The Group 3 Ladbrokes Newcastle Cup is now the major lead up race to the Ladbrokes 715 at The Gardens. Let’s hear what the trainers think about their chances ahead of Saturday night’s $25,000 feature:
“She has been set for the race and she couldn’t be fitter so the rest is up to her.
She beat Lady Wilson over the middle distance at The Gardens in November. I remember she jumped in front and Lady Wilson tacked onto her up the back but couldn’t get past and she ran away so that form looks alright.”
She can run really good sections over 600 but leading is the key to her. I know Binalong Time can go fast early and it’s got a good box but my bitch can run 15.6 to the first section. She’s run 34.01 in a trial [track record is 33.88] so I’m not frightened to take anyone one.
The only thing I wonder is if the 715m will stop her…but if she leads, I’m sure she’ll be in front at the 650m mark. She loves The Gardens, let’s just hope we haven’t got cream on our face come Saturday night.”
“He hasn’t really been able to compete with the top class stayers when they come up to Queensland but we have him a little let up earlier this year and I think he’s come back a better dog now.
We thought we’d have a crack at the Newcastle Cup as a natural stepping stone to The 715 and considering he hasn’t seen the track before, we thought he needed a look before we threw him in that series.
Pretty happy with Box 2 because he’s generally a bad beginner and has no pace, but he does like to rail so the nearer the fence the better. Hopefully he can get a cart into the race off the back of Gully Girl in Box 1.”
Might Have Been | Minnie Finn
Box 3 Record | 12: 2-2-3
Career Record | 78: 16-13-18
Prizemoney | $198,092
Kennel Mail:
“He’s trialling good but he’s raced without confidence ever since he came back from the national sprint final in Adelaide last year.
He didn’t beat much in Perth in his heat of the Galaxy but he’s really a 600m dog. The 715 at The Gardens isn’t really a hard staying race though so that might work for him. He hasn’t been back to the track since winning a heat of The 715 last year but he wants the outside as well so the draw is no good.
Lady Wilson is the one to beat and I know she can run the trip after that run at Richmond last Friday [where she broke the track record].”
Moorong Marvel | Angela Della Bosca Box 4 Record | 4: 1-0-0
Career Record | 28: 7-2-2
Prizemoney | $16,765
Kennel Mail:
“We’re having a throw at the stumps in a way but it’s also a good opportunity to give him a look at the joint before The 715.
He had no luck in the Association Cup on Saturday night. He began too well and got spat straight out the back so I hope he just flops out this weekend and that helps him get into the race.
He wants the inside bad so the draw doesn’t help. He’s giving away a bit of age and experience to some of these dogs as well and he still races like that. He’s a bit clumsy and if he gets up on dogs too quickly, he runs straight into them. He just doesn’t have that race sense yet and I think he’s six months away from his peak.”
“I took him up there last Tuesday to trial him and timewise, he was half a length slower than Canya Amy when she trialled there last year. She’d had a few 700’s beforehand whereas he hasn’t so he should improve off whatever he does on Saturday night.
He’s not even two yet but we’ve stepped him up because his box manners were letting him down. He’s got a serious motor but hasn’t really been able to show it yet.
He’s staying with David Smith like we have done in the past and the main goal is The 715. We’ve got such a good relationship with David so we’re happy to let him do his thing.
We keep travelling because you’ve got to have a go at races like this. Damien Smith travelled 15 hours to get to Wenty Park last weekend and now he’s a Group 1 winning trainer so we’ll keep showing up until we hopefully win a big race.”
Lady Wilson | Sam Sultana Box 6 Record | 5: 2-0-1
Career Record | 35: 13-4-3
Prizemoney | $78,400
Kennel Mail:
“She likes the inside so drawing Box 6 means her chances are gone…
We don’t know if she can run the trip because she hasn’t been over 700 yet. You’d think she can off what she did at Richmond last Friday night but she’s got to get to the front in what looks like a very hard race.”
Tom Tzouvelis | Autumn Storm Box 7 Record | 8: 4-1-0
Career Record | 44: 17-13-4
Prizemoney | $291,790
Kennel Mail:
“It’ll be her first look at the track and it’s basically going to her trial for The 715.
We’ll get an idea of how she handles the track and it looks a pretty good field so it’ll be a good test.
She went well at Albion Park last start over 700 but she still needs a few more runs under her belt to be fully fit over the distance. We expect she’ll improve every time she goes over it but she’s definitely better drawn on the rail.
It’s a bit odd to have so many speed influences in a staying race…there’s usually very few with pace in 700m racing but this race looks to have a lot of early speed so there’ll be a few going for the front.”
Binalong Time | Minnie Finn Box 8 Record | 3: 1-0-1
Career Record | 49: 13-9-7
Prizemoney | $82,010
Kennel Mail:
“She’d be the better chance of our two on Saturday because the box suits her she can come out and get near the front from out there.
She’s not a true 700 dog though, so she’d need to lead and get a good break on them to win the race.
She dropped a back muscle in September and sometimes they don’t come back from that so she’s going alright considering.”
The Group 3 Ladbrokes Newcastle Cup, worth $25,000 to the winner, will be run in Race 8 at The Gardens on Saturday night.
