Gary Harley – Wrap – 20.03.25
Talented Wyong galloper Matcha Latte surged into outright favoritism for the Provincial Midway Championship final at Randwick on April 12 following his impressive win in the Qualifier at Newcastle last Thursday. Matcha Latte with new rider Ash Morgan aboard was a solidly backed $2.35 favourite and the noted front runner had little difficulty in taking up the lead soon after the start from the rails barrier. He travelled sweetly and when Morgan gave him a rev up halfway down the straight, he responded and kicked clear eventually winning by 1.25 lengths from Art Volant ($5.00) with the heavily backed Novocastrian Kind Words in third place.
The TAB previously had Matcha Latte as an $8 equal favourite but following Thursday’s race promoted the 5-year-old to $4.50 favourite for the $1 Million Polytrack Provincial Midway Final on April 12. The winner’s trainer Sara Ryan was over the moon with Match Latte’s victory and why wouldn’t she be. The popular trainer spent fifteen months rehabbing the horse after a tendon injury and after his close second behind Group 1 winner Here To Shock in the Newcastle Cameron in September he bled in a Randwick barrier trial. Ryan told yours truly last week that she believed Matcha Latte was too soft when narrowly beaten in a Newcastle Qualifier on March 1 and he was a lot fitter this time.
David Atkins, promising 2-year-old Buffalo, broke through for his first win in the 1200 metre Dailey Family Funerals 2 YO Maiden Plate. Backed from $2.15 into $1.85 following two eye catching performances in the Group 2 Silver Slipper and Todman Stakes recently. Buffalo dropped sharply in class on Tuesday and regular rider Jason Collett had the mount. Buffalo has no speed and as normal settled near the tail of the field. Collett steered the gelding to the outside of the field at the top of the straight and he only put his head in front in the shadows of the post. He was very unlucky when placed in the Max Lees Classic in November. Buffalo appears as an ideal Randwick Sires Produce And Champagne Stakes contender.
Top jockey Tommy Berry had a day out at Newcastle finishing the meeting with a treble. It was a patient ride by Berry on Hippolyte Rock, the first of his treble in the 1200 metre Sharp Office Maiden Plate. He settled at the tail of the field on Chris Wallers 3-Year-Old and Berry elected to wait for galloping room between other runners and when the gap arrived the gelding the $2.70 equal favourite gathered the leader on the post. Berry was aboard Michael Freedman’s 3-year-old Insist backed from $5.50 into $3.10 in the 900 metre TAB APP Benchmark 64 Handicap. Midfield three wide on the home turn, Insist had to unwind a long run and put his nose in front on the line. Berry completed his treble on the Godolphin cast off Presides in the 1200 metre A-Plus Contracting & Poly Welding Class 1 Handicap. Now in the Kembla stable of Mitch Beer the son of Lonhro was clearly headed by odds on favourite Koios in the straight but fought back for a narrow victory.