Newcastle preview: Home track has Nathan Doyle's gelding set to Attack

Connections of Rush Attack are putting his last start failure down to not handling the Hawkesbury track and expect to see him return to form back on home turf.
Rush Attack settled midfield on the fence bit failed to run on and beat just three home behind Enter The Dragon on April 9.
Prior to that run, he won a Benchmark 72 Midway at Rosehill before a nose second in another Midway at Randwick behind Pocketing.
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'There are some horses who go to Hawkesbury but just don't handle it,' said David Dyson, racing manager for Nathan Doyle.
'His previous form was very good in town which holds him in very good stead here.'
The gelding drops back to a Benchmark 58 and gets in well with 59kg on his back after the claim of Mollie Fitzgerald.
'He is one of the most consistent horses in the stable,' Dyson said
'He has had a little gap between run hence why we trialled him on Monday just to get him ready.
'There's a bit speed in this race and he has drawn to get a beautiful run just behind them.
'One thing this horse does is try and he will put himself in the finish. That's just what he does.'
Queen's Rhapsody kicked off her campaign on a bright note with a length win at Hawkesbury on May 15.
While she won comfortable in the end, feedback from jockey William Stanley was that she floated once she hit the front.
Doyle has put visors on the three-year-old this week to help her focus and she looks extremely hard to beat in the Class 1 Handicap (1250m).
'We have put the visors on this week to help he concentrate a little bit more,' Dyson said.
'She worked in them about 10 days ago and was really good. She was very sharp. They seemed to have taken her to the next level.
'Once again, we have opted to claim again. Mitch Stapleford takes three kilos off which gets her into the race beautifully.'
Bohemian Art looked to have the race won at the 200m on debut when she hit but just didn't know how to put them away and Impressionism kicked back to narrowly beat her.
She then went to Kembla where she was a well beaten fifth to Monte Veebee but was found to have bled from one nostril.
Having galloped to stewards satisfaction since then, the stable expects her to bounce back in the Maiden Plate (1400m) for fillies and mares.
'Put a line through that run,' Dyson said.
'She galloped for the stewards here last Friday over 1000m to clear that embargo and she worked very strongly.
'We are very happy with her we think she is back to where she was at her first-up run.'
Doyle also has two youngsters making their debut in the 2YO Maiden Handicap (1200m).
Divo is a grandson of Makybe Diva by Capitalist who has shown plenty of ability winning his two trials this preparation.
Just Response is by Justify and like his stablemate, has won both his trials.
'Divo has got a lot of speed. My one query with him is the long time between his last trial on April 24 and his race debut,' said Dyson.
'It would be great if it could get back to somewhere near a soft because the drier the better for him.
'Just Response isn't as sharp as Divo but he has got the fitness edge on his side. He trialled on the Beaumont on Monday and went very well.
'The wet track was absolutely no issue to him so he is one horse we know will get through it.'

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Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

ABC News

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ABC News

Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

In 2023, a nation held its breath as the Matildas took on England in the FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal. What followed wasn't just a gripping match, it became the most-watched television broadcast in Australian history. A post-tournament social impact report from Football Australia revealed that 44 per cent of the audience comprised men and boys. For the first time, a women's football game outperformed every other program ever aired in the country, breaking the myth that women's sport only appeals to women. Former Matilda and lawyer Moya Dodd says we have come a long way in the past decade. "Ten years ago, no one would have believed it," she told ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport, at the recent RCB Innovation Lab Sports Summit in India. Women's sport has been marketed primarily to women, and that marketing often focuses on empowerment rather than excellence. But Dodd said the skill, determination, and passion on display deserves universal respect, regardless of the gender of those on the field. She said boys were already growing up idolising athletes like Sam Kerr, the same way they do male stars. "When young boys see professionalised women's sport, they accept it as normal," Dodd said. "They'll happily wear a jersey with Sam Kerr's name on it. "There is no social stigma." In India, the Women's Premier League (WPL) is emerging as a game-changer. The second season in 2024 reached more than 103 million TV viewers, with digital platforms like JioCinema drawing millions more. Brands are investing big: Viacom18 signed a $117 million deal for WPL rights, one of the most lucrative ever for a women's league. But framing isn't the only challenge. Dodd said structural barriers persisted across leadership, infrastructure, and media. "Sport was built by men, for men, and run by men," Dodd said. "You can't just retrofit women into those systems. You need to redesign them." Sarah Walsh, head of women's football at Football Australia, and a former Matildas player, said the Matildas' rise was made possible by constitutional changes in 2018 that brought more women into decision-making roles. "We wouldn't have had the success we did, equal pay deals, post-World Cup legacy funding, without women in the room deciding where the money goes," she told WINS. Dodd said although there had been ground made, there were other areas that needed to evolve. "Storytelling is still skewed toward men's sport," Dodd said. "We need commentary and coverage that welcomes new audiences, not one that constantly compares women's sport to men's." She stressed that female voices in broadcast and journalism played a vital role in shaping public perception. Both Dodd and Walsh indicated that with the right leadership, inclusive policies, and a reframing of how women's sport was presented, there was significant opportunity for growth and equity. They both believe growth on the field translates to growing the game off it. Walsh said infrastructure remained a silent but critical barrier to participation, with a number of community football facilities still not female friendly. "You're not going to retain girls if they simply can't get dressed," Walsh said. Meanwhile, teenage dropout rates among girls are high due to issues ranging from lack of safety to body image concerns. Major events like the Women's World Cup helped boost participation by 20 per cent, but retention is still a hurdle. Recent trends in viewership and sponsorship suggest that interest in women's sport is not limited by gender. It delivers economic, cultural, and social returns. With the Matildas' semi-final appearance in 2023 and the growing viewership of WPL, sponsorships have increased, new demographics are being reached, and male audiences are growing across markets. "Women's sport brings audiences that have come to celebrate inclusion and a sense of social purpose. And this audience includes people of all genders and ages," Dodd said. Dodd and Walsh believe these developments raise a broader question — no longer whether women's sport has a place, but whether existing structures are prepared to meet the growing potential. Veechika Durga Pingali is a freelance journalist based in Bengaluru, India, with experience in both journalism and public relations. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and enjoys writing about gender, media and sports. Veechika is part of ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.