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By Gary Harley

The Jungle Juice Cups and Cessnock Cups were Newcastle Jockey Club's major races when the club owned the Cessnock Racecourse for more than 30 years, and on Saturday for the first time the Cups will be run on the same program at Newcastle.

The TLE Electrical Jungle Juice Cup is a 1350m event and two in-form gallopers Cool Lad ($6.50 on TAB) and Sonofdec ($4.80) will contest the race after being placed in the same Benchmark 68 Handicap at the Newcastle meeting on October 2.

Both horses had excuses last start with Cool Lad held up at a vital stage between the 400m and 150m.

Cool Lad (Rebecca Bronett Prag) in winning touch at Gosford. Image by Bradley Photographers

He flashed home to finish third, less than a length from the winner Éclair Encore which had an unexpected run.

Cool Lad powered home when narrowly beaten at Newcastle two starts back on September 20 and has dawn nicely with trainer Matthew Smith securing Jean Van Overmeire for the mount.

Sonofdec originally handicapped as topweight with 61kg will benefit from talented apprentice Mollie Fitzgeralds 1.5kg claim.

The gelding was bumped at the start before settling last three-wide with no cover last start. Sonofdec charged home down the outside to fail by a head.

The 1890m TLE Electrical Cessnock Cup is a strong Benchmark 72 affair.

The David Payne-trained Highborn Harry ($5 equal favourite) and John Sargent’s seven-year-old Claim The Crown ($5 eq fav) clashed in a Midway Benchmark 72 at Randwick on October 4.  Both horses raced at the tail of the field 15 lengths from the leaders over the 1800m trip.

Highborn Harry is a strong stayer, and he finished well into third place 3.3 lengths from the winner. He will be fitter third-up and Louise Day has the mount.

Claim The Crown should have finished closer when held up between 350 to 150m last start when half a length behind Highborn Harry at Randwick. Mitch Stapleford will claim 2kg and he was aboard when the Irish-bred galloper was a close second at Warwick Farm three starts back.

The Archibald stable is sending a nice 3yo filly Straight Sets ($2.90 fav) to Newcastle to contest the 900m Electra Cables Super Maiden Plate.

She led to well into the straight in her only start at Canterbury on June 18 before tiring on a Soft 6 track. Straight Sets has settled well in recent trials and has been good through the line.

The filly was bred by Kia Ora Stud who shares in the ownership with Edwina Throsby Racing and others. She will carry the Throsby family colours of former Group 1 stars Lovely Jubbly and Encosta De Largo.

Iron horse No Statement ($3.90 fav) will have his third Newcastle start in 16 days when he steps out in the 900m Klein Tools Benchmark 64 Handicap.

He is a short course specialist with 14 wins from 83 starts and was a runner-up in his 17th Newcastle start on October 7. No Statement is very quick and draws nicely with 3kg-claiming apprentice Madeline Owen in the saddle.

The ultra-consistent Gunroom ($2.30 fav) resumes for new trainers Mitch Beer & George Carpenter in the 1250m NHP Electrical Engineering Products Class 1 Handicap.

A Canterbury winner last start in May when trained by Joe Pride, the son of Snitzel trialled extremely well behind Highway Strip, Bandi’s Boy and Front Page at Goulburn recently.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Newcastle here