The Hunter meeting will be held at Newcastle this Saturday (18th Nov). The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with light showers in the Hunter region leading up to the weekend, Newcastle could border on Good/Soft condition on raceday.
Godolphin-owned Portray is ready to return to the winners’ circle on Saturday (Newcastle Race 4, 1400m). The 4YO mare has been rather consistent this campaign and she did a good job last start beaten only by 0.3 length over 1400m at Randwick. Fitter again and she is going to run out a strong seven furlong. Nash Rawiller will go forward and sit outside Zoe’s Promise and Portray is the one they have to catch.
The Richard & Will Freedman-trained Just In Time is having her third career run and she will strip much fitter in the Spring Stakes (Newcastle Race 7, 1600m). The Freedman stable rates this filly highly. After winning her maiden over 1200m here at Newcastle on debut, she was sent to Flemington to run in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes and she wasn’t disgraced finishing 5th over 1600m. Drawn beautifully in barrier 4, Dylan Gibbons is going to box seat and receives a perfect run in transit and Just In Time will be ready to pounce rounding the home turn.
David McColm has set Far Too Easy for The Hunter ever since The Kosciuszko (Newcastle Race 8, 1300m). The 5YO gelding finished a mighty 3rd coming from third last in The Kosciuszko sprinting his last 600m in 32.66 seconds. Stepping up to 1300m will suit and Far Too Easy has only been allotted with 54kg. He also has a great second-up record winning three times from four starts. Fresh from a winning triple on Wednesday’s Rosehill meeting, Jason Collett takes over the rein and he will settle just behind mid-field and bide his time. Watch Far Too Easy rocketing home down the long Newcastle straight.
By Owens Wong
