Knights roll on, celebrate home Magic Round with a win
In front of a hometown crowd the Knights triumphed 18-0 over a luckless Canberra side, while the Warriors and Parramatta returned to the winner's circle on Sunday.
The milestones continued at McDonald Jones Stadium with the first scoreless half of the eight-year competition between the hosts and Raiders, and a favourable bounce from the left upright keeping Jesse Southwell's perfect goal-kicking record this season (21 from 21) intact.
On Saturday, the first drawn game eventuated between Gold Coast and Canterbury (14-all) and it was the first time games had been stopped by lightning.
Newcastle fans sat uncomfortably in their seats as the winless Raiders held the two-time premiers to 0-0 at halftime.
But the Knights kicked into gear after the break with tries to winger Sheridan Gallagher and prop Tiana Davison – both with Southwell in the thick of the action.
A third Knights try to hooker Olivia Higgins, after sustained pressure on the Raiders line, sealed the result.
"We knew it was a game we were going to have to grind and we were up for the battle," said Newcastle captain Yasmin Clydsdale.
Canberra coach Darren Borthwick said that despite the 0-5 start to the season there was a lot of belief in his team.
"It's still not the result we want but they keep turning up for each other and I feel there's light at the end of the tunnel for them," he said.
North Queensland coach Ricky Henry said his side were "out-enthused" by the Warriors, going down 12-6 and throwing away the chance to grab a third straight win.
The Cowboys took a 6-0 lead through a Rosie Kelly try in the ninth minute, but that was as good as it got.
"Our intent wasn't there today – we got out-enthused," he said.
After wins over Cronulla and Canberra, the Cowboys showed none of their customary grit and fightback.
Halfback Kirra Dibb is still sitting on the sidelines after being dropped three weeks ago, but Henry says she will be available for next weekend's game against the Eels.
A try for prop Ivana Lauitiiti after she swatted away three defenders in her 10-metre run to the line, and a second four-pointer to winger Payton Takimoana did the damage for the Warriors, who avoided a third straight defeat.
"We spoke about being prepared to win the game by skill but we'll be ready to win the game by will," coach Ron Griffiths said.
"We arrived in Newcastle to torrential rain so we did our captain's run in the rain and then had a swim at Newcastle baths. And the players just said 'Yep, let's get it done'."
And Parramatta bounced back from a big loss to the Knights, narrowly beating St George Illawarra 12-10.
The Eels were down 6-2 at halftime and had an uphill battle after they lost five-eighth Cassey Tohi-Hiku (ankle) and centre Rory Owen (leg) to reduce their bench to two for the second half.
It dropped to one when Kennedy Cherrington (concussion) left in the 59th minute and didn't return, but Fleur Ginn's four-pointer with nine minutes to go lifted Steve Georgallis' side to fifth.
Newcastle have celebrated hosting the NRLW's first Magic Round by securing their fourth straight win.
In front of a hometown crowd the Knights triumphed 18-0 over a luckless Canberra side, while the Warriors and Parramatta returned to the winner's circle on Sunday.
The milestones continued at McDonald Jones Stadium with the first scoreless half of the eight-year competition between the hosts and Raiders, and a favourable bounce from the left upright keeping Jesse Southwell's perfect goal-kicking record this season (21 from 21) intact.
On Saturday, the first drawn game eventuated between Gold Coast and Canterbury (14-all) and it was the first time games had been stopped by lightning.
Newcastle fans sat uncomfortably in their seats as the winless Raiders held the two-time premiers to 0-0 at halftime.
But the Knights kicked into gear after the break with tries to winger Sheridan Gallagher and prop Tiana Davison – both with Southwell in the thick of the action.
A third Knights try to hooker Olivia Higgins, after sustained pressure on the Raiders line, sealed the result.
"We knew it was a game we were going to have to grind and we were up for the battle," said Newcastle captain Yasmin Clydsdale.
Canberra coach Darren Borthwick said that despite the 0-5 start to the season there was a lot of belief in his team.
"It's still not the result we want but they keep turning up for each other and I feel there's light at the end of the tunnel for them," he said.
