By John Curtis
The five winners from last start meet in the same race in what is sure to be a highlight of Hawkesbury's final meeting of the calendar year on Sunday.
Subarctic (Matthew Smith), Luskaire (Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald), Like Lukey (Kris Lees), Jessandi (Mack Griffith) and Rose's Legacy (Brad Widdup) will all compete in the Mahoney Group Electrical Benchmark 64 Handicap (1800m).
Subarctic, Luskaire and Rose's Legacy claim wins in Newcastle (all in the December 1 game), while Like Lukey and Jessandi are promoted to the provincial league after national success.
Subarctic (Ash Morgan) returns after winning at Newcastle. Image by Bradley Photographers
Ash Morgan rides Subarctic, apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald rides Luskaire, Jose Severo partners Like Lukey and apprentices Braith Nock and Zac Wadick ride Jessandi and Rose's Legacy respectively.
Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has made the Benchmark 64 more engaging by withdrawing Like Lukey from today's Canterbury meeting to run at Hawkesbury.
The four-year-old mare is aiming for a hat-trick after scoring impressive goals over 1600m at Scone on November 11 and 1750m at Muswellbrook 18 days later.
“For example, Lukey only had seven starts and always showed his ability, but used to be a bit of a barrier rogue,” Lees said this morning.
“She has done really well this preparation and is ready to move up to the provincial team.
“I have decided not to go into the city this evening as I believe it is more suitable for the larger Hawkesbury circuit.
“Jose Severo has also ridden Like Lukey in all three rounds this season and we hope we can maintain a winning combination.”
Severo, 24, joined the Lees stable at the start of the year on the recommendation of his cousin, “Magic Man” Joao Moreira, and broke through to become his first NSW provincial winner in fellow Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle's Churchill's Choice in Newcastle last Saturday .
The Brazilian jockey has 239 wins at home, including four at Group 1 level.
Hawkesbury's leading trainer Brad Widdup has a good opinion of the underperforming three-year-old Rose's Legacy and expects her to perform well again on Sunday, with an eye on bigger goals in the autumn.
The daughter of Churchill (named after Rose Valland, one of the most decorated French women in history, who became a spy and worked with the French Resistance to save thousands of valuable works of art from Nazi looting), easily won a 1500m maiden handicap At Newcastle last time he was only in the starting eleven for the fourth time and this time he was second in the work.
“I have a good opinion of Rose's Legacy and most likely we will stop with her after the race on Sunday,” said Widdup.
“With potential three-year-old fillies you always hope they will develop into classic contenders and we are giving her the chance to see if she can compete with an ATC Oaks (2400m) in April.”
Meanwhile, Widdup has decided to run the dual acceptor hyperbolic run in the Australian Horse Arenas Class 1 Handicap (1400m).
“It was 50-50 whether we went over the 1400m or 1500m Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap,” he said. “But I thought it was best to go Grade 1 and like her stablemate Rose's Legacy I expect her to run well again.”
Stable apprentice Zac Wadick once again rides the Proisir filly with whom he won a Super Maiden Plate (1300m) in Newcastle on December 1st. Widdup traveled to Fresh Zealand early last year to purchase both Rose's Legacy and Hyperbolic as yearlings on behalf of Jedibeel's owner. Sydney businessman Mike Gregg.
Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Marc Chevalier is banking on a return to home soil so Without You can bounce back in the Baygreen Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m).
Without You prevailed in a similar race at Hawkesbury on November 12 before failing in a Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m) at Wyong 11 days later.
“She didn’t seem comfortable on the narrower track and is better suited to the longer tracks,” Chevalier said. “Without You has worked well since the Wyong race.”
The rail is in TRUE position for Hawkesbury's final meeting of the calendar year and course manager Kyle Cassim gave a 'Good 4' rating at 8am today.
Hawkesbury has recorded 19mm of rain in the last seven days but none in the last 24 hours. A total of 14mm of irrigation was applied to the track in the last week, including 3mm in the previous 24 hours.
The seven-race program begins at 1:45 p.m.
Check out the final fields with full form and race replays for Hawkesbury here
