Gary Harley – Wrap – 09.12.24
The annual Westpac Rescue Helicopter race day was held at the Newcastle Racecourse on Saturday, and it was a special day for the Newcastle based Brazilian jockey Jose Severo who rode his first winner at the track.
Severo a premiership winning jockey and Group 1 winning jockey in Brazil joined the Kris Lees stable earlier this year and prior to Saturday had ten rides all for Lees. Last month he piloted Like Lukey to win at Scone and Muswellbrook for his boss but on Saturday it was the first meeting he had two mounts for other Newcastle stables.
While trainer Nathan Doyle bookended the Rosehill meeting with unbeaten 3-year-old Private Harry and Midnight Opal, Doyles partner Mel Gissing was saddling up Severos mount the promising 3-year-old filly Churchills Choice in the 1400 metre The Friday Crew Class 1 Handicap. The filly had won on debut at Scone in her only other start on November 19. Backed from $4 into $2.70 favourite, Churchills Choice was slowly away and had a tough run three wide with no cover. The Brazilian shook her up at the top of the straight and despite racing greenly for a short time the filly knuckled down to run down Rubis Serve in the shadows of the post. After Saturday’s meeting Doyle has trained 24 winners this season in New South Wales, second amongst the Newcastle trainers behind Kriss Lees who has trained 37 winners in this state.
Lees and longtime stable jockey Andrew Gibbons combined to win the first two events at Newcastle. The stables filly Wisnierska was friendless with punters in the opening event the 900-meter Hobson Engineering 2YO Maiden Handicap. The $12 chance shared the lead from soon after the start and under hard riding down the straight was strong to the line finishing .64 of a length. The previously unraced filly is part owned by Lees wife Kristy.
Another unraced filly Road To Paradise raced by Queenslander Judy Wanless made a winning debut for Lees and Gibbons in the 1500 metre Kari’s Luck Maiden Plate. The 3-year-old daughter of former racetrack star The Autumn Sun and eight times winner Cavaloce had two soft trials leading up to the race. It was a gun ride by Gibbons as the filly had a lovely trail in fourth place and really knuckled down in the last 100 metres to finish strong.
Taree trained mare Yukan Rose remains unbeaten since joining trainer Glen Milligan’s stable following her easy win in the 900 metre All Metal Roofing Benchmark 64 Handicap. Milligan’s 3 kilogram claiming apprentice Teighan Worsnop let the mare rip from when the barriers opened and she ran the opposition off her legs to win by 2.34 lengths. Yukan Rose’ other start for her new trainer was at Taree on November 17 when she again led throughout.
Gosford trained Alice Mae completed a hat trick of victories with a narrow win in the 1400 metre Commercial Collective Benchmark 64 Handicap. Angela Davies mare with Jean Van Overmeire in the saddle, didn’t begin well but went forward to midfield and had a nice trail. In the clear she sprinted quickly in the final 100 metres to win by a head. Overmeire has ridden 50 New South Wales winners this season .5, a win behind leader Mollie Fitzgerald.