North Queensland coach Ricky Henry said his side were "out-enthused" by the Warriors, going down 12-6 and throwing away the chance to grab a third straight win.
The Cowboys took a 6-0 lead through a Rosie Kelly try in the ninth minute, but that was as good as it got.
"Our intent wasn't there today – we got out-enthused," he said.
After wins over Cronulla and Canberra, the Cowboys showed none of their customary grit and fightback.
Halfback Kirra Dibb is still sitting on the sidelines after being dropped three weeks ago, but Henry says she will be available for next weekend's game against the Eels.
A try for prop Ivana Lauitiiti after she swatted away three defenders in her 10-metre run to the line, and a second four-pointer to winger Payton Takimoana did the damage for the Warriors, who avoided a third straight defeat.
"We spoke about being prepared to win the game by skill but we'll be ready to win the game by will," coach Ron Griffiths said.
"We arrived in Newcastle to torrential rain so we did our captain's run in the rain and then had a swim at Newcastle baths. And the players just said 'Yep, let's get it done'."
And Parramatta bounced back from a big loss to the Knights, narrowly beating St George Illawarra 12-10.
The Eels were down 6-2 at halftime and had an uphill battle after they lost five-eighth Cassey Tohi-Hiku (ankle) and centre Rory Owen (leg) to reduce their bench to two for the second half.
It dropped to one when Kennedy Cherrington (concussion) left in the 59th minute and didn't return, but Fleur Ginn's four-pointer with nine minutes to go lifted Steve Georgallis' side to fifth.
Newcastle have celebrated hosting the NRLW's first Magic Round by securing their fourth straight win.
In front of a hometown crowd the Knights triumphed 18-0 over a luckless Canberra side, while the Warriors and Parramatta returned to the winner's circle on Sunday.
The milestones continued at McDonald Jones Stadium with the first scoreless half of the eight-year competition between the hosts and Raiders, and a favourable bounce from the left upright keeping Jesse Southwell's perfect goal-kicking record this season (21 from 21) intact.
On Saturday, the first drawn game eventuated between Gold Coast and Canterbury (14-all) and it was the first time games had been stopped by lightning.
Newcastle fans sat uncomfortably in their seats as the winless Raiders held the two-time premiers to 0-0 at halftime.
But the Knights kicked into gear after the break with tries to winger Sheridan Gallagher and prop Tiana Davison – both with Southwell in the thick of the action.
A third Knights try to hooker Olivia Higgins, after sustained pressure on the Raiders line, sealed the result.
"We knew it was a game we were going to have to grind and we were up for the battle," said Newcastle captain Yasmin Clydsdale.
Canberra coach Darren Borthwick said that despite the 0-5 start to the season there was a lot of belief in his team.
"It's still not the result we want but they keep turning up for each other and I feel there's light at the end of the tunnel for them," he said.
North Queensland coach Ricky Henry said his side were "out-enthused" by the Warriors, going down 12-6 and throwing away the chance to grab a third straight win.
The Cowboys took a 6-0 lead through a Rosie Kelly try in the ninth minute, but that was as good as it got.
"Our intent wasn't there today – we got out-enthused," he said.
After wins over Cronulla and Canberra, the Cowboys showed none of their customary grit and fightback.
Halfback Kirra Dibb is still sitting on the sidelines after being dropped three weeks ago, but Henry says she will be available for next weekend's game against the Eels.
A try for prop Ivana Lauitiiti after she swatted away three defenders in her 10-metre run to the line, and a second four-pointer to winger Payton Takimoana did the damage for the Warriors, who avoided a third straight defeat.
"We spoke about being prepared to win the game by skill but we'll be ready to win the game by will," coach Ron Griffiths said.
"We arrived in Newcastle to torrential rain so we did our captain's run in the rain and then had a swim at Newcastle baths. And the players just said 'Yep, let's get it done'."
And Parramatta bounced back from a big loss to the Knights, narrowly beating St George Illawarra 12-10.
The Eels were down 6-2 at halftime and had an uphill battle after they lost five-eighth Cassey Tohi-Hiku (ankle) and centre Rory Owen (leg) to reduce their bench to two for the second half.
