The Newcastle Jockey Club has an eight-race program set down for Tuesday on the back up from Saturday’s race meeting which attracted over 4000 racegoers through the turnstiles.
Chris Waller has accepted with five of his team with three of them well fancied in early TAB markets. The champion trainers 4-year-old Zoustar mare Writego is the $2.30 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds in the opening event the 900 metre The Prince Of Merewether Maiden Handicap. She had solid support when placed 1.5 lengths from the winner first up this preparation on a heavy 8 Canterbury track on July 9. Second up on August 6, again on a heavy 8 track at Canterbury the mare displayed brilliant speed to lead, only to finish at the tail of the field. Writego pulled up lame in the near foreleg and she goes into Tuesday’s race without a trial. The 900-metre trip is ideal, and she draws a perfect barrier with Adam Hyeronmus in the saddle.
The Waller stable saddles up the two favourites in the 1500 metre Newcastle & Hunter Racing Hall of Fame Maiden Plate. Golden Century ($2.20) will be ridden by Hyeronmus and Jason Collett rides Shanoni ($3.40). The Kiwi Bred Golden Century originally trained by Tony Pike is having his second start for Waller. Under Pikes care the gelding was placed in the Group 1 NZ Derby in March and was beaten 4 lengths in the Group 2 Tullock Stakes at Rosehill in April. Waller trialled him twice before his only start for the stable when beaten a length at Hawkesbury on August 12. The 4-year-old is well placed under the set weight conditions and he races well on rain affected tracks. Shanoni was only beaten a length when runner up on a heavy 8 track on August 8 and she will run well third up.
Tommy Berry is making the trip to ride the Michael Freedman trained Magenta Skies, the Tab $3.40 favourite in the 1250 metre Jennings Print Super Maiden. The 3-year-old Frankel filly is raced by her breeder John Camilleri and Berry only has the one mount at the meeting. She is on debut after a number of barrier trials, and it was her recent Randwick trial win on a heavy 8 track which caught the eye. Berry took her back to third last in the eight-horse trial and he steered her to the outside fence at the top of the straight and she sprinted quickly. Magenta Skies ran down the Waterhouse/Bott trained Zoufeild which bolted in at Newcastle on Saturday.
Kris Lees, 3-year-old Kiwi bred Via Flaminia narrowly beaten on debut on a heavy Newcastle track on August 9 can atone in the 1300 metre Jennings Print Provincial Maiden Plate. She raced in third place and was tough in a driving finish to go down by .38 of a length. Via Flaminia will benefit from the experience and Dylan Gibbons will be in the saddle.
Kim Waugh’s 3-year-old filly Balmain Darling was most impressive in winning on a heavy 10 Newcastle track on August 9 and she will be hard to beat in the 900 metre Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Benchmark 64 Handicap. The filly had impressed in trials leading up to her debut and she has the rails barrier.
The Newcastle & Hunter Racing Hall Of Fame luncheon will be held on course with eight inductees to be announced in between races. Greg Radley will host the function and Ray Thomas, a member of the judging panel, will be attending. Also, the renovated magnificent Robbert Thompson Jockeys Room will be officially opened.