Two maiden gallopers were the stars of the Newcastle Jockey Clubs eight race program on Saturday. The pair, Apollo Prince and Got Your Six trained respectively by Kris Lees and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, both led all the way for easy wins.
Apollo Price is a Kiwi bred three-year-old raced by Queensland’s Wanless family. He was a massive tip in the Central Leagues Club Maiden (1200m) in which he was backed from $2 to $1.45.
Darryl McLellan took Apollo Prince to the front from the outset and he cruised up front. Eased down in the closing stages he won by two lengths.
Got Your Six is a daughter of champion sire Snitzel, was tagged as one of Sydney’s best maiden gallopers after three consecutive seconds behind potential group winners in the city. The filly had been runner up behind Trope, Classique Legend and Fasika and the latter pair were successful at Randwick on Saturday.
She was an odds on favourite in the Ryan Ansell Investment Solutions Maiden (900m).
Lee Magorrian utilized Got Your Six speed and she led throughout untouched to win by 2 ¾ lengths.
Jenny Graham, one of country racings best credentialled trainers sent the luckless Je Suis Tycoon to Newcastle to win in the Brian Sheeley Memorial Class 2 (1400m). The Port Macquarie mare had been runner up in her past four starts and she had been the bridesmaid in seven of her twenty-two starts.
Graham’s talented niece Cejay Graham was booked to ride Je Suis Tycoon and with her claim the mare only carried 52 ½ kilograms.
The four-year-old was near the rear of the field on the home turn, however she stormed home.
Racegoers on course and those watching on Sky believed Time Raid had held on to win however the photo revealed otherwise with Je Suis Tycoon the winner by a nose.
Another country trainer to taste success at the meeting was Coffs Harbour’s Mick O’Neill. The latter trains eight-year-old gelding Gunnaza winner of the Smartview Building Benchmark 64 (900m).
Gunnaza had been placed in his only two previous starts at Newcastle and Jon Grisedale put him on the speed from his wide barrier.
Gunnaza fought hard down the straight and he was too tough to win narrowly.
Grisedale and his wife Donna have recently moved from the South Coast to the North Coast.
It was the Ryan Ansell sponsored race day and he hosted co-sponsors in the Pavilion for the ninth year.