It dropped to one when Kennedy Cherrington (concussion) left in the 59th minute and didn't return, but Fleur Ginn's four-pointer with nine minutes to go lifted Steve Georgallis' side to fifth.
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4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Panthers trounce Knights to make it eight straight in Newcastle since 2016
Penrith have handed Newcastle their biggest loss this year, the defending premiers taking the Knights to school with a 48-12 victory on a wet night at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday. Extending their winning-streak to nine consecutive games, and their record over the Knights in Newcastle dating back to 2016 to eight-straight wins, the Panthers dominated from the opening exchanges in front of 20,197 fans. In a masterclass first half, they ran in five tries and gave Newcastle virtually no attacking field position. The game was all but over at half-time with the four-time premiers holding a 26-0 lead, after an opening 40 minutes in which they completed 28 of 30 sets and held 64 per cent of the possession. "This is as one-sided of a football game as you're going to get," former Kiwis halfback Shaun Johnson remarked in commentary at the break. "It's as dominant as we've seen from Penrith in a long time." Driving rain soaked the playing surface after half-time but it did little to halt Penrith's momentum, the visitors crossing for a further four tries to seal a commanding win. Newcastle showed some fight to bag two tries of their own but that was as good their night got. "We got some lessons from a clinical footy team," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said. "We were slow out of the blocks to start the game and they made us pay ... They had 50 sets, I've never seen that, 50 sets and they completed 44 of them in those conditions, led by a pretty special player [in Nathan Cleary]. "They find multiple ways to score points, whether it be kicking .. or through shape. "They're right up there. They are coming home with a wet sail." The loss was Newcastle's fifth in a row and leaves them placed 14th ahead of the rest of the round's games. With four games left to play, they remain at risk of falling to dead last and collecting the club's fifth wooden spoon. Penrith, meanwhile, have jumped into the top four, continuing their remarkable season turnaround, which commenced after losing to Newcastle in round 12. They were missing a host of big-name players in that match out at Bathurst in May, but had all but Isaah Yeo back on deck for the repeat fixture. "We got off to a quick start and scored a couple early," Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said of Friday's early onslaught. "I thought we were pretty patient throughout the game, which we wanted to do tonight ... also the conditions were very difficult in the second half, and I thought we controlled the ball pretty well. "I'm a lot happier than I was the last time we played them. That was definitely the low-point of the year for us. "Credit to the players and the staff, everyone has put their heads down." Penrith's nine-try haul began when back-rower Luke Garner cut through a gap on the left edge in just the third minute. Three minutes later, prop Lindsay Smith crashed over after Knights winger Greg Marzhew spilt a bomb to help Penrith take a 10-0 lead. Little was going Newcastle's way - Jermaine McEwen was pinned for a dubious late shot as Nathan Clearly was kicking, Dane Gagai attempted to divert a 40/20 but took the ball over the sideline and then later knocked-on attempting a simple play-the-ball. Liam Henry darted over for Penrith's third try in the 26th minute, collecting a loose ball after Scott Sorensen had attempted to offload. Trailing 16-0, Newcastle's cause wasn't helped when they lost lock Phoenix Crossland to a head-injury assessment seven minutes before half-time. A few minutes later, Penrith made the most of several six-again calls, winger Brian To'o diving over in the right corner to make it 20-0. Seconds before the break, Tom Jenkins finished off a frantic bit of play on the left edge, the ball going through several sets of hands before the winger put it down untouched to help the visitors take a 26-0 lead. Three minutes into the second half, Casey McLean strolled over from close range to make it 32-0. As the centre scored on the left edge, heavy rain began to fall over the venue but Newcastle surprisingly managed to build some pressure with a couple of repeat sets despite the conditions. It led to some points with forward Mat Croker soon diving for a Jack Cogger grubber behind the goal-posts. A couple of minutes after having a lengthy runaway effort ruled a no-try for a knock-on, McEwen finished off a Bradman Best break in the 57th minute. Five minutes later, a desperate effort from Knights fullback Dane Gagai denied Panthers centre Izack Tago a try, but a few plays later Penrith lock Isaiah Papali'i