Punt like a Pro, without the know!
New South Wales · Thursday 13 August 2026
Our top pick won 1 of 8 races at Newcastle. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
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The Cristal is the strongest form line: second over 1850m at Newcastle in a CL1 11 days ago, the exact profile of today's race. She has placed at this track/distance, is tactically versatile enough to hold a forward spot and should relish the step back to Good ground despite no Good win yet.
Powerful Prayer has his conditions: Good ground, a staying trip he has won beyond, an inside gate and a fit body after a solid third at Gosford six days ago. He runs consistently but has only converted once in 12 starts, and Newcastle has not been a happy hunting ground. He maps beautifully and should give a strong sight; on place power he deserves the third slot rather than being a preferred win chance.
Proxima Centauri is the value runner: she comes off a competitive BM64 third at Wyong, maps perfectly from barrier 1, and represents a top stable with scope for improvement at 1880m. The main query is whether she truly stays the extra ground, but her low base and inside run give her every chance to feature.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Appeared | 3 | Dylan Gibbons | Bjorn Baker | 59kg | $4.40 |
| 2nd | 5 | Tacitly | 13 | Alysha Collett | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 59kg | $3.00 |
| 3rd | 9 | The Cristal | 11 | Mitchell Bell | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 57kg | $10.00 |
| 4th | 8 | Proxima Centauri | 1 | Andrew Adkins | Joseph Pride | 57kg | $13.00 |
| 5th | 3 | Powerful Prayer | 2 | Kerrin Mc Evoy | John Thompson | 59kg | $5.00 |
| 6th | 10 | Vondel | 10 | Chad Schofield | Brad Widdup | 57kg | $9.50 |
| 7th | 2 | Lone Star Dream | 5 | Shannen Llewellyn | Allan Kehoe | 57kg | $61.00 |
| 8th | 4 | Sir Tua | 9 | Keagan Latham | Richard & Will Freedman | 59kg | $21.00 |
| 9th | 12 | Liyah's Girl | 4 | Andrew Calder | Matthew Smith | 55kg | $51.00 |
| 10th | 7 | Joika | 12 | Aaron Bullock | P Messara & L Gavranich | 57kg | $10.00 |
| 11th | 13 | Supido Secret | 7 | Molly Bourke | P Niceforo | 55kg | $151.00 |
| Scr | 6 | Faye Runaway | 6 | Brock Ryan | K J Parker | 57kg | |
| Scr | 11 | Elite Delight | 8 | Jay Ford | Ms K Buchanan | 55kg |
The Michael Freedman camp rarely sends horses to Newcastle without intent, and Tommy Berry taking the ride adds confidence. The recent Randwick trials were not dominant but they were satisfactory on testing ground, and the inside draw suits a 900m speed test. He is the most likely winner, though the lack of race experience keeps confidence below elite level.
She has since trialled well, and the drop back to 900m should play to Exceedance speed. The wide gate is a concern, but Jay Ford's local experience and the filly's forward pattern make her the clear second string behind Esnaad.
She draws well in gate 3 and drops to a sharper 900m contest, which should allow her to settle closer and finish off. Alysha Collett is riding with confidence and the booking is a positive.
Amajicstar is an interesting value play among the debutants. This runner comes off a Newcastle trial win over 800m and has the benefit of only 52kg from an inside draw. Liberty Smyth has a good record at the track, and the stable has shown intent with a recent trial.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Amajicstar | 4 | Liberty Smyth | John Bannister | 52kg | $3.10 |
| 2nd | 10 | Pure Ecstasy | 3 | Alysha Collett | T S Howlett | 55kg | $15.00 |
| 3rd | 5 | Esnaad | 5 | Tommy Berry | Michael Freedman | 55kg | $4.40 |
| 4th | 9 | Pointy End | 7 | Dylan Gibbons | K A Lees | 55kg | $11.00 |
| 5th | 11 | Simple Pleasures | 2 | Kerrin Mc Evoy | M S Minervini | 55kg | $3.60 |
| 6th | 7 | Let There Be Drums | 9 | Jay Ford | K J Parker | 55kg | $5.50 |
| 7th | 1 | Final Gift | 1 | Zac Wadick | Mark Cross | 57kg | $31.00 |
| 8th | 2 | Acrohope | 8 | Molly Bourke | Lee & Cherie Curtis | 55kg | $81.00 |
| Scr | 4 | Biripi Perfection | 11 | M & D Kearney | 55kg | ||
| Scr | 6 | Last Metaphor | 10 | Darren Treacy | 55kg | ||
| Scr | 8 | Magic Storm | 6 | Lee Magorrian | Denim Wynen | 55kg |
Aeternum is the most complete winning profile. He has already placed over the Newcastle 900m on Good, can take up a forward spot from barrier 2, and his narrow BM64 second at Wyong two starts back is the strongest recent class form in this field.
