Gary Harley
The Newcastle Jockey Club will host a seven-race program on Thursday with the rail back in the true position on the course proper. Chris Wallers Snitzel filly Chatterley placed in five of seven starts is set to break through in the 1250 metre Davali Thoroughbreds Maiden Plate. The 3-year-old has to overcome a wide barrier however she normally drifts back, and Sydney Cup winning jockey Jason Collett has the mount.
Chatterley was runner up in a strong maiden in her only start at Newcastle in September and a month later was placed two lengths from the winner in the Group 3 Reg Allen at Randwick. First up this preparation at Wyong she was taken back to second last in a field of seven before unwinding from the turn to go down by a head. The winner of the Wyong race Tupakara has been placed in a number of Group 1 events.
Talented 2-year-old filly Mystical resumes from a spell in the opening event the 900 metre Dailey Family Funerals 2-Year-Old Maiden Plate. All but three of the seven acceptors are on debut and the Michael Freedman trained Mystical is well weighted with 55 kilograms under the set weight conditions. In her first two starts in feature races at Newcastle and Wyong in November and December the filly has flashed home to finish second behind quality two-year olds. Mystical finished 1.71 lengths behind Seeiaye in the Newcastle Max Lees Classic and 2.84 lengths behind Paradoxium in the Wyong Magic Millions.
Spelled after a failure in the $3 Million Gold Coast Magic Millions on January 17 the filly had a soft barrier trial on April 10 at Canterbury. Keagan Latham has the mount on Thursday.
Kerrin McEvoy, fresh from a winning treble at Randwick on Saturday, is riding at Newcastle and he has been booked to ride David Paynes 3-year-old Clanwilliam, one of the good chances in the 1400 metre Sharp Office Midway Maiden Handicap. The gelding has no early speed, however, is a strong finisher suited to the spacious Newcastle track. He has not raced since a fast finishing fourth over 1400 metres in a Rosehill Super Maiden and he starts first up without a barrier trial. Clanwilliam has drawn an inside barrier and nice and fresh he may run much closer.
Richard and Will Freedman’s 3-year-old Borjnord narrowly beaten on this track on debut on March 6 can overcome a wide barrier in the 1250-meter New Era Technology Class 1 Handicap. The gelding was impressive in winning an Albury Super Maiden on March 20 in his second race start. Jason Collett rode him in a quiet Warwick Farm trial on April 13 and he rides on Thursday.
The in-form Kris Lees stable will test its New Zealand bred filly Via Flaminia over a longer trip when she contests the 1850 metre New FM/2HD Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap. She has won two of her four starts on the Newcastle track, and the 3-year-old indicates she will appreciate more ground when running on strongly when beaten 2.5 lengths over the Newcastle Mile on April 11. Dylan Gibbons rode Via Flaminia in her first start win in August and he rides the filly for the second time on Thursday.