By Gary Harley
The second day of Newcastle Jockey Club's Spring Racing Carnival on Saturday is Ladies Day with the 1300m Prosperity Advisers Ladies Day Cup the feature event.
Taree-trained Bodhi Boy ($2.90 favourite on TAB) is the topweight and the son of So You Think has an impressive record from only eight career starts.
The four-year-old has won four of eight starts with two seconds, and his trainer Lyndall Olson has booked former Taree apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald to ride Bodhi Boy, reducing his impost to 59kg.
Bodhi Boy (Ben Looker) wins at Port Macquarie. Image by Trackside Photography
He was brave last start on Wyong Cup Day, September 5, when he attempted to chase down the smart Shirvington and failed by a length.
His other three starts this preparation includes a narrow second behind the in-form California Secret at Newcastle in June and an easy all-the-way Taree win with 61kg in July.
Bodhi Boy is an on-speed horse and Saturday’s barrier 5 is perfect.
The Arrowfield stable heads down the Hunter Expressway with two homebred and owned gallopers on Saturday.
The 4yo Dundeel mare Bellini Spritz ($1.80 fav) has won her past two starts at Tamworth by a total of 10.24 lengths and she steps up to 2300m for the first time in the opening event, the Pro Torque Engineering Benchmark 64 Handicap.
The Messara-Gavranich 3yo colt Autumn King ($2.90) narrowly beaten when a $1.26 favourite on debut at Scone on September 2, is out to atone in the 1250m J&H Commercial Super Maiden Plate. He raced in second place from the outset and appeared to have his chance.
The Autumn Sun colt will strike strong opposition from the Michael Freedman-trained Extractor ($2.90 fav) which is second-up from a spell. The colt was narrowly beaten first-up when an odds-on favourite at Gosford on August 29.
Extractor was beaten half a length in the Group 3-Golden Gift in November and in February he was placed in the Listed-Lonrho.
The negative for Extractor is the barrier (12). Aaron Bullock rides the Arrowfield pair and Keagan Latham is aboard Extractor.
Michael Freedman is sending another promising colt Transgress ($4.40) to Newcastle to contest the 1250m Bella Group Services Benchmark 64 Handicap.
A 3yo son of I Am Invincible, Transgress was very impressive in a debut win at Wyong on August 31 and he is another good mount for Latham.
Champagne Hero ($4.40) an easy Randwick barrier trial winner on September 2, will be hard to beat in the 1400m Gateshead Traffic Solutions Benchmark 64 handicap.
The colt in his second race start won narrowly at Wyong in June and he has a lovely barrier and apprentice Zac Waddick claims 1.5kg.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Newcastle here