Newhart striving to deliver repeat feat
TALENTED middle distance galloper Newhart will be aiming to be the first since the mighty Brallos in 1976- 77 to win back- to- back Devonport Cups when he lines up in this year’s edition over 1880m at Spreyton Park on Wednesday.
The Leanne Gaffneytrained gelding has had three starts this time in and all have been impressive, winning first- up over 1400 metres in Launceston and he placed second behind Gee Gee Fiorente in the Golden Mile and Sheffield Cup. Newhart scraped into last year’s Devonport Cup by the skin of his teeth, earning enough rating points from a second in a Sheffield Cup to ensure he made the final field. But he showed his worth in last year’s cup with Craig Newitt aboard and the five- year- old is still likely to start favourite despite drawing the outside barrier in the field of 14.
“I am very happy with Newhart’s progress and he will go into the race very fit and he also meets his main rivals better at the weights,” Gaffney said. “The outside gate is not good, but we won’t use that as an excuse, and he meets some of his rivals better at the weights.
“He is a lot stronger horse this year, mentally and physically, and we have Craig Newitt on top and he rode the horse to win last year’s cup, so he has a lot of things in his favour this time around.”
Gaffney also will saddle up Eastender, the winner of the race two years ago, but he has the impost of 63.5 kilograms which, if he starts, would be the highest weight carried by any Devonport Cup runner in the modern era.
Eastender was sent to the Chris Waller stable where he raced in feature staying events until he bled from both nostrils and was stood down from racing for three months.
“Eastender is as fit as we can get him through trackwork, he just needs racing miles in his legs as we know,” Gaffney said.
“Maybe on his home track, with no travelling involved it ( Devonport Cup) is a nice place to start.”
Gee Gee Fiorente has had the wood on Newhart at their past two outings but the Team Wells- trained gelding must concede Newhart two kilograms compared to what they carried last start in the Sheffield Cup ( 1650m) when less that a half- length separated them. Newhart pulled fiercely in the Sheffield Cup and maybe bursting through the starting stalls before the start contributed to his out of character behaviour. Orange Roughie faces his toughest test, but he goes into the race on the back of five consecutive wins in benchmark races and must be rated highly, despite stepping up in class, although he has yet to win from eight tries on the synthetic track.
Dark Wanderer was unbeaten from five starts before he finished third in the Sheffield Cup three weeks ago at what was his first attempt at open company. The Sarah Cotton- trained gelding should be improved by the outing and with in- form rider Siggy Carr aboard he looms as s strong each- way chance.