Paul Snowden, based at Port Macquarie these days, heads to the Newcastle Jockey Club race meeting on Monday with a very promising 3-year-old filly called Lunaite, a 4.15 length Newcastle winner on a heavy 10 track on May 3. The Deep Field filly will contest the 1250 metre Aaron Walter Century 21 Edgeworth F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap with Mitchell Bell in the saddle. Formally trained by Chris Waller who produced her on debut when she failed on the Kensington track in March 2024. Lunaite resumed from a 13-month spell when runner up behind Godolphin’s Night Sky at Wyong on a soft 7 track on April 17.
She was Snowden’s first starter since moving to the Mid North Coast and he then bought her to Newcastle on May 3 for her first start. The filly raced in second place to the top of the straight and when Bell gave her rein Lunaite exploded away to win by 4.25 lengths. She relished the heavy going and she is an on pacer and should overcome the wide barrier.
Kris Lees’ brilliant speedster Hawker Hall won’t have any problems with a heavy track when he starts from the extreme outside barrier in the 900 metre Coastal Advise Group Benchmark 64 Handicap. It will be his third race start after being an odds-on favourite in both starts to date. The stable has always had a wrap on the 3-year-old, and he was $1.90 on debut at Hawkesbury on October 24. He flew out of the barriers led clearly halfway down the straight but shifted in badly and finished third. The gelding won a trial by more than five lengths at Newcastle on April 2 and three weeks later was $1.26 when blitzed a Newcastle Maiden field by 3.5 lengths. Lees has kept Hawker Hall up to the mark with 4.5 lengths barrier trial win on the Beaumont track. Stable jockey Andrew Gibbons has the mount.
Ciaron Maher’s stayer Tommy Thug has solid wet track form, and the Irish bred gelding has a good chance in the 2230 metre Darren Farrelly Memorial (HMF Cup) and Maiden Plate. He has been placed in three of four starts at Newcastle and five of nine starts on wet tracks. His only failure at Newcastle on April 23 was when he pulled up with cardiac arrythmia. Keagan Latham has the mount from barrier one.
Retired Group 1-star Anamoe’s half-sister Blue Willow is knocking on the door and the step up the 1400 metres in the Damar Minyak DF Super 3YO & Up Maiden Plate is ideal. The 3-year-olds only two starts have been at Newcastle, and she has ran on strongly into the placings both starts over shorter trips. Blue Willow bumped into the smart Lunaite last start at Newcastle and although well beaten into second place she was looking for more ground. Grant Buckley rides the blue blood with her dam also a Group 1 winner.
Richard Litt will send his 2-year-old colt Tyrone’s Power to Newcastle for the 900 metre Clickk Midway 2YO Maiden Plate and he will be hard to beat. In his second race start on a soft 6 track over 1600 metres at Warwick Farm on May 7, he sat outside the leader before leading at the top of the straight. The colt tired late but finished third 1.69 lengths from the winner. Tyrone’s Power draws well and Aaron Bullock will be in the saddle.
While racing was postponed on Saturday after nearly 300mm of rain had fallen on the track over the last week, the annual Hunter Melanoma Foundation Race Day Event still went ahead on Saturday supported by Farrelly Constructions.