Flag Of Honour lands massive plunge on debut at Newcastle

The gelding, raced by long-time clients of the Lees stable, Ron and Judy Wanless, was on debut after two very quiet trials.

When corporate bookmakers went up with their price on Friday afternoon, Flag Of Honour was a $5.50 chance. Within an hour, the TAB had accepted more than $20,000 in bets supporting Flag Of Honour, and the money kept coming. He started a $2 favourite.

It was estimated more than $100,000 was invested on Flag Of Honour with corporate bookmakers.

Flag Of Honour, a son of USA Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and bred by Gerry Harvey, contested the 1200m maiden handicap with Jeff Penza in the saddle.

The race was run at a solid pace and the favourite settled in third-last position. Penza asked the gelding to go forward near the home turn and he responded, running down the opposition to win by more than a length.

Penza, who has ridden group winners for Lees, was pleased.

"He was out of his comfort zone with such a solid pace but he switched off," Penza said.

"I had to make a long, searching run on him and he just kept coming. I put a couple around his bum late.

"Flag Of Honour is a two-year-old bred to stay and he has a bright future."

Lees racing manager Cameren Swan said the stable had been waiting for Flag Of Honour's debut.

"Very pleasing," Swan said.

"We always knew he was above average and he hadn't been knocked about in his trials.

"His breeding suggests he will get over much further than 1200 metres."

Chris Waller-trained American-bred mare Frumos confirmed her potential with another effortless win in the class 1 handicap (1400m). She debuted on this track on June 11 and came from last to win by 4.71 lengths.

On Saturday, Frumos was a long odds-on favourite and the performance was similar - drop out to last, go to the outside and power home.

Frumos will probably head to a metropolitan midweek race in the future.

The Newcastle Jockey Club race meeting next Saturday is their last of the season.

The Newcastle trainers' premiership pointscore has Waller leading on 20 with Lees on 19. James Cummings has 15.

Local apprentice Dylan Gibbons leads the jockeys' title with 19, two ahead of Rory Hutchings. Mitchell Bell is third on 15.

Hutchings had a winning double on Saturday with Sovereign Express and Frumos.

Gibbons' total has secured him the apprentices' premiership, well ahead of Reece Jones (nine).

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