Meet Sunderland's psychic pony as he predicts the outcome of the Papa John's Trophy final

Lee Johnson’s League One side are seeking their first cup final victory in nearly half a century when they face Tranmere Rovers in the Papa John’s Trophy final.

While the bookies make Sunderland overwhelming favourites to defeat their League Two opponents, the Sunderland Echo decided to trot off to Penshaw Equestrian Centre to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

The good news is that Yellow the Psychic Pony – so called because he is always the first horse at the riding school and livery yard to guess when it’s meal time – has shown his true colours by predicting that the red and whites will win at Wembley at a canter.

The test he faced was simple and his judgement emphatic.

Yellow, proudly wearing a Sunderland hat and scarf, was released from his stable and asked to choose between one of two bowls of horse feed.

Cunningly hidden from his view on the opposite side of the bowls were labels with the words "win" or "lose".

Showing a turn of pace often absent from Sunderland performances in recent seasons, the Welsh Pony had little hesitation in foreseeing a Black Cats victory.

Kirsty McGhee, a manager at the centre, was not surprised at his verdict, adding: “Breakfast, lunch, dinner. His voice is the first you hear when when the wheelbarrow heads towards the horses at meal time.

"I just hope he doesn’t make a meal of this one by getting it wrong.”

Yellow is merely the latest in a distinguished line of animal pundits to be consulted by the Echo before important football games.

The late Big Bob, also known as the Psychic Sunderland Pig, correctly predicted the outcome of four out of England’s first five 2018 World Cup matches before eventually telling porkies by wrongly forecasting a Three Loins semi-final win over Croatia.

Now Sunderland fans must hope that Yellow doesn’t fail at his first and the club’s final hurdle.

Penshaw Equestrian Centre, based at Penshaw Hill Farm, intends to reopen for riding lessons from Monday, March 29, if the provisional road map out of lockdown is confirmed.

Further details are available from (0191) 5844828.

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