“Galentines” racing in Newcastle, promising a bumper autumn season

Hunter autumn racing had its soft launch in Newcastle on Saturday as ‘Galentines’ crowds made for the trackside fields at Broadmeadow on a balmy Saturday afternoon for one of the first meetings of the new year and after a bumper spring season.

Racecourse boss Duane Dowell said crowds after the New Year are typically a smaller affair, but the weekend’s eight-race card, which managed to dodge a possible shower in the forecast, drew a strong showing to see the early contenders for the season.

Two-year-old colt Frostfire won the first race, paying $6, in a run Mr Dowell said shaped the Michael Freedman-trained runner as one to watch as the season progresses.

The performance on Saturday was the colt’s most significant win of his career in the $42,000 Maiden Handicap.

“It’s an interesting time of year for us from a racing point of view,” Mr Dowell said. “There are a lot of horses at this time of the year that can go through their grades very quickly and become quite prominent in the autumn in Sydney.”

“There’s a lot of horses early in their careers that can really make the jump up very quickly.”

The quieter meeting at the weekend preceded a bumper March calendar, with more than 5000 spectators expected for the annual Provincial Championships, which aligns with the university 0-week and rivals The Hunter meeting for crowds, Mr Dowell said.

“We have these couple of quiet ones leading into because it escalates pretty quickly,” he said. “We had a very hectic spring, but the team had a good break over the New Year and we have had a couple of quiet days to get ready for a bumper March.”

The mercury crept ever higher on Saturday under a partly cloudy sky but lingered just shy of the 30-degree marker with a chance of a shower in the evening as the wind died off in the afternoon.

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Monday, February 17 2025