Gary Harley
The Newcastle Jockey Clubs Annual Pink Race Day on Saturday proudly supporting the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation has attracted an above average acceptance of 124 meaning it’s a nine-race program. Legendary Newcastle trainer Paul Perry has engaged Donovan Dillan to ride the stables in form mare Cozy Corner which is well placed in the 1400 metre Toronto Workers Club Benchmark 68 Handicap. The 5-year-old has won five races, three on rain effected tracks and she has drawn positively in barrier 3. Last start on a soft 6 at Rosehill track on June 27, Cozy Corner contested a Benchmark 72 Midway and finished a close fourth, less than a length from the winner. Two starts back at Newcastle on June 13 she raced down the talented Oakfield Neptune to win on a soft 6 track. The mare was beaten half a length on a soft 7 Newcastle track in her third and only start this preparation on May 19.
Chris Waller has accepted with four of his gallopers in the 1200 metre Club Macquarie 2-year-old Maiden Handicap and the Wooton Bassett colt Letters Patent appear the best of the quartet judging on his debut placing in a classy field on a Soft 5 at Warwick Farm track on June 24. He is bred and is raced by Godolphin and on debut the colt began well but was forced to race three wide with no cover until the 600 metres.
Letters Patent held on okay to finish 1.42 lengths behind stablemate Omolong an $850,000 sales topper race by Yulong. Waller told Sky Racing following the race that Omolong would be aimed towards the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington in November. Jeff Penza has the mount on Lettres Patent on Saturday.
Last start Newcastle winner on a Heavy 8 track on June 27 The Way Ahead will be hard to beat in the 900-metre MEX Club Benchmark 64 Handicap with Mitchell Bell in the saddle. The Matthew Smith trained mare was friendless in betting last start and after Bell settled her in mid field the 4-year-old raced away in the straight to win by 3.94 lengths. The Way Ahead has had a win and two placings from five starts at Newcastle.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will send a lightly raced three-year-old son of Frankel to Newcastle where he steps up to 1850 metres in the Club Charlestown Maiden Plate. Audaciously Frank raced twice and had the most recent at Kembla over 1600 metres the gelding caught the eye after a slow start and held up at the tail of the field he flashed home to miss by a nose on a soft 5 track. He is crying out for this longer trip and Lee Magorian has the mount.
Ciaron Mahers Misty Veil placed in three of five starts is well placed to win her first race in the 900 metre The Wests Group Super Maiden Plate. A strong finishing third on debut on a Heavy 8 Newcastle track in June 2025 the filly was subsequently placed at Wyong and Warwick Farm. First up she failed at Newcastle on June 6 however, the filly had no luck and was found to have cardiac arrythmia.
The Newcastle Jockey Club back up again with another race meeting on the course proper on Tuesday.