NEWCASTLE trainers won four of the eight races at Saturday's meeting on their home track.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
In race order, the quartet included Bak Da Man (Nathan Doyle), Amokura (Kris Lees), Nosey Parker (Paul Perry) and New Republic (Mark Minervini).
Bak Da Man, the Kiwi-bred gelding formerly trained in Victoria by Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr, was a huge drifter in betting in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1850 metres).
The five-year-old opened at $4.60 and drifted to $7.50. Despite the fact that Bak Da Man has a very good second-up record, Doyle told Sky Racing prior to the race that the horse probably needed the outing.
Lake Macquarie-based group 1-winning jockey Koby Jennings allowed Bak Da Man to settle third on the rail and he drifted back to last in the small field on the home turn. The gelding outstayed his rivals to to win by three lengths.
It was Doyle's 45th winner in NSW this season.
Amokura, beaten 10 lengths in her previous start at Hawkesbury, won the 1850m Maiden Plate by the biggest margin of the day.
The filly, with Darryl "Digger" McCellan aboard, unleashed from back in the field in the straight to win by 8.85 lengths.
Lees warned listeners on Sydney radio on Saturday morning that Amokura had no luck at Hawkesbury and he gave her a good chance at Newcastle.
She was friendless in betting and eventually started a $6 chance.
Perry's three-year-old Nosey Parker, enjoying his best preparation, was successful in his second race on the track, the John Whitmore Memorial Class One (1250m).
This prep, the gelding has two wins and three placings from five starts. He is a back marker, and Blake Spriggs allowed Nosey Parker to bowl along in last place.
Spriggs stuck to the rail in the straight and the gelding bolted in by 5.97 lengths.
This was a very popular win for the Perry family, as the winner's sire, Choisir, was the trainer's favourite racehorse, conquering Royal Ascot a couple of decades ago.
Former South Australian trainer Minervini combined with Hunter Valley jockey Mikayla Weir to win the final event, the 1500m Benchmark 64, with New Republic.
Champion Sydney trainers Chris Waller (Lyrical Gangster) and Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott (Long Tycoon) also celebrated wins.
