Former South Australian galloper Super, son of champion sire Snitzel, continued his love affair with the Newcastle track when he raced away with the 1600 metre Benchmark 64 Handicap on Saturday.
In his past six starts Super has won three races all at Newcastle and in all three, the five-year-old has been heavily backed. Two starts back he bolted in by more than five lengths in a 1400 metre Benchmark 68 Handicap.
Trainer Mark Minervini accepted with Super in Tuesday’s Jungle Juice Cup, but elected to wait until Saturday and step him up to 1600 metres instead of the 1350 metres. Country apprentice Tyler Schiller, the third apprentice jockey to ride the winner in three starts, produced a peach of a ride. He settled in the straight and Super sprinted quickly to hit the front at the top of the straight.
The gelding outclassed his rivals in the last 200 meters to win by close on three lengths. Minervini who moved from South Australia to Newcastle in August last year was impressed, “He is flying and he will run again on The Hunter day in two weeks’ time. The 1600 metre Benchmark 78 Handicap is the race for Super that day. I had no doubt that he would run 1600. This horse was trained as a two-year-old by the Snowden’s for James Harron. He was a colt at that stage and the Snowden’s said he had to be gelded so Harron put him on the market. We paid $22,500 for him and he has won $94,000 already” Minervini said.
Warwick Farm four-year-old Microna, the shortest priced favourite all day at $1.35 cruised to victory in the opening event the 1880 metres Maiden Plate. Trained by former Newcastle Rugby Union representative John Steinmetz who bred and owns the horse, Microna deserved victory after finishing runner up in four of his past five starts. “It’s a relief to see him win in his fifteenth start. He is racing in good form and much more mature this preparation. I knocked back a West Australian offer for Microna in recent weeks,” Steinmetz said.
Kris Lees and Paul Perry both trained winners on the eight race program. Lees colt Triple Ace repeated his win on the track two weeks earlier with another impressive performance in the 900 metre Class 1 Handicap. He shared the lead from the outset and kicked away in the straight to win by 1½ lengths.
Perry’s four-year-old Cool World won his fourth race when successful in the final event the 1250 metre Benchmark 64 Handicap. He had no luck last start at Newcastle on October 17 when caught three-wide without cover.
Andrew Gibbons landed a double at the meeting. He was successful aboard the Kim Waugh trained Knight in the 1400 metre Class 1 Handicap and the Les Bridge trained Savvy Legend in the 1500 metre Maiden Handicap.