Victorian mare Poppin’ Champagne’s last to first victory in the final event the Cabac Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m) was the highlight of the Newcastle Jockey Club’s race meeting on Saturday. The successful Cranbourne based stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr) prepared the lightly raced recently turned 4 year old who is currently stabled in Sydney. Poppin’ Champagne had not raced since a third placing in the listed Morphettville Guineas in March however she impressed in a recent Rosehill trial when she was never off the bit.
Last season’s NSW Jockeys Premiership winner Ash Morgan had the mount on the mare on Saturday and the stable informed Racing NSW Stewards it wanted the mare ridden conservatively from the wide barrier. Morgan dragged Poppin’ Champagne back to a clear last when the barriers opened. Still at the tail of the field near the home turn Morgan steered her towards the outside of the track on straightening and she unwound with a strong finish to win by 1.74 lengths running away.
Scone apprentice Braith Nock rode 89 winners last season and on Saturday three days into the current season took the riding honours at Newcastle with a double. Nock has a 3 kilogram claim on provincial tracks and former Hunter Valley trainer Mark Griffith, now training on Mudgee’s famous Gooree Stud, booked the youngster to ride top weight Amicus Curiae in the 1600 metre Prysmian Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap. He settled the 7 year old midfield and he started to make ground 600 metres out. The gelding wore the opposition down to win by 0.67 of a length. It was the winners eighth win and he is undefeated in two Newcastle starts.
Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle quinellaed the 1200 metre CNW Jockeys Celebration Day Midway 4YO&UP Maiden Handicap and Nock was aboard the winner Ace’s In Bloom which beat stablemate Classic Poetry by a neck. The winner settled three pairs back and Nock brought the mare to the outside of the field and she ran her stablemate down. It was Ace’s In Bloom’s first win in three starts.
Wyong trained Fioprospero ended a frustrating run of placings on the Newcastle track when he powered home from the tail of the field to win the 1895 metre B&R Class 1 & Maiden Plate. The 4 year old son of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente had been placed in his previous three Newcastle starts. He has no speed and comes from the tail of the field in most of his races. Again the 4 year old was near last to the home turn but he proved to be the superior stayer and won by 0.79 of a length running away. The winner was bred by former Newcastle Jockey Clubs CEO Maurice Sinclair who shares in the ownership with Maitland businessman Paul Till and others. Kristen Buchanan trains the promising stayer at Wyong.
The Waterhouse – Bott trained colt Trunk ran up to his two previous runs this preparation when he led all the way to win the Clevertronics Super Maiden Plate (1400m). The blueblood raced by Yu Long Investments one of the biggest players in Australian racing was placed at Warwick Farm and Canterbury in July. It was another Newcastle winner for jockey Jean Van Overmeire who rode 104 NSW winners last season.