Cosmic Order has the speed map and inside gate to be prominent throughout. Her Hawkesbury maiden win and close CL1 efforts on rain-affected ground show ability, but her sole Good-track run was poor.
Argyros is a lightly raced gelding with a strong maiden win and a competitive CL1 fourth. He is first-up after a long break, so fitness is the major query, but blinkers and the positive 900m setup could see him run well fresh.
Fallen's last-start CL3 run was far better than the finishing position suggests, and she now drops to Class 1.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Third Base | 4 | Siena Grima | S J Gleeson | 54.5kg | $5.00 |
| 2nd | 4 | Cosmic Order | 1 | Ashley Morgan | Matthew Smith | 56.5kg | $3.60 |
| 3rd | 3 | The Warrior | 5 | Shannen Llewellyn | P M Perry | 55.5kg | $6.50 |
| 4th | 2 | Aeternum | 2 | Chad Schofield | Ms K Buchanan | 58kg | $2.70 |
| 5th | 8 | Time And Rhythm | 6 | Jay Ford | Edward Cummings | 55kg | $41.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Argyros | 3 | Rory Hutchings | Adam Duggan | 58.5kg | $7.50 |
| 7th | 7 | Fallen | 7 | Adrian Layt | G A O'Brien | 55.5kg | $61.00 |
| Scr | 6 | Bally Isle | 7 | P H Bloomfield | 55.5kg |
Gold Globe is the clear form and class horse in this maiden. He has been competitive in stronger company, then returned from a spell with a heavy-track failure before improving sharply to finish third at Kensington over 1550m on Soft5. He meets a moderate provincial maiden, gets Kerrin McEvoy, and the 1600m should suit.
The Prospect produced a genuine career-best run last start, finishing second at Hawkesbury over 1500m on Soft5. That performance suggests the extra 100m is within range, and from barrier 3 he maps to settle on the speed in a slowly run maiden. The main concerns are his lack of a win, the 58kg top weight, and a 50-day freshen. Still, he has the least exposed upside among the main dangers and should be in the finish.
My Cartouche is a consistent mare who ran third over this trip at Wyong on Soft7, finishing ahead of Quadria. From barrier 2 with a 2kg claim she should get every chance in a slowly run 1600m maiden. The obvious knock is 19 starts without a win, but her pattern, light weight, and good draw make her a solid place chance rather than a strong win hope.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Gold Globe | 5 | Kerrin Mc Evoy | David Payne | 56.5kg | $1.35 |
| 2nd | 7 | Robbed By Rob | 8 | Grant Buckley | Sara Ryan | 55.5kg | $16.00 |
| 3rd | 3 | Heliconia | 7 | Brock Ryan | K J Parker | 55.5kg | $6.00 |
| 4th | 4 | Miss Binman | 6 | Shannen Llewellyn | Mark Sues | 53.5kg | $21.00 |
| 5th | 9 | Zaddicted | 4 | Chad Lever | Ms K Gavenlock | 55.5kg | $61.00 |
| 6th | 6 | Quadria | 1 | Andrew Calder | P & M Cave | 55.5kg | $7.50 |
| Scr | 1 | The Prospect | 3 | Lee Magorrian | Nacim Dilmi | 58kg | |
| Scr | 5 | My Cartouche | 2 | Olivia Chambers | Craig Carmody | 53.5kg | |
| Scr | 8 | Supido Secret | 2 | P Niceforo | 55.5kg |
Avon Calling is the clear top pick on form. Barrier 4 and the lack of genuine early speed should allow her to camp just off the leader and be in the right spot turning for home. Chad Schofield replaces Kerrin McEvoy and is riding in strong form. The 1250m is a slight query but the pattern and recent consistency make her the most probable winner.
Dylan Gibbons takes the ride and the stable has a good record with this combination. The main query is fitness and first-up sharpness, but she maps perfectly and is the principal threat to Avon Calling.