barged over between the goal-posts. McLean bagged his second in the 67th minute racing onto a grubber kick before sliding on the drenched field into the perimeter fence. Tago barged past several Newcastle defenders to score his side's ninth try eight minutes before full-time. Penrith have handed Newcastle their biggest loss this year, the defending premiers taking the Knights to school with a 48-12 victory on a wet night at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday. Extending their winning-streak to nine consecutive games, and their record over the Knights in Newcastle dating back to 2016 to eight-straight wins, the Panthers dominated from the opening exchanges in front of 20,197 fans. In a masterclass first half, they ran in five tries and gave Newcastle virtually no attacking field position. The game was all but over at half-time with the four-time premiers holding a 26-0 lead, after an opening 40 minutes in which they completed 28 of 30 sets and held 64 per cent of the possession. "This is as one-sided of a football game as you're going to get," former Kiwis halfback Shaun Johnson remarked in commentary at the break. "It's as dominant as we've seen from Penrith in a long time." Driving rain soaked the playing surface after half-time but it did little to halt Penrith's momentum, the visitors crossing for a further four tries to seal a commanding win. Newcastle showed some fight to bag two tries of their own but that was as good their night got. "We got some lessons from a clinical footy team," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said. "We were slow out of the blocks to start the game and they made us pay ... They had 50 sets, I've never seen that, 50 sets and they completed 44 of them in those conditions, led by a pretty special player [in Nathan Cleary]. "They find multiple ways to score points, whether it be kicking .. or through shape. "They're right up there. They are coming home with a wet sail." The loss was Newcastle's fifth in a row and leaves them placed 14th ahead of the rest of the round's games. With four games left to play, they remain at risk of falling to dead last and collecting the club's fifth wooden spoon. Penrith, meanwhile, have jumped into the top four, continuing their remarkable season turnaround, which commenced after losing to Newcastle in round 12. They were missing a host of big-name players in that match out at Bathurst in May, but had all but Isaah Yeo back on deck for the repeat fixture. "We got off to a quick start and scored a couple early," Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said of Friday's early onslaught. "I thought we were pretty patient throughout the game, which we wanted to do tonight ... also the conditions were very difficult in the second half, and I thought we controlled the ball pretty well. "I'm a lot happier than I was the last time we played them. That was definitely the low-point of the year for us. "Credit to the players and the staff, everyone has put their heads down." Penrith's nine-try haul began when back-rower Luke Garner cut through a gap on the left edge in just the third minute. Three minutes later, prop Lindsay Smith crashed over after Knights winger Greg Marzhew spilt a bomb to help Penrith take a 10-0 lead. Little was going Newcastle's way - Jermaine McEwen was pinned for a dubious late shot as Nathan Clearly was kicking, Dane Gagai attempted to divert a 40/20 but took the ball over the sideline and then later knocked-on attempting a simple play-the-ball. Liam Henry darted over for Penrith's third try in the 26th minute, collecting a loose ball after Scott Sorensen had attempted to offload. Trailing 16-0, Newcastle's cause wasn't helped when they lost lock Phoenix Crossland to a head-injury assessment seven minutes before half-time. A few minutes later, Penrith made the most of several six-again calls, winger Brian To'o diving over in the right corner to make it 20-0. Seconds before the break, Tom Jenkins finished off a frantic bit of play on the left edge, the ball going through several sets of hands before the winger put it down untouched to help the visitors take a 26-0 lead. Three minutes into the second half, Casey McLean strolled over from close range to make it 32-0. As the centre scored on the left edge, heavy rain began to fall over the venue but Newcastle surprisingly managed to build some pressure with a couple of repeat sets despite the conditions. It led to some points with forward Mat Croker soon diving for a Jack Cogger grubber behind the goal-posts. A couple of minutes after having a lengthy runaway effort ruled a no-try for a knock-on, McEwen finished off a Bradman Best break in the 57th minute. Five minutes later, a desperate effort from Knights fullback Dane Gagai denied Panthers centre Izack Tago a try, but a few plays later Penrith lock Isaiah Papali'i barged over between the goal-posts. McLean bagged his second in the 67th minute racing