Gary Harley
Former South African jockey Keagan Latham is on target to win his fifth Provincial Premiership after steering home three winners at the Mark Hughes Foundation Race Day at Newcastle Racecourse on Saturday. Latham based in Sydney has won four of the past five Provincial Jockeys Premierships and currently leads the 2025-26 Premiership with 55.5 wins, 6.5 wins ahead of the nearest rival Mitchell Bell who rode a double at Saturdays Newcastle meeting.
Latham was in favour with punters early in the day when he piloted home the well backed $2.30 favourite Aethelwulf to the easiest win of the meeting in the 1400 metre Palmieri Legal Chambers Maiden Plate. Narrowly beaten in a Goulburn Maiden in December the 3-year-old trained by Matthew Smith was having his second race start and after Latham settled him in third last position he travelled nicely. On entering the home straight Aethelwulf made his run on the outside of the field and he raced away to win by 5.17 lengths.
The South Africans second winner Celtic Sin was neglected by punters and was a $26 chance in the 1400 metre Ausure Insurance Filles and Mares Benchmark 64 Handicap. The Tom Charlton trained mare finished near the tail of the field at Scone first up on May 15. It was an impressive win as she started from barrier 11 and made a long run chasing a tearaway leader from mid race.
Local trainer Jason Deamers, 4-year-old Piccaderro won his fourth race this campaign when an easy winner of the 1600 metre Jag Data & Power Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap. Formerly trained by Ciaron Maher, Piccaderro’s three previous wins have been on country tracks. Latham settled the son of Pierro in third place and the horse moved up outside the two leaders approaching the home turn before sprinting clear in the closing stages. It was Deamer’s fifteenth winner in the current season.
Another Newcastle trainer celebrating a win on Saturday was Mark Minervini who trains Hidden Star easy winner of the 1200 metre Bella Group Services Class 1 Handicap. The lightly raced filly was an easy winner of a Newcastle Maiden on May 19 and from five starts she has won two with two placings. Rory Hutchings was in the saddle, and the talented Kiwi jockey rode her in fourth place to the top of the straight before the filly quickly gathered in the leaders and raced away to win by 1.63 lengths.
Legendary jockey of the 1970’s and 1980’s Ron Quinton and Australian Hall Of Famer and these days Randwick trainer sent 4-year-old mare Where’s My Halo to Newcastle and she scored a breakthrough win in the 1400 metre Omnia Wheel Filles and Mares Maiden Plate. Where’s My Halo was resuming after two Newcastle placings in October – November and Mitchell Bell allowed her to settle worse than midfield. It took the mare the length of the straight to snatch victory on the line. Quinton trains the winner for former great mate Neville Begg one of Sydney’s great trainers of the past and the pair combined with Australian Horse Of The Year Emancipation also in the Australian Hall Of Fame.
Canterbury Bulldogs halfback Lachie Galvin and his family share in the ownership of Exit Clause, winner of the 1200 metre Hart Accountants 2YO Maiden Handicap.