By Gary Harley
Joe Pride is confident he will lift the $1 million Group 2-The Newcastle Herald Hunter trophy for the second year in a row on Saturday.
Sponsored by the Newcastle Herald, The Hunter is held at Newcastle Racecourse and the race is the culmination of a great 10-race program followed by first class entertainment.
Pride will saddle two topweights, Private Eye ($6.50 on TAB) and last year's The Hunter winner Coal Crusher ($10).
Private Eye heads to the barriers with Nash Rawiller. Image by Bradley Photographers
Private Eye is clearly the frontrunner with more than $11.7 million in prize money, but has a “parking lot” hurdle to overcome along with Coal Crusher.
Private Eye has won a Group 1 Epsom race and four Group races and was second to Giga Kick at The Everest 2022.
The 7-year-old was beaten by just 1.5 lengths in The Everest on October 19 by Bella Nipotina.
I contacted Pride on Wednesday evening who told me: “Private Eye raced well, but the barrier draws didn't do him any good in The Everest and The Shorts.”
“So I’ve taken him on to take the Rupert Clarke at Caulfield (now cancelled) and The Hunter for this Saturday and will make a decision on where to run him depending on the obstacles.”
“He got an unfavorable draw with wide barriers but Newcastle is only two hours away so he can get there.”
“This horse loves to get out of the ground and with storms this week he should have perfect ground. Mentally he may not be at his best, but physically the horse is as good as ever.”
“Private Eye competed against the best sprinters in Australia on Everest and wasn't far away after running out of luck.
“Looking at the last two The Hunters, Lost And Running won in 2021 after a close fourth place behind Nature Strip in The Everest.
“My horse Coal Crusher won The Hunter in track record time last year after being close behind Bella Nipotonia and Private Eye in a $3 million race. As the record shows, The Hunter is a good horse race,” said Pride.
Regarding Coal Crusher Pride, he had this to say: “Coal Crusher loves Newcastle and is doing well after tearing it up in the last run: “Great to have Nash Rawiller on board and although he is very swift, does not have to lead the horse. “There” is speed in the race.”
Murwillumbah sprinter Far Too Simple ($4.40) is trying to win the Kosciuszko-The Hunter double and despite the large hurdle he has a great chance. He has a great record with nine wins and five placings, and when the track is gentle (currently Tender 6), Far Too Simple has won six out of eight on rain-damaged tracks.
Talented Queenslander Kyle Wilson-Taylor will travel to Newcastle to ride the David McColm-trained 6-year-old. Unused, lightly raced 4-year-old Briasa was the large winner, with TAB solidifying favorite from $5 to $2.80.
It's a large step up in class from winning the five-horse Benchmark 88 at Kensington Track last start to winning Group 2 – The Hunter. However, he has won five out of six and is in a great stable with Team Hawkes and weighs just 53kg. Last year's winning jockey, Tyler Schiller, rides Briasa.
The $300,000 Novel Zealand Bloodstock The Beauford (2300m) has attracted a top-class field. Ciaron Maher will saddle two of the coveted runners in Wyclif ($3.70 favorite) and Herman Hesse ($10), and both are former Great Britain stayers in good form.
Wyclif has been a narrowly beaten runner-up in three Group 3 competitions recently and the 8-year-old was defeated tardy by Etna Rosso in the Newcastle Cup and narrowly missed in the Randwick St Leger.
In his last start on November 2nd he came from the back of the field and failed in the Rosehill Cup by one.
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald's pair of Spirit Ridge ($7.50) and Naval College ($5) are sharp stayers after good performances first in the recent Group 3 – Craven Plate.
The Group 3 – Novel Zealand Bloodstock Spring Stakes (1600m) is an open affair with a number of promising three-year-olds including Althoff ($4.20), Alabama State ($3.80 fav), The Three Hundred ($6) and Snitzanova ($6.50).
The Max Lees Classic (900m) for 2-year-olds has in the past been a debut race for Group 1 winners Jonker and Cylinder, as well as Group 2 winners Strasbourg and Erno's Choice, and the majority of this year's field has one solid trial form.
View the final fields with full form and race replays for Newcastle here
