BRIAN Ellison is banking on Seamour to put the icing on his cake this afternoon.

Malton trainer Ellison turns 64 this week and would love nothing more for his birthday than a victory in the John Smiths' Northumberland Plate.

Seamour was the beaten favourite in last year's race – one of the richest two-mile handicaps in the world – and is once again among the leading contenders this afternoon.

For Ellison, however, there is also the added incentive of winning a major prize in his native north east.

Born and bred in Newcastle, Ellison – the son of a former shipbuilder – grew up watching horses at Gosforth Park.

Time and again, he has returned 'home' as a trainer to try and win the Plate, which was originally known as the 'Pitmen's Derby' due to the fact that, until the late 1940s, it was staged as a holiday meeting for local mine workers.

Ellison was also born on June 28, 1952 – the same day that red-hot favourite Souepi won the famous old race.

Racing has moved on since those days and this year's Plate will be the first not to be run on grass, following Newcastle's switch to an all-weather Tapeta surface last year.

Commenting on Seamour's chances, Ellison said: "At the start of the season, this was the race we wanted, so we've kept him fresh.

"We've given him just the one run, at York, where he shaped well for a long way before he blew up. This has been his target since and he's in great shape."

Ellison rated Seamour as his best chance at Newcastle's three-day meeting, which started on Thursday.

His other runners today include Apterix in the Northumberland Vase, Soul Intent and Top of the Glas in the Betfred Mobile Handicap and Canny Kool in the Chipchase Stakes.

"It's obviously a meeting we target and we love to have winners there," he said.

Richard Fahey, another Malton-based trainer, also has sights set on winning the Plate and says American bay gelding Gabrial The Hero has a "big chance".

"He's won on all-weather surfaces before, has a decent draw in eight and everything looks in place for a good run," said Fahey, who also saddles Angel Gabrial in the race but admits that he "struggles" in very competitive handicaps.

"He's better in smaller fields but we're taking seven pounds off him with Adam McNamara and he did run well on his last start at York."

Another of Fahey's horses – Mr Lupton – returns to the track in Newcastle's Betfred Chipchase Stakes – a fortnight after winning York's Charity Sprint.

"He's in great order and, while this is a new surface for him, there's no reason he shouldn't go on it," said Fahey.

"This is a step up – and the next test in his career – but he's in top form going into it."

Fahey says he will not be surprised if another of his horses, Gabrial's King, runs well in the Betfred Northumberland Vase Handicap despite carrying top weight.

"I'd have preferred if he'd got into the Plate itself, as he's not very big and would have had less to carry there," he said.

"We're taking seven off him too, courtesy of Adam, and while he's a bit of an enigma, it wouldn't totally surprise me if he ran well."