Som Tala's top draw for Pitman's Derby success

There has been a lot of talk about perceived track bias this week. It started with Royal Ascot and moved to Kempton's all-weather surface.

Ascot's clerk of the course Chris Stickels endured plenty of unwarranted flak when the main protagonists in last Saturday's Wokingham Handicap came up the far rail.

Prior to High Standing's victory, most winners on the straight course had come up the stands' rail.

The victory had nothing to do with over-watering on the straight mile to level out the balance.

Even jockey Jimmy Fortune admitted "the two sides of the track rode the same all week".

Yet on Wednesday, TV pundits astonishingly pondered whether there was a bias at Kempton, when even to the untrained eye, the kickback was obviously so severe that the jockeys elected to fan out across the track, rather than play follow-my-leader up the far rail.

But while a track bias may be rare, the stall a horse starts from usually only makes a difference when a bend is involved.

On a straight course over sprint trips, you want to be with horses that will show enough early pace to take your horse into a race.

But though tomorrow's Northumberland Plate at Newcastle - known as the Pitman's Derby - is run over two miles, the draw is an all-important consideration.

There is a short run to the first turn and those trapped wide have little or no chance from that point.

It is no coincidence that seven of the last ten winners of this race have come from stall nine or lower and six of those were drawn in stalls one to six.

So Judgethemoment, the progressive winner of the Ascot Stakes last week, would appear to have an almost impossible task of landing a four-timer from stall 21. Two horses in behind him at Ascot are much better drawn.

Keenes Day, sent off favourite for the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes, looked likely to win two furlongs out, but just tired.

The drop in trip and a favourable draw (stall seven) means he appears to have a great chance.

But the tough, genuine SOM TALA (3.10pm) looks over-priced at around 20-1 for Europe's richest staying handicap.

Mick Channon's six-year-old is likely to be up with the front runners - coming out of stall four - as he was at Ascot before weakening into fifth place.

He has had just two runs since last July and his first was a fine effort from a poor draw in the Chester Cup.

He has been dropped 2lb by the handicapper since then and has the smart Tony Culhane aboard.

The son of Fantastic Light has been placed a nine times in 22 career starts, winning three races and his best form is on a fast surface, which he is likely to encounter.

He looks a cracking each-way bet if things fall his way.