Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle came in hot at Randwick last Saturday, combining with jockey Ashley Morgan to take the first two races on the program.
In the opener, an 1100-metre handicap for two-year-olds, Doyle’s $1.65 favourite Hidden Motive prevailed, but only just.
In a thrilling three-way finish the colt won by a nose from 80/1 outsider Kujenga, with Matima another long head away in third place.
“To be honest I didn’t think he got the bob, but he’s a tough horse and was able to win in conditions that didn’t suit,” said ownership group spokesman Sean Driver.
“He’ll go home now to our farm in the Hunter Valley for two weeks. The big aim for him is the Coolmore (Stud Stakes) in the spring.”
Morgan too was upbeat about the win.
“I thought it was a very good win. He paraded a lot better than he has been and was very relaxed and switched off.
“Probably that first 10 or 15 metres he was a little switched off but I let him roll up. That horse (Dubbo Boy) came to him and we just fired each other up a little bit so it was a really good win.
“I know it was a very small margin but he was entitled to get beaten.”
Doyle and Morgan then combined to take out the 1500-metre benchmark 72 Midway Handicap with Hellfire Express ($15).
The four-year-old led most of the way and never really looked in danger of defeat, recording a 1¼-length win over the strong-finishing Convergent, with the luckless Callistemon a half-head away in third.
Bargain Bengal goes bang
Chris Waller castoff Bengal has been a bargain buy for Canberra trainer Luke Pepper, and the three-year-old Zoustar gelding went on his winning way in the Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap (1100m) at Randwick.
With Brodie Loy in the saddle, Bengal ($7) won by a short head from Shropshire Lad, with Eagle Hawk Star a length and a quarter away in third place.
It was Bengal’s third win from four starts since joining the Pepper stable. Originally sold as a yearling for $250,000 at the 2023 Melbourne Premier yearling sale, he was bought online by Pepper from clients of Waller for just $42,500.
“It’s a bit of a steal now, isn’t it?” Pepper said. “He went through Chris’s stables and he got the best education in the world and we were lucky enough to pick him up.
“We won a Super Maiden ($50,000) and got the Inglis bonus first up (at Moruya in January) and he’s come out first up again and won a Highway, so he’s been a good money-spinner so far.”
He’s not wrong. Bengal has earned $121,650 in four starts since his purchase.
Kris is crushing it
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees had a day to remember on Saturday, leading in winners at three meetings across two states.
His biggest win of the afternoon was clearly the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) with You Wahng, ridden by Tommy Berry.
You Wahng ($21-$19) hung on to win by a short head from Pinito, with Benagil three-quarters of a length away in third.
“She was very stirred up in The Roses,” Lees said in reference to the filly’s unlucky last-start fifth in the 2000-metre Group 2, “but she actually ran super and came out of it well so she’s a tough filly.
“It was a lovely ride today from Tommy. He was able to get us straight across from the gate and got into a lovely position in running.”
Earlier in the afternoon Lees had won the 1600-metres Sydney Roosters Partners Handicap at Randwick, with Loch Eagle.
Ridden by apprentice Ben Osmond, Loch Eagle ($13) scored by three-quarters of a length from Grebini with Quietness a further length and a quarter away.
Loch Eagle, whose biggest win came in  the $2 million Ingham in December 2023, has now won $1.97 million in prizemoney and looks set for another productive prep.
Lees’s other win came at Newcastle, where French Marine, ridden by Aaron Bullock, recorded a two-length win over Cool Lad in the 1250-metre benchmark 64.
Around the traps
Bullock was in form the previous day too at the Dubbo Turf Club’s Showcase meeting, winning the $40,000 Silver Goblet (1100m) for two-year-olds on Four Degrees ($3.80) for Scone trainer Lyle Chandler.
The $50,000 Super Maiden (1300m) went to the Rod Northam-trained Grandini ($5.50), ridden by apprentice Leeshelle Small.
The following day saw the Mallawa Picnic Cup (1400m) won by the Connie Greig-trained Dubbo gelding Pahang, ridden by Arthur Pollock.
Ricky Blewitt rode a treble at the meeting while Gunnedah trainer Gavin Groth landed a double.
On Sunday in the Central Tablelands, the Gulgong Cup (1200m) went to another Dubbo gelding in the Brett Robb-trained Rothgate, ridden by Shayleigh Ingelse. Ingelse and fellow apprentice Shannen Llewellyn rode doubles on the six-race program.
4 cups and a Cannonball
This Saturday sees the Bligh Amateur Picnic Race Club will conduct its very popular annual race meeting at Mudgee, featuring the Bligh Picnic Cup (1850m) and the Collaroy Cup (1000m).
In the state’s north it’s also cup day at Walgett, with the feature over 1400 metres.
Sunday is Showcase day at Coonamble in the central west and Wauchope Cup day at Port Macquarie on the mid north coast.
The feature at Coonamble will be the 1100-metre Coonamble Cannonball, while the 1500-metre Wauchope Cup is supported by the 1000-metre Wauchope Sprint.