Newcastle trainer Sam Kavanagh has called on top jockey Jason Collett to end a frustrating run of minor placings for Lady Ichikawa when she contests the 1250 metre Red Funnel Food Distributors Maiden Plate at the Newcastle race meeting on Tuesday. The mare has been placed in her last five starts, the past three on this track in arguably better fields than Tuesday. Three starts back on this track Lady Ichikawa missed the start by four lengths and finished strongly to be beaten by 1.2 lengths. Two starts back the 5-year-old again on this track on August 15 held up in the straight when a closing third. Last start on September 3 the mare was held up near the turn before finding the front 150 metres out. She was run down near the line. The track is expected to be soft, and Lady Ichikawa has had three placings on rain affected tracks.
Collett will be aboard Ciaron Maher’s colt Force Red in the 900 metre The Advisors Collective Maiden Plate and the 3-year-old will be hard to beat. In his only race start when in the Snowden stable Force Red debuted in the Group 3 Randwick Breeders Plate (1000 metres) in September last year. He began quick, settled third on the fence and held his ground well in the run home beaten 1.2 lengths by the smart Espionage. The 3-year-old had two trials for the Maher stable and he has indicated he is set to win first up. In the last trial at Warwick Farm on September 13 he cruised to the line under James McDonald to just miss. He had plenty in reserve.
Firm Agreement from the Neasham-Archibald stable carries the same Triple Crown syndicators colours as Force Red and he steps out in the 1500 metre Rarity Wholesale Maiden Plate with Tom Sherry in the saddle. After a Randwick trial win on a heavy track on August 19 the 3-year-old debuted in a 1350 metre Newcastle Maiden on September 3 on a firm Good 3 track. He has speed and raced outside the leader when beaten 0.32 of a length into second place.
Local trainer Nathan Doyle has trained eleven winners in less than two months of the current season and his Kiwi bred mare Ace’s In Bloom is ready to win the 1250 metre Allied The Careful Movers Benchmark 64 Handicap. The mare came from midfield for a strong Newcastle win first up on August 3 over 1200 metres on a soft 7 track.
Last start at Scone the 4-year-old found the 1100 metre trip too short and after racing worse than midfield Ace’s In Bloom only got going late flashing home for third. Ash Morgan, last season’s NSW Jockeys Premiership winner is back from an overseas holiday and rides Aces’ In Bloom.
Mudgee trained Amicus Curiae is out to maintain his unbeaten Newcastle record when he benefits from Ben Osmond’s 2-kilogram allowance in the 1500 metres Williams Designer Homes Benchmark 68 Handicap. The 7-year-old has had two starts at Newcastle in July and August and has been very impressive in both wins. Six of his eight wins have been on soft tracks and he draws positively.
Michael Freedman’s Spanish Fox can continue on his winning way in the final event, the 1250 metre Dailey Family Funerals Benchmark 64 Handicap. The front runner has easily won his last two starts at Hawkesbury and 2 kilogram claimer Zac Wadick has the mount.