Gary Harley
Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle stable celebrated the first day of the 2026-27 season on Saturday with a treble, two winners at Newcastle and one at Rosehill. Doyle trained 53 winners in the 2025-26 season in New South Wales, second only to Kris Lees as Newcastle’s most successful Novocastrian trainer in the last 12 months. It was the Master Builders Association Race Day at Newcastle Racecourse, and the Hunter Valley born trainers double included 4-year-old mare Lady Of The Castle in the 1200 metre NHS Midway Maiden Handicap and the promising Heroic Deed int eh 1200 metre Buildcert Provincial Class 1 Handicap.
Both horses were ridden by Jean Van Overmier. Lady Of The Castle was formerly trained by John O’Shae and Tom Charlton before joining the Doyle stable in Autumn. On Saturday the mare a $3.40 chance sat outside the speedy Sparkling Fire ($2.70) from soon after the start and the pair toughed it out down the straight with Lady Of The Castle prevailing by half a length. Heroic Deed, a lightly raced son of 2020 Golden Slipper winner Farnan, was having his first start since a narrow defeat on the Beaumont track in January. On Saturday the gelding was backed into $1.55 in the Buildcert Provincial Class 1 Handicap, and he justified the heavy backing with an effortless win despite a tough run three wide without cover before racing away in the straight to win by 3.75 lengths. At Rosehill Doyles smart 4-year-old Funshow raced by Kurrinda Bloodstock made it three wins on the trot when he led throughout to win a Benchmark 72 at the juicy odds of $13.
Newcastle based Aaron Bullock continued his great run of success when he piloted the Port Stephens owned Oakfield Utah to the easiest win of the Newcastle meeting in the final event the 1400 metre Master Builders Insurance Brokers Benchmark 64 Handicap. trained at Scone by Scott Singleton the gelding the gelding had won three of his previous five starts on country tracks and he was a solidly backed $2.25 on Saturday. Bullock settled the 4-year-old in fourth place, and he raced clear 200 metres from home to win by 3.16 lengths. The boy from Tumut via Singleton and now settled in Newcastle finished runner up in the NSW Jockeys Premiership in the 2025-26 season despite a two-month break from riding after suffering broken ribs at Taree in March. He rode 23 winners in the month of July.
The consistent Scone galloper Red Rag To Bulls was successful for the first time in more than 13 months when he vindicated his $1.60 starting price in winning the 1600 metre SB Glass & Glazing Benchmark 68 Handicap. The 6-year-old mare trained by Jeremy Gask was placed in a Randwick Highway in her previous start on July 11 and she was well placed with 53.5 kilograms after apprentice Mitch Stappleford claim. As is her normal racing pattern Red Rags To Bulls settled well back in the field and when she was steered into the clear in the straight the mare gathered in the leader to win by three quarters of a length.
The longest priced winner at Newcastle was the Wauchope trained grey Grey Effects which finished strongly from the tail of the field to win the 900-metre MBA Hunter Division Benchmark 64 Handicap. Well beaten in his only two recent starts Colt Prossiers gelding was a $41 chance on Saturday.