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By Gary Harley

Newcastle apprentice Benjamin Osmond rode six winners during July including three on Metropolitan tracks has three mounts at the Newcastle Jockey Club meeting on Thursday and his best chance is trained by his boss Kris Lees.

Last Wednesday at Warwick Farm, Osmond steered the Lees-trained Sabor to victory and on Thursday he will ride stablemate Lost Illusions ($3.20 on TAB) in the Kloster Motor Group Maiden Plate (1850m).

The Kiwi-bred daughter of Group 3-Newcastle Spring Stakes winner Proisir has been placed in four of her seven starts but has always indicated that she would stay.

Apprentice jockey Ben Osmond. Image by Bradley Photographers

The mare has had a good lead-up preparation to the 1850m which is the furthest trip she has encountered in her career.

First-up at Muswellbrook on June 17, Lost Illusions came from last in a 1280m Maiden when a fast finishing fourth second-up at Scone in a 1600m Maiden on July 2.

The mare again finished strong back in the field to place third 1.91 lengths from the winner on a bottomless heavy 10 track.

Last start during the Grafton Cup Carnival on July 17, Lees stepped the 4yo up to 1700m and she went down by a neck doing her best work late.

The prospect of a wet track won't be a problem and after Osmond’s claim the favourite will carry 55kg.

The 25yo apprentice, a late comer to racing, has two two mounts in Adjourn (Race 5-$12) and Always In (Race 7-$11) and they may need the run but are each-way chances.

Chris Waller's blueblood colt Māori Chief ($2.90 fav) is set for a debut win in the 1250m Horsepower Maiden Plate.

The 3yo son of champion sire I Am Invincible and Group 2 winner Heatherly has never been let off the bit in two recent Rosehill trials. On July 23 she raced on the speed and cruised to the line under a hold to be beaten 1.42 lengths.

On July 12 the colt won a trial unextended, that trial was a heavy track and Jason Collett has the mount on Thursday.

Winx’s half-sister Wings Of Desire ($2.50 fav), an impressive debut winner at Hawkesbury on July 21, will have her second start in the 1250m New Era Technology Fillies & Mares Benchmark 64 Handicap.

The filly is trained by Michael Freedman and Tommy Berry who rode her at Hawkesbury has the mount. Her trials were good leading up to her debut and she was very impressive after being last to leave the barriers.

Berry had to drag Wings Of Desire off heels 250m from home and she quickly put the race away. The filly ticks all the boxes on Thursday’s spacious track and long straight with barrier one another positive.

Berry will also ride the O’Shea-Charlton trained 3yo Komodo Dragon ($3.70) which will be hard to beat in the 1400m Lees Racing Super Maiden Handicap.

The 3yo's only start was in a Wyong 2yo Maiden over 1300m on July 25 and the performance was an eye-catcher. The gelding raced midfield on the rail to the home turn and he hugged the rail all the way to the line.

Komodo Dragon flashed home to just miss and he was in front just past the line. The horse will relish the 1400m on the spacious track.

The Ryan-Sterling stable opted to put the blinkers on the speedy Carpaccio ($5.50) in the final event, the Prince Of Merewether Benchmark 64 Handicap (1250m).

The lightly raced 4yo was beaten just over a length first-up at Wyong after chasing the winner all the way. He has raced well second-up.

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