Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle who recently trained his 300th career winner has five of his team racing on his home track on Saturday and all five have genuine winning prospects. Saturday is arguably Doyles stables busiest race day since he moved to Newcastle in 2019 with runners at Newcastle, Randwick and Eagle Farm.
Doyle’s Newcastle contingent on Saturday include Bohemian Art, Divo, Just Response, Queen’s Rapsody and Rush Attack. Ben Looker makes the trip down from Port Macquarie to ride 3-year-old filly Bohemian Art in the 1400 metre Civil Sydney Fillies & Mares Maiden Plate. He rode her on debut at Newcastle on April 26 when she was beaten by a neck by Impressionism when backed from $4.40 into $2.60. Bohemian Art’s only other start was at Kembla on May 10 when the filly sat outside the leader and was beaten by ten lengths. Stewards reported that she bled from the left nostril and had poor recovery. She was required to gallop before stewards, before racing again and the filly has done that and was cleared to race.
Doyle has two of the good chances, Divo and Just Response in the 1200 metre Impact Building Midway 2YO Maiden Handicap. Both are on debut with the speedy Divo winning two trials at Scone and Wyong in April. Just Response is unbeaten in two trials on the Beaumont track in the last month. Andrew Gibbons has the mount on Divo and 2-kilogram claimer Mollie Fitzgerald rides Just Response.
The ultra consistent Queens Rapsody has her second start for the Doyle stable in the 1250 metre Bella Group Services Class 1 Handicap. The filly came to the Newcastle stable after being runner up in all four starts on Metro tracks for David Pfeiffer and she was backed into $1.50 when an easy winner for Doyle at Hawkesbury on May 15.
Rush Attack contests the 1600 metre Branch Management Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap with Mollie Fitzgerald’s claim reducing his impost to 59 kilograms. He hasn’t raced for two months but has good wet track form and races well at Newcastle. Rush Attack trialled nicely in the Beaumont track during the week.
Bjorn Baker is sending Extrio, an Extreme Choice 2-year-old filly to contest the 900 metre Junction Hotel Super Maiden Plate. She is on debut after trial wins on wet tracks at Rosehill and Warwick Farm. Extrio has drawn barrier two and apprentice Olivia Chambers will claim 2 kilograms.
The Archibald stable has booked Aaron Bullock to ride their The Autumn Sun filly Autumn Dream which resumes from a spell in the 1400 metre Ausure Insurance Fillies & Mares Benchmark 64 Handicap. She won a Warwick Farm Super Maiden on debut a week before Christmas on a soft 5 track. Her two subsequent starts in January, over 1600 metres on firm tracks, the filly made good ground late. Autumn Dream has had two recent trials and the ‘1400’ first up is ideal and she raced well in her only Newcastle appearance.
Michael Freedman’s Zoustar colt Aristocrat can break through in his third race start in the 1400 metre Hunter Signs Maiden Plate. In the colt’s only two starts at Warwick Farm and Randwick in May he has gone back to near last. He made good ground on the soft 6 at Warwick Farm but only grinded on the heavy 9 at Randwick. Keagan Lathan has the mount.
Saturday’s meeting is the Annual Mark Hughes Foundation Race Day. The very popular race day will be raising funds for Brain Cancer research. Buy a beanie on the day to support the foundation.