The Hawkes stable will send classy three-year-old filly Dashing Legend to Newcastle to kick off her spring campaign on Saturday.
The daughter of Snitzel resumes in the maiden plate (900m). She has a soft draw and, with 55kg and more than $71,000 in the bank, she is very well weighted under the set-weight conditions.
Dashing Legend's only three starts were in the autumn, when she was placed twice. On debut she was beaten less than a length in a 2YO Kensington maiden on February 16. Second up, she was runner-up in the group 2 Reisling Stakes at Rosehill, 1.82 lengths from the winner. She then finished midfield in the group 2 Percy Sykes before a spell. Dashing Legend was impressive in winning a recent Rosehill trial with William Pike aboard.
Stablemate Grand Crusader can make it a double for the Hawkes team when he contests the maiden handicap (1250m). The four-year-old is on debut after two nice metropolitan trials. On August 12 she was bloused late by Dashing Legend in a 900m trial. Mitchell Bell rides both horses.
Australia's champion trainer, Chris Waller, has accepted with eight runners at Newcastle and at least three - Galifianakis, London and Endorsement - are genuine chances.
Galifianakis is an Irish import placed in his four Australian starts, all at Newcastle. He is well placed in the opening event, a maiden plate (1860m).
The gelding ran on well over 1400m first up here on August 6 and will appreciate the longer trip.
London is a Capitalist colt which resumes in the maiden handicap (1250m). His recent trials suggest he will run well.
Endorsement, another with good Newcastle form, will be hard to beat in the final event, the colts, geldings and entires benchmark 64 handicap (1400m). The four-year-old has had three starts, all at Newcastle, for a win and a second.
The Rosehill-trained Ang Pow is an interesting runner in the benchmark 68 handicap (1250m). Prepared by the father-and-son partnership of Richard and Will Freedman, Ang Pow has had four country starts for two wins and two placings. He hasn't started since February but has won two recent Rosehill trials.
This is a high-quality provincial meeting. The Newcastle track continues to dry out after 13mm of rain in the past seven days. As of Thursday night, the track was rated a soft 6 with no further rain expected.
