Sky Lab soars in Scone Cup; Nathan Doyle's hopes; The Cid wins Hunter final

First-up since an eighth in the Magic Million Trophy (2200m) at the Gold Coast on January 13, the Newcastle-prepared six-year-old had four trials leading into the listed $200,000 race.

From gate 16, jockey Koby Jennings took the gelding to the back of the field and came with the widest run in the straight to get edge out Chris Waller-trained Waterford by 0.21 of a length.

It was Sky Lab's first win since taking out the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy edition in 2023 - 16 months ago - and took his earnings past $1.4 million.

"It was a good run," stable foreman Nathan Perry said.

"He was back there wide, which we sort of knew he had to go back from that barrier, and he just loves building and building and getting down the outside.

"He's been so unlucky throughout his career, getting back and not getting runs, but he deserves this.

"Just go through all of his runs. Half of them it's just bad luck after bad luck ... but that's good.

"Paul wanted Koby on, too, so he made the right choice there. It's a shame actually because Aaron [Bullock] has been booked for him all along but he just couldn't get down to the weight, but Koby did well.

"We've won this a few times, even back on the old track we've won, and this track too, but the Scone Cup has definitely built, this carnival, so it's great to win it again."

The other $200,000 feature on the day, the 2YO Inglis Challenge (1100m), went to Overfull ($6.50) in a front-running effort.

Trained on the Gold Coast by Peter Robl, Overfull led under Jag Guthmann-Chester before kicking clear at the top of the straight then hanging on by 0.8 of a length.

It was a second win in four starts for the filly.

"We knew she had great gate speed about her, we knew she was primed after her run at Eagle Farm the other day and she just wanted naturally that bit of luck and a good ride from Jag, and she got both of them," Robl said.

Local trainer Rod Northam was another big winner on the program, scoring a double.

First starter Move She Can produced a boilover to take out the maiden handicap at odds of $81.

The stable then claimed the last, the $90,000 Country Cup, with the well-backed The Dramatist ($5).

Conspirator (Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich) and Silver Halo (Lou Mary) were other Scone-trained winners on day one of the carnival.

Nathan Doyle has won his hometown feature, the Muswellbrook Cup, twice, but any success at the Upper Hunter's premier carnival has eluded him.

The now Newcastle-based trainer believes his most recent Muswellbrook Cup winner, Overriding, can change that at Scone on Saturday in the group 3 Dark Jewell Classic (1400m). The $250,000 fillies and mares race is the richest on day two of the annual Scone Cup carnival and Overriding was an $11 TAB chance from gate three.

The four-year-old mare won the Muswellbrook Cup (1500m) at Newcastle on April 6 by two and a third lengths before finishing fourth in the Tamworth Cup over 1400m.

Doyle said Overriding had excuses at Tamworth and he expected another strong effort from the consistent performer, which has five wins and three placings in 12 starts.

"She was good winning at Newcastle, then she just ended up third the fence at Tamworth Cup and following a runner we didn't want to be following," Doyle said.

"She had to be flicked back to the inside, which wasn't the pattern of the day. You had to be down the centre of the track, and a few had their momentum up on her coming to the corner.

"I thought she still ran well. She has a good gate, is down in the weights, in fillies and mares grade, on the big track at Scone. I think everything is to suit there, so I expect her to run well."

Doyle also had hopes with debutante Aroha Stone ($11) in the listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m). She also has Ash Morgan aboard and a good draw in five.

"She's a very nice filly," he said.

"It is tough taking on stakes grade at your first start, but we felt it probably wasn't the strongest stakes race. A few of the maidens she's been accepted into have come up a bit stronger and she's drawn awkward in them.

"She's drawn five, has plenty of ability and will improve off the run. But if she does everything right, I expect her to run a big race. I'll be disappointed if she's not in the first four."

Doyle also has Midnight Opal and Silvanito in the benchmark 72 handicap (1300m) for three and four year olds. Midnight Opal ($8.50) has been unplaced in three stakes races this preparation, while Silvanito ($31) won at Wyong in his first start for Doyle after coming from Godolphin. He said it was D-day for Midnight Opal, which has three kilograms off with apprentice Braith Nock aboard.

"He's been a bit frustrating," he said. "I know he's been taking on stakes level, but he's been beaten two lengths every start.

"It's D-day tomorrow, whether he'll be getting gelded or not, but it's the right race, good gate. He should sit in the first five or six and with Braith's claim, he'll get every opportunity.

"Silvanito went super first up and it's second-up run [when ninth at Randwick] was on day three of the championships in race one. It was quite wet and shifty and we realised later in the day that the fence was the run and he came down the centre of the track. I just put a line through that run.

"This is a better surface, we freshened him up because it was a testing track, 1300 and [jockey] Koby [Jennings] likes the horses, so he will get a nice run and have an opportunity as well."

Doyle also has Kipsbay ($19) in the last, which would go forward from gate three.

"He was disappointing first up but we feel he's a horse who loves being a control freak and being a bunny up on speed," he said.

"That's the way we'll ride him tomorrow and we expect an improved performance.

"He ended up three back the fence first up and he's probably not a good chaser."

Morisset trainer Mark Callaghan won his first Hunter Region Championship Final thanks to a inside run from recent stable addition The Cid on Friday night at Newcastle Paceway.

Callaghan's son, Jack, was forced to take a sit three back on the pegs from a second-row start on The Cid, with favourites Craftmans Charlie and Man From Braavos setting the pace up front.

An inside run presented down the straight and the five-year-old made the most of it to score a head victory over Roy Roots jnr-trained Major Reason. Melanie Elder's Man From Braavos was third.

The Cid was having just his third start for Callaghan after coming from Sawyers Gully conditioner Adam Ruggari. Jack Callaghan and Ruggari combined in 2022 to take out the $100,000 Hunter final with Far Out Bro.

The Cid was third in his heat two weeks earlier behind Man From Braavos from another back-row start.