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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Rod Northam is adamant consistent mare Upwardly Mobile isn’t a one dimensional backmarker and would like to think she can prove it in Saturday’s TAB Highway (1600m) at Newcatle.

Trainer Rod Northam

In three Highway starts the four-year-old has found herself nearer last than first coming to the turn but Northam said that’s been a by-product of unfavourable draws.

There’ll be no excuse on that front at Newcastle and he sees it as an opportunity to break through and perhaps earn consideration for a Country Championships tilt.

“It looks a nice race, the Newcastle track will suit her,’’ Northam said.

“She can travel handy, she’s near led and won races but it’s the wide barrier that’s been an issue.

“Hopefully she can travel just off the speed, fourth, fifth, sixth, or something like that and finish off.

“Just as long as she gets a fair crack at them then I’ll be happy.”

Upwardly Mobile ran the fastest last 600m in her fourth behind Southern Dancer at Randwick three weeks ago, clocking 35.05 (Punter’s Intelligence) as she finished off from third last on the bend.

In-form jockey Reece Jones has been on board for her most recent win back in August and her past two Highway runs and Northam said he knows what’s needed to get the job done on the mare.

“She’s been racing really well,’’ he said.

“She probably hits a bit of a flat spot turning for home, she’s always done that, but once she balances up she really finds the line.”

With three wins from 13 starts she’s well within qualifying criteria for the Country Championships series which commences in February.

The Scone trainer has won the Hunter & North West Championships previously with Spiranac (2021) and Voodoo Lad (2015), and After All That finished second in the Wild Card and Final in 2017, though if Upwardly Mobile was to head that way she'd need to be going in on the fresher side.

“If she won on Saturday that’d get her rating up to near that spot so a little freshen up and have a go it could be an option,’’ he said.

“The prizemoney is too good not to be chasing it.”

Northam warns not to underestimate Sharp Shock in the Lees Racing ‘Legend’ Mile (1600m), a race he ran fourth in a year ago at his seventh run for the prep.

The gelding has been to Newcastle two other times for a second in the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes in 2024 and a narrow defeat in the Highway at this meeting in 2023.

“He loves Newcastle, always races well there, when he ran fourth in the race last year he was probably near the end of it,’’ he said.

“Going into it third-up this year I expect him to race well, he’s a good chance at good odds.”

Upwardly Mobile runs fourth at Randwick on October 25

Sharp Shock was beaten almost 10 lengths by Midnight Dynamite at his second run back where he was never in the race but he did run a similar last 200m to the winner.

“I was happy first-up, originally I was disappointed second-up but when I looked at the replay and the sectionals it wasn’t that bad,’’ he said.

“Nothing made a lot of ground and he doesn’t like shifty tracks and it was shifty that day.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Newcastle