Gary Harley – Wrap – 17.02.24

The Paul Perry stable, enjoying a successful season dealt corporate bookmakers a blow on Saturday when Nosey Parker landed a hefty plunge in the final event at the Newcastle Racecourse. The four-year-old son of Perry’s former famous sprinter Choisir was backed from $4 into $2.80 late in betting in the Master Builders Association Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1200m).

Given a perfect ride by Andrew Adkins, Nosey Parker unwound from back in the field halfway down the straight to win by 2.6 lengths running away. The gelding is a Newcastle track specialist with a record of four wins and two placings from seven starts on his home track. He relished the soft track winning his fourth race on rain affected ground. It capped off a successful 24 hours for the Newcastle stable with $18 chance Totoka winning at Canterbury on Friday night.

Nosey Parker’s win rounded off a successful day for local trainers with Nathan Doyle and Jason Deamer also saddling up winners. Doyle’s filly Nightcapped, part owned by Sydney race caller Darren Flindell, relished a longer trip when she won the Group Training Apprentices Midway Maiden Handicap (1200m). The well backed $2.90 favourite had a lovely run behind the leaders and was able to run down stablemate Ace’s In Bloom to win by half a length. The filly has had four starts for a win and two placings at Newcastle.

Jason Deamer’s American bred six-year-old Jack Duggan was the other winner on the home track in the Group Training Apprentices Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1890m). The gelding had been unplaced in all three previous Newcastle starts however he had been racing well with a Gosford win on New Year’s Eve and a Canterbury placing on January 19. Ridden on Saturday by Ash Morgan, Jack Duggan settled back in the field, and it took him the length of the straight to put his head in front.

The talented Wymark, desperately unlucky two weeks earlier at Newcastle atoned with victory in the Master Builders Insurance Brokers Super Maiden Handicap (1600m). The three-year-old was held up in the straight two weeks back when narrowly beaten but young apprentice Zac Wadick in his first ride on Wymark made certain there were no excuses on Saturday. He sent Wymark forward to sit outside the leader from the start and he always looked the winner.

The Chris Waller trained Kiwi bred Ahuriri is set for a successful career over the longer distances after an outstanding win in the Master Builders Association Maiden Plate (1890m). The filly, part-owned by the trainer was stepping up to a middle distance for the first time. She sprinted quickly from midfield in the straight to win by more than 3 lengths. Ahuriri was second up from a spell, and she had shown promise last preparation with placings at Sandown and Newcastle. The filly put the writing on the wall first up at Newcastle with a storming finish over 1500 metres.

Scone speedster Outishka may head to town for a 1000m Highway after a brilliant win in the NHS Benchmark 64 Handicap (900m). The mare trained by Scott Singleton has blistering speed and she quickly led before sprinting three or four lengths clear at the top of the straight. Outishka went past the winning post three lengths clear of the field. From seven starts the four-year-old has three wins and three placings.