By Neil Evans
Track Heavy 9/10 & Rail out 2m from 600m to 400m, then True for the remainder.
Race 1 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1350m)
Another very heavy surface greets the first ones out, but it shapes nicely for lightly raced local mare 4. Rockbarton Ruby well into a spaced-out prep. Has hit the line in three runs since a dominant and fast-finishing maiden win in mid-July, and while she’s been weighted to her best, a more experienced and polished rider takes over on her pet surface rating.
Newcastle hosts an eight-race card on Monday.Credit:Getty
Dangers: Another one trained on the track, 3. Millennium Jewel, is sound in the wet, and handily placed back in trip fourth-up and six weeks between runs, with a 3kg claim. Include in wider exotics 6. Myeyesadoreyou, resuming from a low draw with a 4kg weight allowance, and 12. Can I Rock who maps to get an economical run around midfield.
How to play it: Rockbarton Ruby to win. Odds and Evens: Split.
Race 2 FILLIES & MARES MAIDEN HCP (1200m)
Plenty of chances in this maiden sprint for the girls. If emerging metro filly 6. Glowing Gold backs up in three days after being edged out by a smart one at the provincials, she’ll be hard to beat. Has taken a quick liking to rain-affected ground, and blinkers crucially go on.
Dangers: The market will have a big say on lightly raced mare 2. Echo Sunshine who has won a trial for leading Randwick stable since flopping as a hot favorite first-up at Nowra when wayward in running and puncturing badly under pressure. Watch the betting as well on provincial mare 1. Misty Dreams resuming with winkers off and behind two progressive trials. Keep safe Real Impact filly 5. Cirebon on debut for the leading local yard behind two trials; while 13. Maslina returns off a quiet heavy track trial, with blinkers coming off.
How to play it: Glowing Gold to win. Odds and Evens: Split.
Race 3 FILLIES & MARES MAIDEN HCP (1200m)
Take two for the girls here, and keen to be aboard emerging country four-year-old 1. Mauricette second-up off a long break. Settled well back before finishing hard in a handy maiden three weeks ago, a leading jockey goes on, and the stable has made an important gear change.
Dangers: No doubting metro-based Star Turn three-year-old 7. Star Mistress is a big threat on debut. Won both lead-up trials at Randwick, and draws to get a soft run. Locally trained debutant 5. Akauwheo is a beautifully bred Irish-made three-year-old by Ribchester, and over the odds behind two forward trials. Another one by Star Turn 6. Centre Bounce was OK on the course proper here on debut, while Winning Rupert-sired 9. Who’s In Winny resumes off a handy trial.
How to play it: Mauricette each way and quinella 1 and 7. Odds and Evens: Odds.
Race 4 COLTS, GELDINGS & ENTIRES MAIDEN HCP (1200m)
Now the boys’ edition. Improving Wandjina three-year-old 4. Karedada was good on debut, making up plenty of ground after bungling the start and over-racing early. Even better suited over this distance, and bred to thrive in the ground.
Dangers: Watch the market on Rosehill-based Deep Field gelding 2. Cosmic Legend who debuts in blinkers behind two tidy trials only 13 days apart. The addition of winkers can be pivotal for 5. Jackyy Dee peaking third-up out to this trip; while 9. Sukhbir is a market watch resuming as a gelding with blinkers added behind two trials, and draws the inside. Home tracker 7. Rockbarton Pat heads the rest third-up over a more suitable longer journey.
How to play it: Karedada to win. Odds and Evens: Evens.
Race 5 MAIDEN HCP (1350m)
It doesn’t get any easier in this battle, although no better value than five-year-old mare 5. Holly Road who is tracking to break through fifth-up in her first full prep. Appreciated more ground when hitting the line hard in a good maiden at Tamworth, and carries half a kilo less here on a suitably bigger track.
Dangers: Country four-year-old 1. Golden Button has an edge in race fitness, likes rain-affected ground, and only missed by a whisker in a handy maiden 16 days ago. Was scratched from Port on Sunday to run here. Include in exotics 3. Binkou who got home well from a mile back on debut, 8. Hoku with multiple gear changes third-up, and 15. Herne Hill deep into his prep.