onto a grubber kick before sliding on the drenched field into the perimeter fence. Tago barged past several Newcastle defenders to score his side's ninth try eight minutes before full-time. Penrith have handed Newcastle their biggest loss this year, the defending premiers taking the Knights to school with a 48-12 victory on a wet night at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday. Extending their winning-streak to nine consecutive games, and their record over the Knights in Newcastle dating back to 2016 to eight-straight wins, the Panthers dominated from the opening exchanges in front of 20,197 fans. In a masterclass first half, they ran in five tries and gave Newcastle virtually no attacking field position. The game was all but over at half-time with the four-time premiers holding a 26-0 lead, after an opening 40 minutes in which they completed 28 of 30 sets and held 64 per cent of the possession. "This is as one-sided of a football game as you're going to get," former Kiwis halfback Shaun Johnson remarked in commentary at the break. "It's as dominant as we've seen from Penrith in a long time." Driving rain soaked the playing surface after half-time but it did little to halt Penrith's momentum, the visitors crossing for a further four tries to seal a commanding win. Newcastle showed some fight to bag two tries of their own but that was as good their night got. "We got some lessons from a clinical footy team," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said. "We were slow out of the blocks to start the game and they made us pay ... They had 50 sets, I've never seen that, 50 sets and they completed 44 of them in those conditions, led by a pretty special player [in Nathan Cleary]. "They find multiple ways to score points, whether it be kicking .. or through shape. "They're right up there. They are coming home with a wet sail." The loss was Newcastle's fifth in a row and leaves them placed 14th ahead of the rest of the round's games. With four games left to play, they remain at risk of falling to dead last and collecting the club's fifth wooden spoon. Penrith, meanwhile, have jumped into the top four, continuing their remarkable season turnaround, which commenced after losing to Newcastle in round 12. They were missing a host of big-name players in that match out at Bathurst in May, but had all but Isaah Yeo back on deck for the repeat fixture. "We got off to a quick start and scored a couple early," Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said of Friday's early onslaught. "I thought we were pretty patient throughout the game, which we wanted to do tonight ... also the conditions were very difficult in the second half, and I thought we controlled the ball pretty well. "I'm a lot happier than I was the last time we played them. That was definitely the low-point of the year for us. "Credit to the players and the staff, everyone has put their heads down." Penrith's nine-try haul began when back-rower Luke Garner cut through a gap on the left edge in just the third minute. Three minutes later, prop Lindsay Smith crashed over after Knights winger Greg Marzhew spilt a bomb to help Penrith take a 10-0 lead. Little was going Newcastle's way - Jermaine McEwen was pinned for a dubious late shot as Nathan Clearly was kicking, Dane Gagai attempted to divert a 40/20 but took the ball over the sideline and then later knocked-on attempting a simple play-the-ball. Liam Henry darted over for Penrith's third try in the 26th minute, collecting a loose ball after Scott Sorensen had attempted to offload. Trailing 16-0, Newcastle's cause wasn't helped when they lost lock Phoenix Crossland to a head-injury assessment seven minutes before half-time. A few minutes later, Penrith made the most of several six-again calls, winger Brian To'o diving over in the right corner to make it 20-0. Seconds before the break, Tom Jenkins finished off a frantic bit of play on the left edge, the ball going through several sets of hands before the winger put it down untouched to help the visitors take a 26-0 lead. Three minutes into the second half, Casey McLean strolled over from close range to make it 32-0. As the centre scored on the left edge, heavy rain began to fall over the venue but Newcastle surprisingly managed to build some pressure with a couple of repeat sets despite the conditions. It led to some points with forward Mat Croker soon diving for a Jack Cogger grubber behind the goal-posts. A couple of minutes after having a lengthy runaway effort ruled a no-try for a knock-on, McEwen finished off a Bradman Best break in the 57th minute. Five minutes later, a desperate effort from Knights fullback Dane Gagai denied Panthers centre Izack Tago a try, but a few plays later Penrith lock Isaiah Papali'i barged over between the goal-posts. McLean bagged his second in the 67th minute racing onto a grubber kick before sliding on the drenched field into the perimeter fence. Tago barged