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By Gary Harley

Hawkesbury filly Savvy Hallie ($1.35 favourite on TAB), runner-up in the Group 2-Baillieu in the autumn, is set to resume from a spell at the Newcastle Jockey Club's race meeting on Thursday.

Yet to win in four starts in which she accumulated $253,800 in prizemoney from three runner-up performances in the autumn, the three-year-old filly will only carry 55kg in the 900m Newcastle Master Builders Apprentices Super Maiden Plate.

Trained by Brad Widdup, Savvy Hallie will be ridden by Jay Ford who rode her in all three Group races in her 2yo season.

Savvy Hallie (Jay Ford) heads to the gates at Royal Randwick. Image by Bradley Photographers

The filly led when unextended in winning a Rosehill trial on July 15 and backed up when narrowly beaten under little pressure in another Rosehill trial on July 29.

In the autumn Savvy Hallie was runner-up to the Reisling winner Tempted in the Percy Sykes and Gr 1-Champagne Stakes winner Nepotism in the Baillieu. The filly has speed and has placed on a heavy track.

The Warwick Farm-trained Wal’s Me Mate ($3.40), a brilliant first-up winner at Wyong on July 24, will line up in the 900m SB Glass and Glazing Class 1 Handicap.

Tom Sherry rides the Robert Quinn-trained gelding and the Irishman was aboard at Wyong on the soft track.

He had a nice trail behind the leaders at Wyong and the 4yo sprinted away in the home straight to win by 3.75 lengths.

Wal’s Me Mate turned in an eye-catching performance at Newcastle in his last appearance when he stormed home from the rear of the field to finish second in a 1400m Maiden in September last year.

First preparation the gelding was placed in Super Maidens at Warwick Farm and on the Kensington Track. He has good soft track form and has been placed in both second-up starts.

Local trainer Jason Deamer has Dollars ($1.75 fav) racing in good form and the 4yo is ready to break through for his first win in the 1600m Surescope Certifiers Midway Maiden Handicap.

Formerly with Ciaron Maher, Dollars has been placed in three of four starts with Deamer and all on rain-affected tracks.

Last start at Warwick Farm he was beaten just over a length on a Soft 7 track after racing in second place for the last 1000m. Dollars has raced twice at Newcastle since entering Deamer’s stable for two close seconds.

Two of Sydney’s leading trainers saddle up well-fancied runners in the 1400m Master Builders Insurance Brokers Class 1 Handicap.

Peter Snowden's Homeric ($6) put the writing on the wall when a fast finishing third 1.25 lengths from the winner Cold Brew on this track on July 15.

Cold Brew confirmed the form with a 3.62 length win at Rosehill on August 2. Homeric was a Kembla winner on a Heavy 8 track on May 31.

Michael Freedman has taken over the training of the Godolphin bred and owned Cinsault ($2.50 fav). In her last start for James Cummings at Kembla on July 26 she beat a small field by 3.5 lengths.

The 4yo mare has solid heavy track form and along with Homeric has a good chance in the Master Builders Insurance Brokers Class 1 Handicap (1400m).

The following race meeting at Newcastle is The Stars Of Newcastle Raceday supporting The Cancer Council on Saturday 23 August.

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