Kembla based apprentice Holly Duncan will remember her first trip to Newcastle racecourse after her only two mounts at the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation Race Day on Saturday were successful. The 20-year-old apprenticed to Kembla trainer Mitch Beer had her first ride in April 2023 and Saturday’s double brought up 80 career winners. In fact Duncan rode four winners in two days with doubles at Moruya on Friday and Newcastle Saturday. The apprentice struck early at Newcastle when Kembla filly Pewter Pearl landed a plunge in an impressive win in the opening event the 900 metre Club Charlestown Midway 2&3YO Maiden Handicap.
The Mitch Beer trained 2-year-old was backed form $12.00 into $7.50 and after settling back in the field the filly sprinted quickly halfway down the straight to hit the front and win by a length. Duncan rode Pewter Pearl to win a Kembla trial on July 1.
The Kiwi bred Hooligan Tommy trained by John Sargent at Randwick won his second race in three starts when Duncan produced a pearl of a ride to easily win the 1600 metre Beresfield Bowling Club Benchmark 64 Handicap. Hooligan Tommy has no speed and after being a clear last in the early stages the gelding remained at the near until the top of the straight. The apprentice saw plenty of room towards the inside and steered the 4-year-old into the gap and the as expected was very strong late racing away to win by 1.5 lengths.
Newcastle trainer Jason Deamer’s successful association with Dynamic Syndications continued on Saturday when classy mare Just In Time outclassed the opposition to win the 1300 metre Belmont 16’s Pink Race Day Cup by 2.89 lengths. After stints with leading trainers, Just In Time was transferred to Deamer earlier this year and the mare is unbeaten in two starts for the Novocastrian trainer. She was an easy winner first up at Hawkesbury on June 17 and on Saturday she was heavily backed from $2.25 into $1.90. Aaron Bullock heading towards another NSW Jockeys Premiership victory was aboard Just In Time for the first time and gave a faultless display. He settled the mare in fourth place on the rail and eased her into the clear on straightening and the mare responded to win running away by 2.89 lengths.
Just In Time was Deamer’s 27th win for the season and considering he only has 25 stalls it has been a good season for the former successful jockey. He has trained 377 winners in 23 seasons.
Following Saturday’s racing in New South Wales, Bullock after missing more than two months of riding has ridden 115 winners in the state, 5 more than Scone apprentice Braith Nock. The season finishes on July 31. Bullock rode 207.5 winners to win the Australian and NSW Premierships in 2022-23 and reached a century of winners in five of the last six seasons.
Keagan Latham combined with Golden Slipper winning trainer Michael Freedman to land a double at the Newcastle meeting. The former South African rode the unraced 2-year-old filly Southern Heiress in the 900 metre Mex Club Super Maiden and she settled in third pace before careering away in the latter stages to win by 3.2 lengths. The pair saluted again with Zoustar 2-year-old San Giovanni in the 1200 metre Toronto Workers Club Maiden Handicap. Raced by a number of high profile studs the gelding on debut came from third last for an impressive win.