middleham trainer Charlie Johnston.
A 10-1 chance under Daniel Muscutt, the five-year-old gelding was always up with the pace but took up the running from Kirchner inside the final furlong, staying on strongly to pull one-and-a-quarter lengths clear of the well-backed 17-2 shot.
Synergism (9-1) was a further length and three-quarters away in third, with Saint Etienne (18-1) another neck away in fourth.
Align The Stars was landing the £150,000 race some 32 years after Johnston's father, Mark, won the race known as the 'Pitmen's Derby', with classy stayer Quick Ransom.
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"We would like to think we have a good record in this race, so a bit disappointed it has been quite so long between drinks, but ever since he won the Queen's Prize earlier this season we have had this in mind," said the winning trainer.
"It would have been easy to be tempted to go to Ascot last week, but we felt 'let's keep our powder dry'.
"This horse was a really good three-year-old, in fact had you asked me post-Goodwood (where he won a one-mile-six-furlong handicap) as a three-year-old I would have said he might be a Cup horse next year so the wheels did come off a bit last year, but they are firmly back on now."
Johnston paid tribute to a fine ride from Muscutt, insisting a decisive early where the jockey chose to stay wide around the first bend made the difference between winning and losing.
"The winning of the race was the riding early," said Johnston. "It would have been easy to think 'I can't go four wide around this bend, I need to tuck in,' but if he hadn't done that he would have been far too far back.
"For all that, it is a two-mile race they turn into five-furlong sprints and you have to be in the right place."
A return to Goodwood could be on the agenda for Align The Stars with the race he won as a three-year-old back in his sights.
"That mile-and-six race at Glorious Goodwood would be his next big target. Whether he goes to Newmarket between now and then we will see, but this was D-day and it's come off."
Muscutt was winning the Plate for the first time and said he always believed the horse would stay in front once he took the lead.
"He got himself into a nice spot eventually and he was always going to grind it out from there. Once he gets up to the head of affairs he travels well. He stayed well and is a good horse," he said.
"I took out the consolation race a couple of years ago, but it is nice to have this one on my CV now."
Paborus makes light work of absence to land Chipchase honours
Paborus defied an absence of nearly a year to land the Group Three Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle for trainer Ed Bethell and owners Wathnan Racing.
Last seen 364 days ago in the Criterion Stakes at York, the five-year-old gelding (15-2) took up the running two furlongs from home and stayed on grittily under Callum Rodriguez.
At the line he had a length and a half in hand of Marvelman in second, with the same distance back to the Godolphin-owned Symbol Of Honour in third.
Bethell was delighted, given he had expressed fears his winner would not be fully tuned up after such a layoff.
"Honestly, I thought he would definitely need the run, so I will imagine he will take a big step forward from this and it is a big pat on the back for the whole team," he said. "He has had niggly issues, but the Wathnan team have been very patient.
"I was just hoping he would run a nice race today, but he has exceeded all expectations. The Lennox Stakes (at Goodwood) has always been in the back of my mind, but I will speak to the team and see what they think."
Winning jockey Rodriguez paid tribute to the Bethell team for producing the Paborus fit enough to do himself full justice in a well-contested affair.
"He is a horse I have always loved and a very good training performance from Ed and the team after a full year off the track," said Rodriguez. "He went through the race quite smoothly. We didn't want to take him back, but we were confident we could get him into a nice rhythm.
"He moved into the two good and I thought I would go ahead and win quite well, but he did just get a little bit tired late on so I suppose that is a positive."
Believitanducan to stick to the level after Vase win
Believitanducan continued his good run of form since switching back to the level in taking the Jenningsbet Festival Northumberland Vase Handicap at Newcastle.
Three times a winner over hurdles, Alan King's charge followed up Flat victories on turf at Ascot and Chester in handling the switch to an all-weather surface with aplomb.
Sent off at 100-30 with William Buick doing the steering, the five-year-old was in front with two furlongs to run and always looked like staying on strongly to the line, doing so with a comfortable length to spare over Haveyoumissedme.
Dan Downie, representing winning connections the Owners Group 140, admitted the five-year-old could be sticking to the level now after mixing jumps and Flat racing.
"We were just talking before and saying would we go back over hurdles? And you would think that might be tough now because he is definitely improving," he said.
"He had a couple of runs on the Flat last year and was decent but he has really come back this year and improved hugely.
"I have no idea about plans because we didn't really dare think beyond today, but I'm sure Alan King will have a good idea."
Winning jockey William Buick agreed with the owners that there was plenty of upside in the horse's profile.
"He has good stamina which was key here today," he said. "I would say there is more to come from this horse as he stays well and he is a very genuine horse."
