Gary Harley
Newcastle’s premier trainer Kris Lees winning treble at the Newcastle Jockey Clubs race meeting on Monday took his current season tally to 83 winners in two states with a week short of four months remaining in the 2025-26 season. Lees stands in tenth place in the Australian Trainers Premiership.
The Wine Country meeting on the Beaumont track attracted a moderate crowd however there was jubilation and cheers when the aptly named NEWY was an easy winner of the opening event the 1150 metre Highlander Central Coast 18-19 April Maiden Plate. Newy is raced by the My Racehorse syndicate and has a huge number of owners including the Newcastle Jockey Club staff, NJC Members, trainer Kris Lees, his mother Vicki and the 3-year old’s breeder David Baxter. Newy was luckless in his previous four starts but Lees had him ready to win first up on Monday. The gelding relished the soft track, leading all the way to beat odds on favourite Tuscany by 1.68 lengths. Lees was obviously elated to land Newy a win for the large group of owners. “It was a nice positive ride for Tom Sherry and the horse had a lovely run in transit” Lees said.
Lees quenelled the second race the 1150 metre Davali Thoroughbreds Fillies & Mares Maiden Plate with Kiwi bred filly Chisato and Barrow Power. Chisato the $2.60 favourite with Sherry in the saddle led all the way to hold off Barrow Power by .61 of a length. “Another nice cool ride from Tom and I was happy with the second horse as he raced a bit green. Both have upside”. Lees said after the race.
The Newcastle trainer has a big opinion of his third winner Night Agent an outstanding 10 length winner of the 1350 metre TAB Benchmark 58 Handicap. The 3-year-old part owned by Lees’ wife Kristy and close friend Edward Throsby was predicted prior to the race to be a class above his opposition. Night Agent went to the barrier as the $1.30 favourite and with Sherry again the pilot it was a demolition job. “He is a nice horse and the pace suited him. We threw him in the deep end and in the $1Million race at Flemington last start and although he appeared lost down the straight his run was okay. It was a sharp drop in class today” Lees said.
Hollywood movie star Matt Damon is a part owner of his first Newcastle winner when ATC Derby aspirant Are You Kidding was an easy winner as expected in the 2100 metre The Adviser Collective Benchmark 58 Handicap. The $1.55 favourite raced by John Messara, Damon his wife Lucy and others is a lightly raced 3-year-old with two wins and three placings from five starts. He raced clear in the straight to win by more than two lengths. Damon’s only previous Newcastle runner was Are You Joking which was unplaced in May 2024. Trainer Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich train Are You Kidding and the partnership completed a double for the day when promising 3 year old colt Autumn King bolted in with the 1200 metre New Era Technology Class 1 Handicap. Messara told yours truly when contacted following the race that Autumn King was his favourite horse in the stable.
photo credit: Bradley Photography