past several Newcastle defenders to score his side's ninth try eight minutes before full-time. Penrith have handed Newcastle their biggest loss this year, the defending premiers taking the Knights to school with a 48-12 victory on a wet night at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday. Extending their winning-streak to nine consecutive games, and their record over the Knights in Newcastle dating back to 2016 to eight-straight wins, the Panthers dominated from the opening exchanges in front of 20,197 fans. In a masterclass first half, they ran in five tries and gave Newcastle virtually no attacking field position. The game was all but over at half-time with the four-time premiers holding a 26-0 lead, after an opening 40 minutes in which they completed 28 of 30 sets and held 64 per cent of the possession. "This is as one-sided of a football game as you're going to get," former Kiwis halfback Shaun Johnson remarked in commentary at the break. "It's as dominant as we've seen from Penrith in a long time." Driving rain soaked the playing surface after half-time but it did little to halt Penrith's momentum, the visitors crossing for a further four tries to seal a commanding win. Newcastle showed some fight to bag two tries of their own but that was as good their night got. "We got some lessons from a clinical footy team," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said. "We were slow out of the blocks to start the game and they made us pay ... They had 50 sets, I've never seen that, 50 sets and they completed 44 of them in those conditions, led by a pretty special player [in Nathan Cleary]. "They find multiple ways to score points, whether it be kicking .. or through shape. "They're right up there. They are coming home with a wet sail." The loss was Newcastle's fifth in a row and leaves them placed 14th ahead of the rest of the round's games. With four games left to play, they remain at risk of falling to dead last and collecting the club's fifth wooden spoon. Penrith, meanwhile, have jumped into the top four, continuing their remarkable season turnaround, which commenced after losing to Newcastle in round 12. They were missing a host of big-name players in that match out at Bathurst in May, but had all but Isaah Yeo back on deck for the repeat fixture. "We got off to a quick start and scored a couple early," Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said of Friday's early onslaught. "I thought we were pretty patient throughout the game, which we wanted to do tonight ... also the conditions were very difficult in the second half, and I thought we controlled the ball pretty well. "I'm a lot happier than I was the last time we played them. That was definitely the low-point of the year for us. "Credit to the players and the staff, everyone has put their heads down." Penrith's nine-try haul began when back-rower Luke Garner cut through a gap on the left edge in just the third minute. Three minutes later, prop Lindsay Smith crashed over after Knights winger Greg Marzhew spilt a bomb to help Penrith take a 10-0 lead. Little was going Newcastle's way - Jermaine McEwen was pinned for a dubious late shot as Nathan Clearly was kicking, Dane Gagai attempted to divert a 40/20 but took the ball over the sideline and then later knocked-on attempting a simple play-the-ball. Liam Henry darted over for Penrith's third try in the 26th minute, collecting a loose ball after Scott Sorensen had attempted to offload. Trailing 16-0, Newcastle's cause wasn't helped when they lost lock Phoenix Crossland to a head-injury assessment seven minutes before half-time. A few minutes later, Penrith made the most of several six-again calls, winger Brian To'o diving over in the right corner to make it 20-0. Seconds before the break, Tom Jenkins finished off a frantic bit of play on the left edge, the ball going through several sets of hands before the winger put it down untouched to help the visitors take a 26-0 lead. Three minutes into the second half, Casey McLean strolled over from close range to make it 32-0. As the centre scored on the left edge, heavy rain began to fall over the venue but Newcastle surprisingly managed to build some pressure with a couple of repeat sets despite the conditions. It led to some points with forward Mat Croker soon diving for a Jack Cogger grubber behind the goal-posts. A couple of minutes after having a lengthy runaway effort ruled a no-try for a knock-on, McEwen finished off a Bradman Best break in the 57th minute. Five minutes later, a desperate effort from Knights fullback Dane Gagai denied Panthers centre Izack Tago a try, but a few plays later Penrith lock Isaiah Papali'i barged over between the goal-posts. McLean bagged his second in the 67th minute racing onto a grubber kick before sliding on the drenched field into the perimeter fence. Tago barged past several Newcastle defenders to score his side's ninth try eight minutes before full-time.
