The 2025 Country Championships are on the agenda for Scone mare Lonhro’s Queen after she completed a hat-trick with victory in last Saturday’s Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap over 1200 metres at Rosehill.
Trainer Cameron Crockett indicated that the lightly raced four-year-old would now go for a spell, with her 2025 program dependent on how far she can stretch her ability.
From barrier one last Saturday, jockey Jason Collett settled his mount midfield and on the fence before ranging up to challenge approaching the 200-metre mark.
The mare quickly put paid to her rivals, drawing away to win by a half-length from Super Norwest, with front-runner Cool Storm a head away in third place.
It was the mare’s fourth win from five starts since joining Crockett’s stable.
“We’ll put her out now,” he said.
“The timing is right. If she can run 1400 metres, we’ll aim at Tamworth (for the Country Championships Qualifier on March 9). If she can’t run 1400 metres, then we’ll find something else.
“She has a lot of ability so there’ll be plenty of options.
“She’s a nice horse, I haven’t had one like her before.
“When Gooree (Stud) gave her to me, they just wanted me to try and win a maiden with her then she’d go to the breeding barn. But they also said, if she looks like a horse that can train on, she would be a racing prospect. And she does look to have a promising future.”
 Collett had little doubt that the mare would run 1400 metres: “I don’t see why she wouldn’t. She’s strong late in her races. That seemed to be a strongly run 1200 metres and she was strongest to the line.
“She’s got the frame, she’s still young and she’s done really well this preparation. You’d definitely have a crack at it.”
Nosey from the clouds
Newcastle trainer Paul Perry caused a boilover in the 1100-metre benchmark 78 at Rosehill, with Nosey Parker ($31) scoring under Tommy Berry.
With the leaders setting a solid pace, Berry found himself four lengths behind the second-last horse approaching the 800-metre mark but wasn’t concerned.
“He is a horse that likes to find his rhythm,” Berry said. “He’s better over a little bit further but (fellow jockey) Andrew Adkins gave me a pretty good push for him during the week, saying he’s a very honest horse with a good turn of foot.
“I knew this race had the shape (for the front-runners) to overdo it early and that’s what they did. It was made for something to come from behind and luckily that was us.
“Hardly any of us thought he’d win but halfway around he just picked up so well for me. He’s a lovely big horse to look at so hopefully he’s in for a good prep.”

800 up for Nathan
Another top-class jockey to score on a Newcastle horse at Rosehill was James McDonald on the Nathan Doyle-trained The Extreme Cat in the benchmark 72 Midway Handicap (1400m).
This win came as less of a shock to the market, with The Extreme Cat starting a well backed $2.60 favourite from barrier one.
From there McDonald settled his mount midfield on the fence before charging through a gap approaching the 200-metre mark and drawing away to win by three-quarters of a length from Forecaster, with Peace Officer a half-neck away third.
The win was a significant one for Doyle as it was his 800th as a trainer and he added to that tally later in the afternoon when Ace’s In Bloom ($4.20) won the 1200-metre maiden handicap at Newcastle, ridden by apprentice Braith Nock.
The same afternoon at Gilgandra, the feature Collie Cup (1280m) went to eight-year-old grey Toulon Factor, trained at Armidale by Jane Clement and ridden by four-kilo claiming apprentice Leeshelle Small.
Small’s fellow apprentice Siena Grima rode a double to share the riding honours with senior jockey Nick Heywood.
Smith in Coffs Cup coup
Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith took the major spoils at Coffs Harbour last Friday when British-bred import Time Quest ($8) won the $150,000 Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m) under Ben Looker.
In the 2000-metre Ken Howard Cup, the Brett Bellamy-trained Ashim caused an upset, winning at $26 under apprentice Courtney Bellamy.
The final race on the program, the $50,000 Daniel Baker Sprint (1200m), went to another outsider in Shamaton ($18), trained locally by Sally Taylor and ridden by apprentice Bailey Wheeler.
At Scone the same afternoon the $50,000 Super Maiden (1300m) went to the Rodney Northam-trained local Upwardly Mobile ($16), ridden by apprentice Chelsea Hillier.
The win brought up a value double for followers of the trainer/jockey combination, who struck earlier in the 1600-metre maiden with Sebilla ($16).
Nick nabs Forbes features
Another horse carrying the red with black stripes of Gooree Stud to be in the money last weekend was the Mack Griffith-trained Mudgee gelding Osman in Sunday’s $50,000 Forbes Cup (1600m).
With Nick Heywood in the saddle, Osman ($8) scored by a half-length from Just A Brother with the Joseph/Jones-trained mare One Aye a further half-length away in third.
Earlier on the program, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1300m) went to the Jim McMillan-trained Wellington five-year-old Bamboula ($8.50) ridden by apprentice Dylan Stanley.
In the 1200-metre Ben Hall Bullet, a benchmark 82, the Danny Williams-trained $2.15 favourite Miss Jennifer gave Heywood the first leg of a riding double, recording a narrow win over Blitzar.
Coming up
This Saturday is cup day at Casino and Louth, with the features over 1400 and 2000 metres respectively.