The Hawkes stables 4-year-old mare Madam Instrife has displayed above average potential in her only two starts to date and she has bright prospects of resuming from a spell a winner on Saturday at Newcastle Racecourse. The Russian Revolution mare has only had one recent barrier trial and Mitchell Bell has the mount in the 1250 metre Newsure Super Maiden. Madam Instrife debuted in a 3-year-old Canterbury super Maiden over 1250metres in June and she should have beat the favourite and eventual winner Summer Loving. She was taken back to last inside Summer Loving to the home turn and while the favourite was off and gone at the top of the straight Madam Instrife was badly held up. She powered home to only go down by .63 of a length.
Her only other start was two months later at Newcastle and again on a heavy track the mare settled at the tail of the field before flying home to go down by half a length. Madam Instrife’s recent trial win was at Randwick and after settling midfield she circled very wide near the home turn and powered to the line under a hold. The Hawkes team have obviously prepared Madam Instrife for a first up win, and she will relish the long straight.
Ciaron Maher’s four year old Dumebi can overcome an adverse barrier and win the 1250 metre Novatherm Boilers Benchmark 64 Handicap. Apprentice Anna Roper will claim 2 kilograms on the son of Lonhro which was only beaten a length first up at Kembla on November 5. There were excuses as he laid in and was on heels in the last 50 metres and he lost a plate during the race. Prior to a spell Dumebi bolted in with a Kembla Maiden in August and he was placed at Newcastle in July.
The opening event, the Hobson Engineering 2YO Maiden Handicap (900m) is an interesting affair with all but one of the seven runners unraced and James Cummings and Kris Lees both two youngsters each in the race. The Cummings juveniles are by Exceed And Excel and head to Newcastle after impressive trial performances. Both are fillies and trialled at Randwick on November 26. Parfumier was narrowly beaten in her trial however she went to the line unextended to fail by three quarters if a length. She was midfield with cover during the trial by cruised down the straight full of running.
Charka posted faster time winning her trial and again was not extended. She has trialled well at Hawkesbury on November 14. Mitchell Bell rides Parfumier and apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald claims 3 kilograms on Charka. Parfumier has the coveted rails while her stablemate is out in barrier 7.
Lees has Wollzeile and Wisnierska in the race with Wollzeile winning a Wyong trial on November 26.
Rubi’s Serve raced by a group including breeder Gerry Harvey and trained on the track by Mark Minervini is in career nest form and will be hard to beat in the 1400 metre The Friday Crew Class 1 Handicap. After finishing third to boom 3-year-old Private Harry first up over 900 metres at Newcastle on November 2 the mare came from near last in a big field when a solid fourth at Taree.
Last start at Newcastle on November 27 Rubi’s Serve ran down odds on favourite Star Of Paris. She has barrier one and Lee Magorrian replaces Ash Morgan who is riding on Saturday.
If Matthew Smith decides to back up Split Decision in the 900 metre all Metal Roofing Benchmark 64 Handicap the mare will be hard to beat. She went around at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and after a bump at the start Split Decision got a long way back and finished fifth of eight. On November 1 the 4-year-old came from well back to finish half a length third over 955 metres at Moonee Valley.
It’s the annual Westpac Rescue Helicopter Race Day on Saturday Sponsored by Hobson Engineering.