Gary Harley – Herald – 21.09.24

The second day of the Newcastle Jockey Clubs Spring Carnival on Saturday is Ladies Day and is always an exciting day of racing while enjoying glamorous fashion, exquisite dining and entertainment. On the track the Richard and Will Freedman stable will produce the speedy Zoustar filly Zoubaby first up from a spell in the 900-meter Dailey Family Funerals/Minervini Racing Midway Maiden Plate. The 3-year-old drops sharply in class from her first campaign in the autumn. Zoubaby was never on the track when beaten 2.5 lengths by the talented Clean Energy at Warwick Farm in May. She filly was not disgraced when she finished fourth after leading in the straight in the Listed Woodlands at the Scone Cup Carnival in May.  She won a recent Rosehill trial held on a good 4 track and the inform Andrew Adkins has the mount on Saturday.

Last season New South Wales Jockeys Premiership winner Ashley Morgan is back in Newcastle following an overseas holiday and he rides inform Rush Attack in the 1600-meter Hall & Wilcox Law Benchmark 64 Handicap. Rush Attack has had three starts for local trainer Nathan Doyle for an easy win at Kempsey on July 30 before two runner up performances at Newcastle and Wyong. At Newcastle he came from midfield in the straight to go down by a neck on August 15 over the ‘mile’ and he backed up with an unlucky defeat by a head in Wyong Cup. Day. At Wyong he travelled midfield until being forced way off the track when making a run near the turn was nailed on the line by Kervette.

The ultra consistent Marais placed in all five starts can break through in the 1250metre Insight Building Services Super Maiden Plate. The 3-year-old was run down late by the very smart Harlem Queen in his only Newcastle start on September 3. His other placings have been at Gosford (2), Wyong and Hawkesbury. His trainer Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou are part owners of the Capitalist gelding which will be ridden by Sam Clipperton.

Chris Waller has accepted with three of his team in the 1250-meter Novocastrian Electrical Maiden plate with his 4-year-old mare Writty the top weight. Writty has only raced once at Kembla in December when she set a cracking pace clear of the field only to be run down on the line.  The time for the 1200metres was a quick 1-9.96. She has had two recent trails at Rosehill and was never off the bit when narrowly beaten by Zoubaby on September 5. Rory Hutchings rides the mare on Saturday.

Paul Perry has booked gun apprentice Braith Nock to ride his stayer Olympic Gaze in the opening event the 2300-meter J&H Commercial Benchmark 64 Handicap. The 7-year-old with more than $400,000 in the bank has been out of form in much better class recently but this is a huge drop in class. Three of his six wins have been at Newcastle, and he has won three on Good 4 tracks. After Nocks 3 Kilogram claim Olympic Gaze will carry 58 kilograms.

The track will be a good 4 with the rail out 3 meters from the 800-400 meters.