Gary Harley – Wrap – 26.04.25
Newcastle based apprentice William Stanley rode his 100th career winner at Saturdays Newcastle Jockey Club race meeting. The 21-year-old only moved to Kris Lees stable on loan for three months from Orange trainer Alison Smith however he fell in love with Australia’s largest city and had his indentures transferred permanently to the powerful Lees stable.
On Saturday Lees took advantage of Stanleys 3-kilogram claim aboard the lightly raced three-year-old Impressionism in the 1300 metre Dailey Family Funerals 3YO Maiden Handicap. The gelding was resuming from a spell after two recent trials and Stanley rode him along to lead the field shortly after the start. Impressionism travelled sweetly up front but was headed by the heavily backed $2.60 favourite Bohemian Art in the straight. Stanley did not panic and rode his mount out with hands and heels and Impressionism responded to fight back and win by 0.31 of a length.
Impressionism was the $2.90 favourite when bookmakers opened the market on Friday but surprisingly to drifted to $6.00 by the time the barriers opened.
Two races later Stanley rode the well-backed Newcastle mare Lounerse to a gutsy nose victory in the 1400 metre Peter Evans Solicitors Benchmark 64 Handicap. The David Atkins trained 4-year-old had a tough run three wide without cover, but she hit the front 250 metres out and held on in the closest of finishes. Lounerse is raced by long-time Atkins client Matt Chidgey, and it was her fifth win in fifteen starts
Since Stanley has been based in Newcastle he rode his first Metropolitan winner Opal Fields at Warwick Farm on February 5. Lees also trained a winner Memoria at Randwick, and she led all the way under Lees apprentice Ben Osmond. Lees has trained 98 winners in the current season.
Legendary Newcastle trainer Paul Perry produced an easy first up winner in the opening event the 900 metre Midway 3YO Maiden Handicap. Harlex well beaten on debut in September at Newcastle had been impressive in two recent trial wins on heavy tracks on the two Newcastle tracks. On Saturday with Keagan Latham in the saddle Harlex shared the lead from the outset and he was bolting on straightening before racing away to win by 3.78 lengths eased down.
The shortest priced favourite at the meeting was Peter Snowden’s Snitzel colt Beadman in the 1250 metre Jets In Business 2YO Maiden Plate. Backed into $1.35 following a narrow defeat on debut at Kembla on April 15. He led from the start under a tight hold and when called on halfway down the straight he dashed away to win by just under two lengths.
Golden Slipper winning trainer Michael Freedman and former Newcastle apprentice Louise Day combined to win in the 1300 metre Professor Plum Class 1 Handicap. Day’s old boss Kriss Lees trained the $2.30 favourite Brutal Bowler however the well backed $3.60 second favourite Correon was sent to the lead from soon after the start and was never headed winning by 2.17 lengths.
The Taree family of Mother Karen Owen and her daughter Madeline were all smiles after combining with lightly raced 3 year old Caledonian winner of the 1300 metre Slattery Auctions Maiden Handicap. Madeline, a 3-kilogram claiming apprentice took the gelding to the front when the barriers opened and she was never headed. Taree based trainer Karen has trained 12 winners this season with a small team while Madeline has ridden 18 winners.