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Newcastle and Casino best bets, inside mail for Saturday 8 August, 2025
The Daily Telegraph form expert Shayne O'Cass previews racing at Newcastle on Saturday. NEWCASTLE BEST BET Race 2 No. 11: Outer Banks Peter Snowden trained brother to (the Snowden trained) Captivant. Goes well. NEXT BEST Peter Snowden again; this one put the writing on the wall big time first-up. VALUE Race 5 No. 5: Princess Cruizer Numbers suggest that this is just the type of race she will win next. QUADDIE Race 5: 1,2,5,6 Race 6: 5,7,8,14 Race 7: 3,4,7,14 Race 8: 2,8,10,11 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Four times Champion Provincial title winner Keagan Latham has a great book. CASINO BEST BET Race 7 No. 2: Ostracised Will find this easier (and shorter) than the 1612m Coffs Cup last start. NEXT BEST Race 3 No. 5: Got The Smarts Was hard to beat even before she drew barrier 1 with Ben Looker on. NEWCASTLE INSIDE MAIL RACE 1 Miss Fleetwood is an Extreme Choice filly out of the G1 winning (former) NZ 2YO Ruud Awakening. Was in the market on debut, failed, had a bone chip operation 31/1/2025. Back now and trialling well. Zing To Me has three seconds from four runs. Only a matter of time now. Billund is by Ole Kirk trained by Team Hawkes as well. Trials like a handy horse. Balmain Darling, which we assume is named after Dawn Fraser, might be a swimmer too yet. Bet: Miss Fleetwood to win RACE 2 Outer Banks has the same colours and same trainer (Peter Snowden) as his Champagne Stakes winning brother, Captivant. Gelded since the debut, trials have been fantastic. Nominated for Kensington on Wednesday. In And Out is trained by Chris Waller; this gelding's dam is a half to Fangirl. Best run was here at Newcastle on debut. Trials are way better than they read. Disparate turned in a solid enough debut at Hawkesbury. Better drawn this time and can run better again. Bet: Outer Banks to win or of scratched In And Out each-way RACE 3 Luskinstyre's mother, Luskintyre Lass, was bred by Jim O'Neill who is best remembered as the man behind Luskin Star. Luskintyre is in fact in-bred to the 1977 Golden Slipper winner. Trained by Ron Quinton, the filly ran well over 900m here; extra trip suits. Hermione Prance, the Waller trained daughter of the Waller trained Jade Marauder has trialled well enough to respect and consider. You're The Choice has done enough to win a race like this, so has From The Peak. Bet: Luskintyre to win RACE 4 Prefer Diamonds mixes the stamina of her sire Preferment with the speed of her third dam, Ruffles, who beat the likes of Mahogany, Flavour and All Our Mob in the 1992 Newmarket Handicap. The 1400m on a big track, no weight, great trials - Prefer Diamonds is a real player here. Penalties is a Kerry Parker trained gelding which finished second last start at Kembla to his very, very handy stablemate Wild Thoughts. Damascus Calling was third in that same race but still four lengths behind Penalties. Bet: Prefer Diamonds each-way or is scratched Penalties to win RACE 5 Trivia time; Princess Cruizer has the singular distinction of being the very last foal ever born by Choisir! How fitting that she, like the great horse himself, is trained by Paul Perry. Princess Cruizer has raced at this track and distance five times for a win and two seconds. All of her best form is here at home. Building to a win. Divine Bene won a trial at Gosford on Thursday! Thundering Soul will be thundering home. The 'best' Noble Soldier just wins. Bet: Princess Cruizer each-way RACE 6 Happiness, a booming last start winner is a chance to be saved for Kensington next week. Same for stablemate Empire Of Art. Let us assume they are both absent, all roads lead to Sunset Park, the regally-bred Sea The Stars mare trained by Brad Widdup. She has two wins and a nose second on her five start C.V and it is noteworthy that she is one for one second-up. Darby Racing mare Scottish Pearl has plenty of stamina and that last trial was actually quite encouraging. Bet: Happiness, Empire Of Art to win or if scratched quinella 5,14 RACE 7 Homeric has done more good than bad in his six starts. The Peter Snowden trained son of Doncaster winner Brutal has won a Heavy 8 at Kembla which will stand him in good stead for the weekend. You could argue that his last run was his best one given he came from miles back to get closest to Cold Brew (here). Omnic was warming to the task last when first-up. That had next time written all over it! Danish Prince is so reliable; loves the slop and has a good record here. Bet: Homeric to win, box trifecta 3,4,7,14 RACE 8 Tickle Me Pink was a $25,000 Inglis Classic Yearling purchase by Mark Minervini and the 'Ladies Syndicate'' who are certainly having some fun and success with this now winner of $55,650. She is on a hat-trick Saturday but you could make a sane case to argue that she should be going for four straight. Cinsault has a win, four seconds and four thirds from nine starts! How do you not put her in here with those numbers! The one in the Winx colours - Eccedere - is a Kensington winner (probably runs there instead on Wednesday).
