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Gary Harley

Newcastle trainer Ben Smith is hoping for a change of luck with his boom four-year-old Floki when he lines up in the 1200 metre Benchmark 65 Handicap at Tuesday's race meeting on the Beaumont Newcastle Track.

Floki created a huge impression on debut when he landed a big plunge in winning a Scone maiden by 8.35 lengths on August 8. In his only other start, he was a raging $1.28 favourite in a Muswellbrook Class 1 and he was a tragedy beaten.

Floki was tardy from the barriers and he raced in third place on the rail in the six-horse field. He was held up behind the leaders on the turn and when jockey Josh Adams went for a split inside the leader near the 100 metre mark the gap closed.

Floki hit the rail and it was most fortunate that was all that happened. He finished third 2.36 lengths from the winner Oakfield Time, ridden by Serg Lisnyy who was subsequently suspended. Adams has been replaced by Blake Shinn on Tuesday.

Smith has given the okay for Floki to run on Tuesday despite a wide draw: “He pulled up okay after the incident at Muswellbrook and he worked well this morning. The owners wanted a top Sydney jockey so we secured Blake.

"I won’t give him any instructions. I will leave it up to Blake to decide how he plays it from the draw. Floki was cruising when flattened at Muswellbrook and I have no doubt he was set for an easy win. A chiropractor has checked him out and said he's fine and his blood is good,” Smith said on Saturday.

The trainer is fortunate to be training Floki. The horse was bred at Scone at Yarraman Park Stud and was set to be sold at the Inglis Yearling Sales. However, Floki suffered a hoof injury and was withdrawn from the sale.

Arthur and Harry Mitchell, owners of Yarraman Park, decided to race the youngster with Tim Hughes and sent him to Smith to train.

Rosehill’s Hawkes Family will send their promising four-year-old Legendofoz back to Newcastle after a fine performance on the Beaumont Newcastle Tack last start.

The blueblood a son of champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock and Group 1-winning mare Princess Coup is raced in a syndicate which includes leading Hunter Valley Stud Vinery and Neil Werrett, the principle owner of the great Black Caviar. He runs in the 1350 metre Maiden Plate on Tuesday.

Legendofoz has raced twice and he ran the boom four-year-old Merovee to a half a length on the Beaumont Newcastle Track on August 15. Merovee was a close second in a hot race at Randwick on Saturday.

Gosford mare It's So Obvious can atone for her erratic behaviour which cost her victory last start when she steps out in the 1350 metre Class 2 Handicap on Tuesday. The five-year-old appeared to have a Benchmark Class 2 won on this track on August 15 when she led clearly on straightening.

However, she veered towards the outside fence losing valuable ground and it cost the mare certain victory. It’s So Obvious has since had a quiet trial and was passed by Stewards to race again. Sydney’s top jockeys Bowman, McEvoy, Shinn, Clarke, Parr, Avdulla and Angland will all ride at the meeting.

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