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By Gary Harley

The prospect of a rain-affected track will enhance the chance of Peter Snowden's four-year-old Homeric in the 1400m The Pavilion Carrington Benchmark 64 Handicap at Saturday’s Newcastle Jockey Club race meeting.

The lightly raced Homeric has only had one win and two placings from six starts, however, he has been in good form this preparation importantly on rain-affected tracks.

He came from well back to win a Kembla 1300m maiden on a Heavy 8 track on May 31 and last start at Newcastle on July 15 he was beaten 1.2 lengths by Cold Brew over 1400m on a soft track.

Homeric (Mitchell Bell) heads to the barriers at Newcastle. Image by Bradley Photographers

Cold Brew was very impressive in a 3.62-length win at Rosehill last Saturday. Homeric has drawn ideally in barrier 4, Mitchell Bell who rode 51 winners in the recently completed season has the mount on Saturday.

The John O'Shea/Tom Charlton stable is sending the Yulong Investments-bred and owned mare From The Peak to Newcastle on Saturday and the lightly raced 4yo will find conditions to suit.

She was beaten 1.86 lengths on a Heavy 8 Canterbury track first-up on July 9 then sat outside the leader when beaten half a length into third place on a Soft 7 at Canterbury on July 23.

From The Peak was beaten a length when an odds-on favourite in her only other start which was in Newcastle in March.

The mare has natural speed and has a nice barrier with Mitchell Bell to ride in the 1250m Equi-Energy Youth Fillies & Mares Maiden.

Noted wet tracker Dr Evil can return to the winning list in the 1850m Henderson Advocate Benchmark 64 Handicap.

The 9yo has won $554,540 in prizemoney from eight wins and 14 placings and the in-form jockey Chad Lever has the mount on Saturday for the Warwick Farm-based trainer John Steinmetz.

Gosford-trained Orthies, an impressive winner for new trainer Gregory McFarlane on July 19, will be hard to beat in the 1200m Rebuild Relief Benchmark 68 Handicap.

Orthies has two wins and two placings from five starts and has a good soft track record.

Trainer Michael Freedman has bright prospects for Miss Fleetwood when resuming after surgery on January 31 when she steps out in the opening event, the 900m Reward Hospitality Super Maiden Handicap. The 3yo had a bone chip found in her near-fore knee and required surgery.

Miss Fleetwood’s only start was in a 1000m 2yo at Randwick on January 25 and after being second to the turn was beaten five lengths.

The filly was ridden quietly when a close third in a recent Randwick trial. She has drawn wide but she has genuine speed and it is a straight run from the ‘900’ to the home turn.

NJC races again at Newcastle next Thursday.

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