Northumberland Plate

The Northumberland Plate is a flat horse race which forms the centrepiece of a three-day festival at Newcastle Racecourse, usually on the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday in June. The race is a handicap run over a distance of 2 miles 19 yards (3,236 metres) and is contested by thoroughbreds aged three-years-old and upwards.

It was first run in 1883 and was originally known as the Pitmen's Derby and is still thus described in the north-east of England. In its early years, it afforded a rare holiday for the local mining families who flocked to the course to enjoy the racing. The Northumberland Plate is one of the richest two-mile handicaps in the world.