Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Dodson will head south with his boom three-year-old Cool Storm to test the Toronado filly in better company at the Newcastle Jockey Clubs race meeting on Saturday.
The filly is very fast, and after an easy debut win at Coffs Harbour at her only start in an 810m maiden on December 29, she resumes in the Seed People Consulting Class 1 Handicap (900m). Cool Storm shared the lead to the turn at Coffs Harbour and she bounded away in the straight to win by more than four lengths. On June 24 the filly won a Doomben barrier trial by 1.5 lengths and she resumes with a tongue tie, and with Matthew Bennett aboard.
The Joe Pride trained Global Empire is a huge threat considering his form which includes a close second at Warwick Farm in December, and he won a Wyong maiden in August. Global Empire is well weighted with 55.5kg, the same weight as Cool Storm after the claim for apprentice Leeshelle Small.
The Paul Perry trained Flying Argyle, runner up in his only two starts both on this track deserves to break through in the Ocean and Lake All Trade Services 2yo Maiden Plate (900m). The stable has booked promising Scone apprentice Braith Nock to ride the colt and Flying Argyle will only carry 54kg. Both of the two-year-olds starts have been on heavy tracks and he has genuine speed.
Chris Waller’s Irish import Fakhra will be hard to beat first up in the Hunter Street Chambers Super Maiden Plate (1400m). With the rail out there will only be a field of ten and she will start from the outside barrier. Fakhra has only had four starts in Australia and has not raced since being a heavily backed favourite when a close second in a 2000m Hawkesbury maiden on March 9. She was placed on the Kensington track in January, and she was beaten two lengths by subsequent Group 2 winner Wymark at Newcastle in February. Fakhra races well on soft tracks and has had two recent trials.
Mark Minervini’s Star Impact is well placed in the Lucy & Lenny CF Warriors Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m). The mare finished fifth first up on the Kensington track on May 15 and she has raced well second up in the past. Star Impact has very good wet track form, and at Newcastle she has had two wins and two seconds from five starts. In her two runs before a spell the mare was beaten half a length at Rosehill and 1.5 lengths at Randwick. The NSW Jockeys Premiership leader Aaron Bullock has the mount.
Kris Lees has a strong hand in the CEG Sales & Service Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1400m) with three-year-olds Imposant and Rum Diary. Imposant draws perfectly in barrier two and the filly put the writing on the wall with a close second on a Heavy 10 Newcastle track first up on June 1. Last preparation she won a provincial maiden on the Beaumont track and was a close second in a Wyong Class 1. Andrew Gibbons has the mount, and he has been aboard in four of her five starts. Rum Daisy has a win and five placings from six starts and he led all the way to win easily on a heavy Taree track on June 9. Digger McLellan rode him at Taree, and he rides again.
Another Novocastrian which should run well is the Nathan Doyle trained Classic Poetry which had no luck at Scone last start.