Photoshop is an improving mare who stepped up sharply from a debut seventh to finish second at Kembla Grange over 1300m last start. That race shape and distance translate well to today's 1250m. She is lightly raced, carries a workable 57kg, and should be placed prominently in a race without a genuine leader. She still has to prove she can win, but her trajectory is clearly upward and she rates the third-most likely winner.
Zousari represents genuine each-way value. He has placed at Newcastle over 1300m, and his second-up record shows a placing from two attempts.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Revamped | 6 | Tom Sherry | Richard Litt | 59kg | $11.00 |
| 2nd | 8 | Plume | 1 | Dylan Gibbons | M, W & J Hawkes | 57kg | $4.80 |
| 3rd | 4 | Zousari | 7 | Mollie Fitzgerald | J C Coyle | 59kg | $21.00 |
| 4th | 5 | Avon Calling | 4 | Chad Schofield | Brad Widdup | 57kg | $1.55 |
| 5th | 6 | Peri | 2 | Andrew Adkins | Michael Freedman | 57kg | $31.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Real Mccoy | 8 | Jay Ford | Joseph Pride | 59kg | $41.00 |
| 7th | 7 | Photoshop | 5 | Molly Bourke | J G Sargent | 57kg | $6.50 |
| 8th | 9 | Rativa | 9 | Mitch Stapleford | G D Hickman | 55.5kg | $81.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Warm Front | 3 | Alysha Collett | Nacim Dilmi | 59kg |
Lego Master brings the strongest current form line, winning a Kembla Grange maiden on Good4 by a length 13 days ago. He maps well from barrier 3 on a track that rewards handy runners, and his improvement through 6322x1 is obvious. The knock is the rise from Maiden to Class 1 and a small second-up sample, but McEvoy's booking and stable form offset that.
He won over 1350m on Good last preparation, so the step to 1400m suits, and second-up he should be fitter. The top weight and slight query at 1400m are concerns, but his consistency gives him a solid place chance in a winnable Class 1.
Asilah stands out on class after finishing fourth in a Warwick Farm BM68 at this trip before a spell. The negatives are the 189-day layoff, a wide gate and only two career starts, but the class drop to a provincial Class 1 gives her the clear edge.
She has placed in two of three Newcastle starts and handles Good ground well.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | I'm Relevant | 1 | Dylan Gibbons | John Thompson | 56.5kg | $8.00 |
| 2nd | 4 | Broadway Street | 9 | Nash Rawiller | K J Parker | 58kg | $4.20 |
| 3rd | 8 | Ouragan | 4 | Andrew Calder | P & M Cave | 56kg | $7.50 |
| 4th | 2 | Woodrow | 7 | Brodie Loy | Cassandra Schmidt | 59.5kg | $10.00 |
| 5th | 10 | Supreme Statement | 8 | Andrew Gibbons | Cheryl Roberts | 55kg | $91.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Andron | 2 | Ashley Morgan | M, W & J Hawkes | 59.5kg | $6.50 |
| 7th | 3 | Lego Master | 3 | Kerrin Mc Evoy | Bjorn Baker | 58.5kg | $2.30 |
| 7th | 7 | Frida Kay | 5 | Olivia Chambers | Ms K Gavenlock | 54kg | $71.00 |
| Scr | 5 | Asilah | 10 | Tommy Berry | C J Waller | 57.5kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Truce | 6 | Mitch Stapleford | Sara Ryan | 53.5kg |
Divine Secrets is the most reliable winning chance. She resumes for a leading stable after placing twice in BM64 grade at Kembla, and she has already proven she can win fresh. Her barrier and early speed fit Newcastle's on-pace pattern, while Chad Schofield's recent hot form is a positive. The query is the 116-day break and a first attempt at 1250m, but her 1200m/1300m form suggests the trip suits.
She won her only career start impressively on a Soft 5 before running fourth in BM68 grade at Warwick Farm, which is strong form for this grade. The inside barrier and Waller's fresh-horse record give her a good chance to overcome the long layoff. The main risks are limited race experience and a first try at 1250m, so she rates second behind the more proven Divine Secrets.
The addition of visors may help her convert places into a win, though she needs to lift slightly on class. She is a strong place chance and the logical third pick.
