Scone apprentice Braith Nock and Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle combined for a double at Saturday’s Newcastle Jockey Club race meeting. Nock who finished runner up to Zac Lloyd in the New South Wales Apprentices Premiership last season with 89 winners had a day out at Newcastle with two winners and three placings from six mounts.
The first of the Doyle – Nock winners was the former Victorian galloper Deprivation in the 1250 metre Lake Macquarie Cup Benchmark 68 Handicap. The 6-year-old won four from nineteen in Victoria and had not raced since a Geelong failure in November. Doyle only gave Deprivation one barrier trial before Saturday, and he was heavily backed on race day firming from $3.70 into $3. Nock allowed the gelding to cruise along in front and he always travelled like the winner. He kicked away from the field and went on to win by 2.85 lengths.
Deprivation is raced by a Blueblood Thoroughbreds Syndicate and so was Doyle’s other winner Mondo in the final event the 1400 metre Titan Containers CG&E Benchmark 64 Handicap. Prior to the race the TAB representative on Sky Racing reported that Mondo was the best backed all day at Newcastle.
The 5-year-old bolted in at Newcastle on August 8 after a torrid run and on Saturday he was a pronounced $2.70 favourite. From the rails barrier Nock allowed Mondo to drift back to midfield and he never went around any other horse. At the top of the straight when other jockeys elected to drift away from the inside Nock drove Mondo along the rails and he won by 1.84 lengths.
The Mark Minervini stable renowned for landing big plunges at Newcastle pulled off another plunge on Saturday. Dubai Flyer raced by the Minervini family, former NJC director Allan Hardes and a group of others was a $10 chance with TAB when markets were framed on Thursday for the 1600 metre Kearsley Hotel Class 1 Handicap 3YO & Up. On race day Dubai Flyer was backed from $9 into $4.80.
Local jockey Blake Spriggs rode the 5-year-old when he was placed first up at Newcastle on August 8 and he was aboard on Saturday. Dubai Flyer raced outside the leader and after hitting the front halfway down the straight held off the challengers to win narrowly.
Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller also trained a double at Newcastle with the imported mare Fakhra and Canpikapony in their respected races. In a day of well backed winners Fakhra firmed from $2.60 into $1.90 in the 1850 metre Hunter Machine Services Maiden Plate 3YO & Up. Prior to Saturday the Irish bred mare had been placed in seven of eleven starts and started favourite in four of her previous five starts. After enjoying a lovely run on the rail in the small field the mare won by three lengths. Canpikapony drifted from $1.50 to $2.20 in the 1250 metre Hunter Valley Steel 3YO Maiden Handicap before an easy win from the heavily backed Stage Legend.
Wyong mare Obvious Step broke a run of outs when she came from well back to win the 1400 metre Solid Engineering F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap. Trained by Denim Wynen and ridden by talented Scone apprentice Mitch Stapleford it was the first time in eight starts the mare had been placed.