The Jungle Juice Cups and Cessnock Cups were the Newcastle Jockey Clubs major races when the club owned the Cessnock Racecourse for more than 30 years and on Saturday for the first time the Cups will be run on the same program at Newcastle. The TLE Electrical Jungle Juice Cup is a 1350 metre event and two inform gallopers Cool Lad and Sonofdec will contest the race after being placed in the same Benchmark 68 Handicap at the Newcastle meeting on October 2.
Both horses had excuses last start with Cool Lad held up at a vital stage between the 400 and 150 metres. He flashed home to finish third .62 of a length from the winner Éclair Encore which had an unexpected run. Cool Lad flashed home when narrowly beaten at Newcastle two starts back on September 20, Cool Lad has dawn nicely and trainer Matthew Smith has secured Jean Van Overmier for the mount.
Sonofdec originally handicapped as top weight with 61 kilograms will benefit from talented apprentice Mollie Fitzgeralds 1.5-kilogram claim. The gelding was bumped at the start before settling last three wide with no cover last start. Sonofdec charged home down the outside to fail by a head.
The 1890 metre TLE Electrical Cessnock Cup is a strong Benchmark 72 affair. The David Payne trained Highborn Harry and John Sargent’s 7-year-old Claim The Crown clashed in a Midway Benchmark 72 at Randwick on October 4. Both horses raced at the tail of the field 15 lengths from the leaders over the 1800 metre trip. Highborn Harry is a strong stayer, and he finished well into third place 3.3 lengths from the winner. He will be fitter third up and Louise Day has the mount. Claim The Crown should have finished closer when held up between 350 to 150 metres last start when half a length behind Highborn Harry at Randwick. Mitch Stapleford will claim 2 kilograms, and he was aboard when the Irish bred galloper was a close second at Warwick Farm three starts back.
The Archibald stable are sending a nice 3-year-old filly Straight Sets to Newcastle to contest the 900 metre Electra Cables Super Maiden Plate. She led to well in the straight in her only start at Canterbury on June 18 before tiring on a soft 6 track. Straight Sets has settled well in recent trials and has been good through the line. The filly was bred by Kia Ora Stud who share in the ownership with Edwina Throsby Racing and others. She will carry the Throsby family colours of former Group 1 stars Lovely Jubbly and Encosta De Largo.
Iron horse No Statement will have his third Newcastle start in 16 days when he steps out in the 900 metre Klein Tools Benchmark 64 Handicap. He is a short course specialist with 14 wins from 83 starts and he was a runner up in his seventeenth Newcastle start on October 7. No Statement is very quick and draws nicely with 3 kilogram claiming apprentice Madeline Owen in the saddle.
The ultra consistent Gunroom resumes for new trainers Mitch Beer and George Carpenter in the 1250 metre NHP Electrical Engineering Products Class 1 Handicap. A Canterbury winner lasts start in May when trained by Joe Pride the son of Snitzel trialled extremely well behind Highway Strip and Bandi’s Boy and Front Page at Goulburn recently.