North Easterner Dave Morris was grinning all the way to the Tyne Bridge after Bay Of Islands provided him with a dream victory in the Foster's Lager Northumberland Plate at Newcastle today.
The diminutive trainer, the son of a miner, hugged Kevin Darley after the jockey had guided the eight-year-old to triumph against 17 rivals in the £130,000 handicap popularly known as the "Pitmen's Derby".
"I can't tell you how happy I am - I'm lost for words. But the last 50 yards were worse than heart failure," he said.
Bay Of Islands, third in the corresponding event 12 months, took the lead from the well-backed favourite Virgin Soldier with two furlongs to travel.
He soon established a clear lead but Darley, a winner of the race 12 months ago aboard Far Cry, knew there was still plenty of work to do.
The jockey was required to pull out all the stops to hold the late flurry of The Queen's Temple Way by a neck. Rainbow Ways was two lengths back in third.
Morris, who trains 15 horses at Newmarket, was born in the County Durham pit village of Tanfield Lea.
Apart from a two-year break when he worked in a plastics factory at Pickering, North Yorkshire, he has been immersed in racing since joining Pat Rohan from school.
"This is not a job - it's a way of life and for a local lad to win a race like the Northumberland Plate is just unbelievable," he said.
"I've been training for 10 years and I've never experienced a week like this. I've had three runners at Newcastle - my fourth intended didn't run - and they've all won.
"I'm so pleased for the horse as he was unlucky in the race last year and deserves this so much. If he was a person the world would love him.
"He's done well to come back as he's had problems with his back and suspensories.
"I've always viewed the Ebor as an ideal race for him as he's a true one-mile-six horse who stays two miles. He would have run in the Ebor last year but for suspensory trouble."
Bay Of Islands is owned by Lord and Lady Tavistock and Lord Howland.
"For a little man it's absolutely fantastic that they've supported me and it's great to reward them with a win like this," said Morris.
Virgin Soldier's prospects of landing a substantial gamble appeared favourable when he was sent on by Royston Ffrench in the home straight.
But the 9-2 favourite (backed from 8-1 on course) was treading water in the final furlong and faded disappointingly into eighth.
Lord Howland had earlier been on hand to supervise the victory of Corndavon in the Tote Exacta Northern Sprint Handicap.
The Michael Bell-trained filly is part-owned by his friend Julia Scott, the widow of the late Alex Scott.
"Julia is stewarding at Newmarket today and Michael is there as well and I'm sure they'll have been shouting their heads off," he said.
Corndavon, whose dam was purchased by Scott, was racing for the final time as she is in-foal to Inchinor and is going to the Glebe Stud tomorrow.
Tedburrow found a devastating change of gear - and lowered the course record in the process - to seize victory in the John Smith's Extra Smooth Chipchase Stakes.
He swept clear in the final 100 yards of the Listed contest to defeat Cretan Gift by one and a quarter lengths.
The time of 1m 10.64s shaved almost half a second off the previous best set by stablemate Unshaken at the same meeting last year.
"I was worried that the pace wouldn't be fast enough but Rowaasi went off at a good clip and that was a big help," said trainer Eric Alston whose string have hit form after a period in the doldrums.
"He's a Group horse but he doesn't like to run too often and he'd been off for six weeks before coming here.
"His aim was going to be the City Wall Handicap at Chester later in the month which he has won for the last three years.
"But this was a good prize so we thought we'd take a chance and run him here."
Henry Cecil's True Thunder made an impressive winning debut when outpointing Tolstoy in the Kronenbourg 1664 Maiden Stakes.
