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By Gary Harley

Scone-based apprentice Braith Nock after 89 winners last season has seven mounts at Newcastle Jockey Club's race meeting on Saturday.

The best of them appears to be Mondo in the final event, the Titan Containers Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m).

The gelding was formerly trained in Victoria by Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr before being transferred to Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle earlier this year.

In his third run for this new trainer Mondo was responsible for an outstanding Newcastle win in a 1400m Benchmark 68 on August 8.

The five-year-old was one of the last to leave the barriers and he went forward to sit three wide with no cover from thereon.

He hit the front around the 150m mark and Mondo raced away to win by 2.61 lengths. Mondo will start from the rails barrier and with Nock’s 3kg claim will carry 56kg.

The Annabel Neasham-Rob Archibald trained Longinus is fitter from a solid debut run on this track on August 8 and has bright prospects in the 1400m Jenkins Legal Classic Super Maiden Handicap.

On debut he was a well backed $2.70 favourite after impressive trial form and after beginning well Longinus then raced fiercely and too keen for some time.

He was in the clear and challenging into the straight and toughed it out to the line finishing 1.22 lengths from the winner.

Jean Van Overmeire takes the mount on Saturday and he is in great form on the Newcastle track. Longinus has drawn perfectly and won’t be far off the speed.

Chris Waller's filly Canpikapony can atone when a beaten favourite first-up at Canterbury when she contests the Hunter Valley Steel 3YO Maiden Handicap (1250m).

She won a Rosehill trial easily before her first-up run at Canterbury on July 24 when the filly was third less than two lengths from the winner after having every chance.

Media Frenzy, responsible for good performances in both starts this preparation, can break through in the 1600m Kearsley Hotel Class 1 Handicap.

First-up the mare gave the leaders a huge start when she powered home to be beaten half a length in a 1300m Kembla Class 1.

Last start at Newcastle, Media Frenzy again came from near last when runner-up to smart stablemate Hell’s Itch on August 8.

She is crying out for the ‘Mile’ and Andrew Adkins has the mount for John Thompson who has a good strike rate at Newcastle.

Last year’s The Everest winning jockey Sam Clipperton, is riding at Newcastle and he rides the O’Shea-Charlton trained Gold Dust in the 1400m Solid Engineering Benchmark 64 Handicap.

The mare has had three starts this preparation for two placings at Newcastle and Hawkesbury and a close fifth at Canterbury.

Last start on this track on August 8 the 4yo was placed at Newcastle behind Winx’s three-quarter sister Wings Of Desire.

Sharpen The Knives, placed in all five starts this preparation, deserves a change of luck when she runs in the 900m Cessnock Engineering Midway Maiden Plate.

She has been placed in three of four starts at Newcastle and with good speed in the race Sharpen The Knives can sit off the speed and will be strong late over the short course.