The iconic TLE Jungle Juice Cup staged at Cessnock from 1981 until that track was sold to Racing NSW in 2019. The event is the feature race on an attractive eight race program at Newcastle on Saturday. This will be the fifth Jungle Juice Cup held at Newcastle and it is a conditional race with eligibility to horses that have had a minimum of four Australian starts of provincial or country starts in the past 12 months.
The Scone trained Russley Crown is the top weight with 61 kilograms, but he is the class galloper in the field, and he is attempting to win back-to-back Jungle Juice Cups. Jess Taylor rode the 6-year-old last year, and the four-time Group 1 winning jockey Christian Reith has the mount on Saturday. He has drawn wide but likes to lead when he runs over this 1350 metre trip, and the gelding led all the way to win the Jungle Juice Cup last year.
In the Autumn Russley Crown won the Country Championships Qualifier at Tamworth in March and he was beaten by a head in the Gunnedah Cup in May. He resumed from a spell with an eye catching close second in a strong Tamworth Spring Cup on September 30, with Reith in the saddle. He can handle good or soft rating tracks, and the Scott Singleton trained galloper is a winner second up.
Andrew Gibbons and Kris Lees combine with a promising pair of three-year-olds at the meeting. Aged Care, a Brutal gelding and a New Zealand bred filly Star Of Paris. Aged Care will line up in the 900 metre NHP Electrical Engineering Super Maiden Plate. The gelding carries the colours of Lees three-time Group 1 winner Le Romain and is part owned by the trainer’s wife Kristy. Aged Care debuted at Newcastle in April and was narrowly beaten into second place in a 900-metre maiden. In his only other start Aged Care contested the $200,000 Inglis Challenge on Scone Cup Day in May and he ran on strongly to finish fourth, 1.38 lengths from the winner. He has had two trials recently and in the most recent trial at Newcastle he was never off the bit hitting the line hard. From barrier two Aged Care should enjoy a lovely run on the rail behind the speed.
Star of Paris has been impressive in recent trials at Newcastle and Muswellbrook. The filly bolted in with a recent Muswellbrook trial on October 9th after running 2nd, beaten by a smart stablemate in a Newcastle trial. The filly draws perfectly in barrier two in the 1200 metre IPD Group Fillies & Mares Maiden Handicap.
Brad Widdup will take advantage of the apprentice Olivia Chambers 3 kilogram claim aboard top weight Akaka Falls in the 900 metre Cabac Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap. Clearly the class galloper in the race Akaka Falls was originally handicapped with 63.5 kilograms. He has won six races, three over 900 meters and two of his wins have been at Newcastle. His first up run on this track on September 21 was an eyecatcher when he stormed home for second place less than a length from the winner.
The value bet of the meeting is Ciaron Maher’s I Am Invincible colt Mougenot in the 1200 metre APS Industrial Maiden Handicap, he is on debut after being scratched from recent meetings.