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By Gary Harley

Randwick trainer James Cummings has described his promising two-year-old filly Whispered Secret - favourite for Saturday’s 1350 metre Maiden handicap on the Beaumont Newcastle Track - as a ‘work in progress’.

Whispered Secret, a daughter of top sire High Chaparral, has only had two race starts. On debut at Rosehill on Christmas Eve the filly was slowly away and raced keen early on before a very creditable third, two lengths behind Falconic.

After a 77-day break Whispered Secret resumed in an 1150 metre 2yo event on a heavy track on the Beaumont Track. She was in midfield until the home straight and when she was eased across the heels at the 350 metre mark of the filly started to race greenly.

Whispered Secret wanted to lay in badly behind other horses and when she finally consented to go straight the 2yo flashed home. The filly was only beaten by 1¼ lengths and she will appreciate the extra 200-metre trip on Saturday.

Cummings discussed Whispered Secrets prospects with the Newcastle Herald after acceptances on Thursday.

“This filly is very talented but is a work in progress. She can do plenty wrong as she did in her last start on the Beaumont Track. Whispered Secret looked the winner in the straight then she wanted to run in for a period and that cost her the race.

"She sprouted wings in the last one hundred metres and is bred to run further and the 1350 metres on Saturday is what she needs at this stage.

"Whispered Secret is only a two-year-old in an Open Maiden against older horses. But that doesn’t concern me as they are only Maidens. I am just a bit sceptical of her racing manners,” Cummings said.

Left: Princess Posh - the Lees galloper will be hard to beat should she line up at Newcastle on Saturday. Image by - Bradley Photographers

Kris Lees will make a decision on a start for his three Newcastle acceptors on Friday or Saturday. His Provincial Championships qualifier Princess Posh and former New Zealand filly Rose Carolina are set to clash in the 1200 metre Class 2 Handicap on the Beaumont Track. Tawfiq Boy is an acceptor in the 1200 metre Class 2 Handicap at Newcastle.

Lees said on Thursday that Princess Posh and Tawfiq Boy were likely to run at Newcastle but Rose Carolina may not run.

“I have Princess Posh in at Muswellbrook on Sunday as well and Newcastle and the state of the tracks will determine which way we go. Muswellbrook is a heavy 10 at the present and the Beaumont Track a heavy 8 so I am leaning towards running at home.

"The filly needs to run at the weekend as she needs the hit out for the Provincial Final. Princess Posh is flying and I think she will handle the heavy track and she loves the Beaumont Track.

"Rose Carolina is in the same race on Saturday but I am not that keen to run her on the heavy tracks. She is racing well but she failed on a heavy track last start. Tawfiq Boy is an acceptor at Taree also but there has been plenty of rain up there so he will probably run at Newcastle. It is a good field at Newcastle but he has a chance,” Lees said.

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