Fran Berry's column ahead of Northumberland Plate

Some say you should never meet your heroes but that's clearly not always the case as I was delighted to ride a winner for Micky Quinn at Newcastle on Friday.

I grew up watching him banging in goals for Portsmouth and Newcastle on Match Of The Day and it was fantastic to team up with him - he's a bit of a legend in football and racing now - and a real bonus that Stanhope was able to win.

The horse travelled really strongly and obviously responded well to the fitting of a visor. It was a great feeling to get back among the winners and hopefully it's onwards and upwards for the rest of the summer.

My agent Tony Hind is working really hard to get me on as many good horses as possible and I'm confident of settling into a rhythm now post-Royal Ascot as I've been riding out for several trainers and really enjoying it.

Sitting and waiting for a delayed flight up to Newcastle gave me time to reflect on one or two that might have been in the past week or so and Great Sound might be worth keeping onside, especially when handed another step up in trip by his trainer John Gosden.

He looked like he might be struggling at halfway in Salisbury's Bibury Cup last Saturday but kept at it well and was a staying-on third at the line. He's still not the finished article at all, as you might expect after just two career starts, and there's more to come from him on a more galloping track.

It's also worth mentioning John Berry's Kryptos. He was picked up quite shrewdly by John from Dermot Weld's and had been showing a bit of promise.

He did well to finish third at Newmarket despite racing a touch keenly and John did expect him to outperform his odds (50/1), so it wasn't a fluke. It's most likely going to be the handicap route for him now but a small maiden wouldn't be completely out of the question so keep an eye out for where he goes next.

I've never ridden at Newcastle before so it'll be good to get three rides under the belt on Friday evening before the big day when I've picked up a lovely ride for Godolphin in the feature Stobart Rail Northumberland Plate.

From what I gather a low draw (4) for Good Run is definitely a boost and it'll be interesting if cheekpieces can spark him back to the sort of form that saw him win over this course and distance in November. He also went close here on his comeback earlier in the year and although not so good in two starts since, he's not one to be writing off by any means.

It's obviously a very competitive handicap with 20 going to post but the consolation race - the Betfred Northumberland Vase Handicap - has attracted just 12 and I'd be hopeful I'm on one with a tremendous chance in London Prize.

I've ridden a winner for Ian Williams already this year so hopefully it's more of the same as this lad won so impressively at Goodwood. He's officially well-in with just a 5lb penalty and there's no issues over stamina.

He ran well on the Tapeta surface to finish second to leading Plate hope Natural Scenery in February and might be the one they all have to beat.

I'm equally upbeat about the chancess of Robero in the opening Betfred "Celebrating 50 Years Of Success" Handicap.

He hacked up at Ascot last time and although he's gone up 11lb in the weights he was pretty impressive.

I rode in the race that day and the winner may have benefited from a bit of a draw bias but he was backed into favouritism and looked on great terms with himself. He's also got three all-weather victories to his name, including one at Newcastle over seven furlongs, and I'd be hopeful he'll be thereabouts when it matters.

I'm then hopping on the train down to Doncaster, where I've got a couple of rides for Chris Wall.

Deciding Vote has her third run in the Reg Gilks Memorial Maiden Stakes and she could ultimately be one for handicaps. She failed to beat a rival at Newmarket last time but that was a warm enough heat and, being a daughter of Pivotal, she could be more at home on soft ground here.

The New Pharaoh has a more obvious chance under top weight in the Follow Sun Bets On Twitter Handicap.

He looks to have just about everything in his favour having dropped to his last winning mark and clearly enjoys getting his toe in as he won at Leicester on testing going last June. Hopefully he can land another soft-ground handicap in the summer!

My third ride at Doncaster is Red Tycoon in the M&G Services Asbestos Abatement & Surveying Handicap and he was second to Robero in the Ascot sprint already mentioned.

He's since been well held at Chester but you can always excuse the odd bad run there as it's so sharp and not every horse enjoys it. Returning to a more conventional track will be in his favour. His trainer Ken Cunningham-Brown looks to have his stable in good shape at the moment so he'd have an each-way chance.

In the past I've usually been closely involved in Irish Derby weekend and I'll be watching on with interest as the Classic form from England and France is put to the test.

Aidan O'Brien has five of the field but it's a good renewal with more competition than has occasionally been the case in previous seasons and while you'd have to respect Wings Of Eagles with Ryan Moore taking over, Cracksman is still unexposed too and I thought he really showed how tough he was when third at Epsom.

He was under the pump a long way out but stuck at it and the experience should help him here.

Having said that, Andre Fabre has an eyecatching record with his runners in Ireland and, as the unknown quantity to some extent, I'd probably come down on the side of Waldgeist.

Fabre feels he's a top-notch three-year-old colt and he certainly looks to be coming to the boil after a couple of runs this season. 

If you go way back to his Group One win in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud last October he beat the likes of Capri, Douglas Macarthur, Taj Mahal and Wings Of Eagles there and after the race Fabre nominated the Irish Derby as his long-term objective.

He is a master of his trade and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the plan came together at the Curragh.

My weekend of planes, trains and automobiles comes to a close with a drive to Windsor on Sunday, where I've got five rides for four different trainers.

The pick of the bunch looks to be Dark Emerald in the Grand Master's Golden Jubilee Handicap.

He made a pleasing comeback from a couple of months off when staying on to be beaten just over four lengths in a Listed race at Salisbury and I'd expect him to be seriously competitive despite top weight here.

Moving back up from sprinting to a mile should be ideal and he's not competed in a British handicap since last July when beaten a neck by Boomshackerlacker at Newbury. 

He's 6lb lower in the weights now and definitely one I'm looking forward to on what will hopefully be a successful weekend.

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