ALL signs point to Newcastle this weekend, with the £140,000 Northumberland Plate - the 'Pitmen's Derby' - taking pride of place on Saturday, and the Northern Rock Gosforth Park Cup forming the feature of tomorrow evening's curtain-raising programme.

Sheriff Hutton jockey Kevin Darley, who will be aboard the fancied Harlestone Grey on Saturday, has excellent prospects of getting into the winning groove in tomorrow's £35,000 showpiece aboard nap selection Salviati.

Trained by sprint specialist Milton Bradley, Salviati broke Redcar's long-standing five-furlongs course-record on his latest outing, having just failed to clinch a valuable handicap at Musselburgh on his previous start, when he was poorly drawn.

Nigel Tinkler's Henry Hall, and the David Nicholls-trained Rudi's Pet, both previous winners of this race, and the John Quinn-trained Smart Predator, a prolific winner last season, form a strong North Yorkshire challenge in this fascinating event.

But Salviati is expected to put them in the shade under the in-form Darley, who completed a double at Warwick yesterday.

Darley has every chance of gaining a multiple score at Gosforth Park. He also has good prospects on recent York winner Donna's Double in the Chapman Stewart Marketing Handicap, and on the progressive Persian Lightning in the Weatherbys Travel Classified Stakes.

Autumn Rain will not be short of supporters as he bids to win the Bollinger Champagne Series Amateur Riders' Handicap.

The five-year-old has been in excellent form recently and looks capable of defying top weight in the hands of Simon Callaghan, son of trainer Neville.

Zagaleta, from the in-form Andy Turnell yard at Norton, may give Autumn Rain most to thing about.

Paul Hanagan, now only seven winners short of losing his apprentices' allowance, can win the Bettakleen Selling Stakes on Schematic, who got off the mark at Musselburgh on Monday.

Tomorrow's main afternoon racing comes from Newmarket, where Follow Flanders will be hard to beat in the Half Moon Handicap.

Henry Candy's filly, closely related to the top-flight Kyllachy, has won both her races to date and looks a high-class sprinter in the making.

Flight Sequence gained a thrilling win earlier this month in the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar.

Lady Herries' tough mare can oblige again in the io Group Rated Handicap. Richard Hughes has the mount.

Also worth noting at HQ are the well-regarded Russian Rhythm (2-30) and the classy Roundtree (4-00).

Friday's tips:

NEWCASTLE

7-00 Autumn Rain, 7-30 Schematic, 8-00 Salviati (NAP), 8-30 Leominda, 9-00 Donna's Double, 9-30 Persian Lightning

NEWMARKET

2-00 Vrubel, 2-30 Russian Rhythm, 3-00 Follow Flanders, 3-30 Flight Sequence, 4-00 Roundtree, 4-30 Holy Island

Updated: 12:50 Thursday, June 27, 2002