Gary Harley
The Newcastle Jockey Club on the back up from a very successful Pink Race Day on Saturday supporting Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation, have a strong eight race programmed on Tuesday with the Chris Waller stable sending nine of their team to the meeting.
Following a winning double for the Waller stable at Newcastle on Saturday the champion trainer will be represented by three early favourites – Enviable ($1.40), Sphere ($2.15) and Wootton Way ($3.30). Zac Lloyd back from a successful stint at Royal Ascot and South Africa pilots Enviable in the 1400-meter NZB Maiden Plate. The Frankel filly is very well placed after three placings in six career starts, all on metro tracks in 2025. Her last race start was in October when beaten a length into second place in a Group 2 at Moonee Valley. The 3-year-old has had two recent soft trials at Randwick and Rosehill and she draws nicely.
Siena Grima, who leads the Metropolitan Apprentice Premiership, will ride Wallers Artgirl in the 1400 metre Dailey Family Funerals Maiden Plate and the filly is well weighted after Grima’s 2-kilogram claim. The 3-year-old has been placed in seven of ten starts and she had her first Newcastle start on a heavy track when a gallant half a length second behind Agraff Rocket on June 27. Artgirl was $3.10 second favourite when TAB framed the markets on Sunday.
Sam Clipperton has the mount on the Godolphin bred and owned Sphere in the 1250 metre New FM/2HD Fillies and Mares Maiden Plate. The filly has been placed in five of six starts mostly at Metropolitan midweek meetings. Last start on March 11 the 3-year-old led the field when beaten 1.8 lengths into third place. Sphere has only had one recent trial when she came from 15 lengths off the lead to make good ground under little pressure. Grima will be aboard Wootton Way when the filly lines up in the 1400 metre The Prince Of Merewether Benchmark 64 Handicap. She was only beaten 2 lengths at Warwick Farm last start on June 24.
Richard Litt and Zac Lloyd combine with a couple of well fancied 3-year-olds at the meeting. Tellurium a son of boom sire Extreme Choice was originally in the Waterhouse/Bott stable after selling for $475,000 at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling sale, after a couple of trials he was sold without a race start for $11,000 to Litt Racing and he has raced twice in June for the Litt Stable. Tellurium caught the eye in his second start at Warwick Farm on June 24 when he settled last in a field of 12, 15 lengths from the lead before storming home to miss a place. He contests the 1250 metre A-Plus Contracting Maiden Plate on Tuesday, and she will appreciate the step up in distance.
Litt and Lloyd combine with last start Goulburn winner Nuns Chorus in the 1250 metre Sharp Office Midway Class 1 Handicap. on the rain affected track at Goulburn oon July 3 the filly was a clear last to leave the barriers before storming home down the outside fence to win by 165 lengths. The step up in distance is a positive and she will relish the long straight.
Kiwi bred Elle Hudson trained by Joe Pride has bright prospects in the 2200 metre Davali Thoroughbreds Benchmark 64 Handicap. The gelding came from 15 lengths off the lead when beaten 2.81 lengths into fourth place in a 1800 metre Benchmark 78 on a soft track last start at Rosehill on June 27. Three starts back at Warwick Farm he was runner up three quarters of a length from the winner. He has been placed in his only two starts over the 2200 metre trip and the grey gelding should race closer from his rail’s barrier.
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