Gary Harley – Racing Wrap – Saturday Ladies Day 19.09.26
The Newcastle Jockey Clubs two-day carnival wound up on Saturday with Ladies Day attracting a seven-race program conducted under blue skies on a perfect track. The J&H Commercial Ladies Day Cup was won by $3.80 second favourite Oakfield Utah ridden by the very successful Hunter Valley jockey Mikayla Weir. The four-year-old gelding is trained at Scone by Scott Singleton who moved from Hawkesbury to Scone many years ago.
Oakfield Utah was bred by his owner Bruce Mackenzie, a former Mayor of Port Stephens who has invested successfully in the racing industry in recent years. In recent months Mackenzie who also has Kris Lees and Damian Lane training his gallopers, teamed up with Singleton and the partnership has a great strike rate. Oakfield Utah’s win in the Ladies Day Cup was gutsy as he carried top weight of 61 kgs.
Weir formally from the South Coast moved when an apprentice to the Hunter many years back has established herself as one of the region’s most successful jockeys. She settled Oakfield Utah in midfield on Saturday where he had a lovely trail until Weir made a move approaching the home turn. The gelding had a tough battle down the home straight with runner up Miles Of Glory before his head victory. The 4-year-old has won five of his eight starts for prize money of $99,300 and he is unbeaten in two Newcastle starts. The Newcastle win was Weirs 17th in the first seven weeks of the 2026/27 season and it was Singleton’s 12th win of the season placing him in 10th place in the NSW Trainers Premierships while Weir is 6th in this season’s NSW Jockeys Premierships.
Last season Weir rode 90.5 winners while Singleton trained 56.5 winners. Singleton was the most successful trainer on Ladies Day as his stayer Spenzalot won the 2300 metre Gateshead Traffic Solutions Benchmark 64 Handicap. Dubbo apprentice Izzy Neal rode Spenzalot and her 3 kg allowance was vital as the winner toughed it out to beat another Scone galloper Joika to win by three quarters of a length. Spenzalot has won five of twenty-two starts with six placings for prize money of $140,550.
Newcastle – Hunter Hall Of Famer Paul Perrys success with long priced winners continued on Saturday when $17 chance Puerto Banus with Jess Taylor in the saddle stormed home to win the final event the 1250 metre NZB & Insight Building Benchmark 64 Handicap by a nose. It was a gem of a ride by the Central Coast based Taylor who secured a three wide trail on Puerto Banus worse than midfield before steering the 5-year-old to the outside of the field on the home turn. He unwound to reach the lead on the winning post. Puerto Banus loves racing at home where he has had six starts for three wins and two seconds. On August 13 the gelding started at $61 when successful at Newcastle.
The Scone bred Arrowfield Group successful with last seasons Australian Horse Of the Year Autum Glow at Randwick also tasted success at Newcastle with lightly raced Party Reble ridden by Aaron Bullock in the 1250 metre Pro Torque Fillies & Mares Maiden Plate.