John O’Shea is enjoying a very successful season having trained 61 winners in New South Wales and will send three winning prospects to Newcastle’s ‘Hall of Fame’ meeting on Tuesday. The trio include Comme Bella Fille ($4.60 FAV TAB) and Scream and Shout ($4 TAB.)
The New Zealand bred three-year-old filly Comme Bella Fille will run in the Hall of Fame Inductees Class 1 Handicap (1600m). She had three starts in New Zealand which included a win and a third before joining the O’Shea stables. After two Randwick trials in April, she had her first Australian start at Wyong on April 29. She was slow away and travelled in the second half of the field before running on nicely over the 1350m. Comme Bella Fille will appreciate the 1600m, the spacious track and Rachel King has the mount again.
Promising two-year-old Carartie will contest the Jennings Print Group 2yo Maiden Handicap (1400m). Her first-up second at Gosford, where she flew home from last on March 2,7 was an eye-catcher. She again came from well back when placed at Kembla second up. Carartie was only beaten 2 ½ lengths in “The Clarendon” in a much stronger race than this at the Hawkesbury standalone meeting last start.
Scream and Shout must overcome an awkward barrier in the Newcastle Flower Studio Class 1 Handicap (1250m). He bolted in first-up at Goulburn after coming from near last on April 27. The 3yo had finished close-up in his only other run during the spring.
Chris Waller will saddle up the shortest priced favourite of the meeting in the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Maiden Plate (1250m). Sur La Mer ($1.60 TAB) is a two-year-old filly who was runner-up in her only two starts at Newcastle and Warwick Farm. She was a ‘good thing’ beaten on debut at Newcastle on April 10 after being badly held up on the rail in the closing stages. Sur La Mer was a creditable second at Warwick Farm last start.
Waller has three runners in the The Price of Merewether Maiden Plate (1600m), however the Irish import Wicklow, in his first Australian start, is the $3.60 favourite. The 3yo has had two Rosehill trials recently and he has worked home nicely from the back in both. He came second in both of his UK starts over 1600m. He will love the big track and Brendan Avdulla rides. The champion trainer’s Volterra (race 2) and Leave Me Be (race 4) both have each-way chances.
Newcastle Hall of Famer Kris Lees only has two runners at the meeting. Sian ($2.40 FAV) in race 1 and Loolwah ($16) in race 5. Sian is knocking on the door and Loolwah was disappointing last start but is capable of better.