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Newcastle preview: Divine trial has family dynasty looking sweet
A WIN for peerless mudlark Divine Bene at Newcastle on Saturday would be a feather in the cap of his trainer and a shared reward for one of racing's ongoing family dynasties. The lightly-raced and ultra-consistent sprinter fronts-up in the Steel City on Saturday just two days after he won a 800m barrier trial at home at Gosford. 'It is probably a little bit unorthodox,'' Divine Bene's trainer Adam Duggan said. 'He had a virus after his last run. I knew something wasn't right with him and so did Ash Morgan that day at Warwick Farm. 'He was pretty crook for a couple of weeks. We were going to run him in a 900m last week at Newcastle purely because he is such a good wet tracker but that fell through so I got him into the barrier trial at Gosford on Thursday with a view of trialling him and running on Saturday. 'I reckon he is a tough enough horse to handle that and he will take the benefit of his trial on Thursday into Saturday on a very, very testing surface. 'He is up and about (on Friday morning) and seems bright and I think he can run well on Saturday with a lightweight on his back,' Divine Bene is showing a profit off his $60,000 purchase price at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. A son of 2016 Caulfield Guineas winner, Divine Prophet, Divine Bene can lay claim to be a direct descendant of a Golden Slipper winner. In his case it is via his sixth dam, Sweet Embrace, which won the 1967 Golden Slipper while still a maiden, hence her 40/1 starting price, making the Jack and Bob Ingham owned filly the biggest bolter in the race's proud history. 'Divine Bene was bred by Robert Stapleford who is Albert Stapleford's nephew and Mitch Stapleford rides him on Saturday, who is Albert's grandson and Mitch's father, David, does a bit for me for a few horses in the morning,'' Duggan said. All of the modern-day Staplefords descend from nonagenarian Albert who will be forever tied to the aptly-named Magic Albert which famously punched above his weight on the racetrack and later in the breeding barn. Duggan meanwhile will use Saturday's opening Newcastle meeting of the 2025/26 season to unveil four-year-old mare Erina which makes her debut in the Equi-Energy Maiden Handicap (1250m). The daughter of Doncaster Handicap and George Ryder Stakes winner Kermadec was bred and is owned by well known industry participant and licensed trainer Peter Horsnell. Erina's address at Duggan's Central Coast lodgings is not only convenient for Horsnell but meaningful as well. 'Erina is where Peter grew up,'' Duggan explained. 'It's just east of Gosford, out towards Terrigal.' Erina, the horse, has been fitted up for her weekend debut with three trials. 'She improved a bit each time she has gone to the trials,'' Duggan said. 'I just didn't think she got anywhere near enough out of the second trial to go to the races. 'She trialled in a three-horse heat that day so I opted to trial her again because I had 1200m to 1300m in mind for her. 'So I trialled her at home over 1000m and I thought she trialled okay without trialling out of this world. 'She is a horse that is on the up but she will probably needs a bit of racing to find her best form. 'Hopefully a bit of racing coincides with getting her to her right distance.'