Herman Said represents genuine each-way value. He returned from a spell with a solid third at Gosford and now steps up to his preferred 1250m, where he has one win and one placing from two attempts. Kris Lees has good strike rates with this jockey, and his on-pace style suits Newcastle's positional bias.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | Puerto Banus | 6 | Andrew Adkins | P M Perry | 58.5kg | $61.00 |
| 2nd | 8 | Divine Secrets | 4 | Chad Schofield | Peter Snowden | 57.5kg | $4.40 |
| 3rd | 15 | Asilah | 1 | C J Waller | 57.5kg | $1.85 | |
| 4th | 1 | Sharp Shock | 8 | Rory Hutchings | R P Northam | 61.5kg | $51.00 |
| 5th | 2 | Hollywood Gold | 3 | Shannen Llewellyn | P N Mills | 58.5kg | $6.50 |
| 6th | 10 | Nosey Parker | 11 | Alysha Collett | P M Perry | 56.5kg | $19.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Tainui | 15 | Adrian Layt | G A O'Brien | 60kg | $101.00 |
| 8th | 6 | Herman Said | 14 | William A Stanley | K A Lees | 58kg | $15.00 |
| 9th | 3 | President | 2 | Mitch Stapleford | J C Coyle | 59kg | $71.00 |
| 10th | 13 | Felis Chaus | 7 | M P Quinn | 55.5kg | $9.00 | |
| Scr | 5 | Equilibrist | 10 | Nash Rawiller | K J Parker | 59.5kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Call Me Sassy | 12 | Tommy Berry | David Pfieffer | 57kg | |
| Scr | 11 | Nafanua | 13 | Dylan Gibbons | Bjorn Baker | 55kg | |
| Scr | 12 | Vittozzi | 5 | Ashley Morgan | Nathan Doyle | 55kg | |
| Scr | 14 | Executive Decision | 9 | Mark Cross | 55kg |
Uncle Harry is the best fit for this BM64 on form and track profile. Barrier 2 gives him the handy position Newcastle Good rewards, while McEvoy is riding well. The main concerns are a modest overall strike rate and no win in recent starts, but this exact race shape suits him strongly.
He drops to BM64, is third-up, and has placed in BM68 races over 1600m, so the class claims are real. However, 61kg and a 0-from-3 record at the trip are genuine doubts, while Uncle Harry has stronger Newcastle 1600m evidence. Barrier 3 keeps him prominent, making him a strong place prospect and clear second-ranked winning chance.
Rush Attack is a consistent performer who has been racing in stronger BM72 company at Randwick, including a creditable sixth over 1600m last start. He now drops to BM64, which should make him more competitive, and his Newcastle 1600m record includes a win and a placing. The negatives are an absence of recent victories and a wide draw at 11, which may compromise the handy position Newcastle Good tends to reward. He rates as a solid place chance behind the top two.
The Stars Align is the value runner of the race. His 3-from-7 record at 1600m is the best distance profile in the field, and his BM74 win at Moruya two starts back shows he can beat this class. The Randwick 12th can be forgiven as a metro step too far, and he now returns to provincial BM64 level.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Fabrice | 9 | Mitchell Bell | T J Bartley | 60.5kg | $11.00 |
| 2nd | 6 | Rush Attack | 11 | Tommy Berry | Nathan Doyle | 58.5kg | $4.40 |
| 3rd | 5 | Tom Cruising | 1 | Nash Rawiller | K J Parker | 59.5kg | $12.00 |
| 4th | 8 | Uncle Harry | 2 | Kerrin Mc Evoy | P M Perry | 58kg | $3.60 |
| 5th | 3 | The Stars Align | 4 | Jean Van Overmeire | Anthony Mountney | 60.5kg | $10.00 |
| 6th | 1 | Prince Of Sorts | 3 | Shannen Llewellyn | Allan Kehoe | 61kg | $3.50 |
| 7th | 7 | Tact | 8 | Aaron Bullock | J C Deamer | 58.5kg | $11.00 |
| 8th | 10 | So You Ready | 5 | Olivia Chambers | Ms K Buchanan | 53kg | $51.00 |
| 9th | 9 | Kahraba | 6 | Mollie Fitzgerald | Denim Wynen | 55kg | $41.00 |
| Scr | 4 | Kosuke | 7 | Jess Taylor | G McFarlane | 60kg | |
| Scr | 11 | Vieste | 10 | Poppie Gorton | K J Parker | 52kg |
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