Sir Mark Prescott's great handicap coups: four of the best for the master of Heath House

The Northumberland Plate (3.10 Newcastle) is one of the few major staying handicaps legendary Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Prescott has yet to win. He is due to be doubly represented on Saturday and saddles the well-fancied Trooper Bisdee and consistent stayer True Legend. Here, reporter David Carr takes a look at four times Prescott's expert placement made the bookies pay . . .

Hasten To Add

Ebor Handicap, 1994

Who should punters turn to when nine favourites in a row have been beaten? At York's Ebor meeting in 1994 there was only one answer.

Hasten To Add may have tested a few backers' patience, having been turned over when an astonishing 3-1 favourite in a field of 31 for the Cesarewitch the previous autumn and then beaten narrowly in the 1m4f Bessborough Handicap at Royal Ascot and 2m Northumberland Plate at Newcastle that summer.

Hasten To Add landed a touch for Sir Mark Prescott in the Ebor Handicap at York in 1994Credit: Mark Cranham

But Prescott aimed him at the Ebor Handicap over the in-between distance of 1m6f and a major ante-post gamble developed.

The huge grey went off 13-2 favourite and put a smile on the faces of those who had taken fancier prices when cruising to the front two furlongs out.

Those smiles turned to anxious frowns as Admiral's Well closed fast but he held on by half a length at the end of a final furlong that the trainer admitted "went on for a very long time".

Pasternak's famous Cambridgeshire victory is reckoned to have taken £5 million out of the betting marketCredit: Phil Smith

Pasternak

Cambridgeshire, 1997

There was nothing cloak and dagger about the huge nationwide touch that Pasternak landed in the Cambridgeshire in 1997.

He had been "a little sore" after his well-backed win in the John Smith's Cup at York in July and had not raced for nearly three months but owner Graham Rock, founding editor of the Racing Post and the then racing correspondent of the Observer, reportedly told anyone who would listen that they could have what they liked on him.

A Racing Post front page headline on raceday proclaiming "Why you must back Pasternak" helped force his odds from a morning 11-1 into 4-1 favourite at the off. And his victory by three-quarters of a length from stablemate Rudimental is reckoned to have taken £5 million out of the betting market.

Foreign Affairs: John Smith's Cup winner was backed from 7-1 in to 5-2 favourite in the days leading up to the raceCredit: Alec Russell

Foreign Affairs

John Smith's Cup, 2001

"They used to hang highwaymen on the Knavesmire but yesterday at York it was the bookmakers who were strung up."

That was how the Independent reported Prescott's John Smith's Cup heist in 2001.

Improving three-year-old Foreign Affairs was stepping up in class after wins at Salisbury and Goodwood the previous month but that did not appear to be any concern, judged on the way he was backed from 7-1 in to 5-2 favourite in the days leading up to the race.

After a delay to the start he missed the break and then George Duffield had to switch wide to avoid trouble on the inside. But his mount had so much in hand that he was still able to move smoothly into the lead a quarter of a mile from home and land the gamble.

Spectait: Seb Sanders got him up close home for a half-length win in the Goodwood Mile in 2006Credit: Mark Cranham

Spectait

Golden Mile, 2006

Prescott made himself the joyous toast of another big summer festival at Glorious Goodwood in 2006.

The Golden Mile is a decidedly trappy handicap – finding the best horse at the weights is no guarantee of being paid out as a big field fighting for space on a tricky course is a recipe for trouble in running.

But that did not stop people getting stuck in to Spectait, who was never able to challenge in a Lingfield Group 3 previously yet started a well-backed 9-2 shot here.

And their faith was rewarded as Seb Sanders got him up close home for a half-length Prescott special.

Read these next:

'He was a copper!' - Sir Mark Prescott, a timid driver and a run-in with the law 

'He's eyecatching at 20-1' - why this horse can win the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle on Saturday 

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