How to play it: Holly Road each way. Odds and Evens: Odds.
Race 6 CESSNOCK CUP (2100m)
Feature race of the day over the longer journey looks the ticket for promising metro mare 6. Left Reeling, shooting for her third win in four starts. Put two together coming from off the speed before tackling much tougher metro BM 72 company when grinding home late on a day when it was hard to make up ground. Drawn to be tucked away with cover around midfield, and clearly the best weight runner on the limit weight.
Dangers: Tough home track eight-year-old 1. Our Candidate is the class factor, having gone close in the Port Macquarie Cup 17 days ago. Has been in the placings against deeper opposition all prep, including a dominant country CL6 win as a hot favourite in mid-July, but a little query shooting back up to a career-high 62kg weight. Keep very safe smart local 4. Mydeel who boasts a 50 per cent win record from 10 starts. Surged home to win an open mile race here two starts back before failing to run on in the Port Cup. Honest five-year-old 5. Dragon Dream beat all bar the winner in a tougher metro BM 72 last start, drew the inside, and only missed a place once in six starts on heavy ground. Gap to the rest.
How to play it: Left Reeling to win. Odds and Evens: Split.
Race 7 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1200m)
Tricky race, with little separating several of these. Like lightly raced and emerging mare 7. Milingimbi third-up on a 10-day turnaround from a handy draw. Was taken to the front in a CL2 last time sticking on well, but more effective when ridden with a sit.
Dangers: Big watch on resuming filly 11. Dolly Jayne who won fresh last time, and draws to get a soft run. Stretched out well to win a recent trial, and the trainer has swapped blinkers for winkers. Ultra-consistent mare 9. Parties Galore has been in and around the money last four, and draws to either lead or sit right behind. Underrated four-year-old 4. Roussos can bucne back off a poor CL1 effort last time when he dropped out, and the stable has responded by removing the blinkers. Previous form was very sound for this, while 1. Unpredicted can run into the minor end of the money fourth-up.
How to play it: Milingimbi to win and quinella 7 and 11. Odds and Evens: Odds.
Race 8 CLASS 1 HCP (1150m)
Tough sprint with a stack of chances. Impressed by the debut heavy track win of four-year-old metro mare 6. News From Paris who sat back before rounding up a handy country maiden field. By mudlark sire Dane Shadow, and she looks to have a tonne of progression going up an extra 150m in distance.
Dangers: Expecting sharp third-up improvement from local mare 4. In The Blink with some much-needed weight relief. Home tracker 3. Cheval De Course led all the way for a shock win at big odds on debut here. Provincial four-year-old 1. The Bullring has a handy fresh record, but normally prefers soft rather than heavy ground. Tough three-year-old 8. Iron hat comes through some useful form races, while watching the betting on 10. Demitasse resuming for only his third career start behind two trials.
How to play it: News From Paris to win. Odds and Evens: Evens.
Race 9 COLTS, GELDINGS & ENTIRES BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1350m)
Another very open restricted battle for the boys to finish. Like the value here about underrated six-year-old 1. Kinship third-up, despite still having to prove himself in heavy ground. Hit the line well from midfield in a better race than this a fortnight ago, and gets a vital 4kg claim to off-set the big weight.
Dangers: Capable local four-year-old 4. Tiva Bay zoomed home from the back to win his maiden first-up, but not sure the inside ground on what could be a bottomless track does him any favours carrying 61kg. Another local 7. Trumpster draws to get plenty of cover off-speed, and gets through these conditions; while 8. Barry’s Lane who has won two of his last five, 10. Oh No Bro who surged home from a mile back to win first-up off a 12-month spell, and 12. Hemsted coming off a runaway win in very weak open company, all go in trifecta and first four plays.
How to play it: Kinship each way. Odds and Evens: Split.
BEST BETS:
R1 4. Rockbarton Ruby
R6 6. Left Reeling
