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By John Curtis

Five last start winners clash in the same race in what is sure to be a highlight of Hawkesbury’s final calendar year meeting on Sunday.

Subarctic (Matthew Smith), Luskaire (Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald), Like Lukey (Kris Lees), Jessandi (Mack Griffith) and Rose’s Legacy (Brad Widdup) all are scheduled to line up in the Mahoney Group Electrical Benchmark 64 Handicap (1800m).

Subarctic, Luskaire and Rose’s Legacy are coming off Newcastle victories (all at the December 1 fixture), whilst Like Lukey and Jessandi progress to the provincials after country successes.

Subarctic (Ash Morgan) returns after winning at Newcastle. Image by Bradley Photographers

Ash Morgan rides Subarctic, apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald is on Luskaire, Jose Severo partners Like Lukey, and apprentices Braith Nock and Zac Wadick ride Jessandi and Rose’s Legacy respectively.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has added intrigue to the Benchmark 64 by withdrawing Like Lukey from tonight’s Canterbury meeting to run at Hawkesbury.

The four-year-old mare is seeking a hat-trick, having scored impressively at Scone over 1600m on November 11 and 1750m at Muswellbrook 18 days later.

“Like Lukey has had only seven starts and always shown ability, but was a bit of a barrier rogue earlier,” Lees said this morning.

“She has really come good this preparation, and is ready to step up to provincial company.

“I decided to bypass going to town this evening as I feel she will be better suited on the bigger track at Hawkesbury.

“Also Jose Severo has ridden Like Lukey in all three runs this campaign, and hopefully we can keep a winning combination going.”

Severo, 24, joined the Lees stable earlier this year on the recommendation of his cousin, the “Magic Man” Joao Moreira, and broke through for his first NSW provincial winner on fellow Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle’s Churchill’s Choice at Newcastle last Saturday.

The Brazilian jockey boasts 239 winners at home, including four at Group 1 level.

Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup has a good opinion of lightly-raced three-year-old Rose’s Legacy, and is expecting her to race well again on Sunday with a view to bigger targets in autumn.

The daughter of Churchill (named after Rose Valland, one of the most decorated French women in history, who turned spy and, working with the French Resistance, saved thousands of valuable works of art from Nazi plundering), easily won a 1500m Maiden Handicap at Newcastle last time at only her fourth start, and second this time in work.

“I’ve got a nice opinion of Rose’s Legacy, and most likely we will stop with her after Sunday’s race,” Widdup said.

“With potential three-year-old staying fillies, you’re always hoping they will develop into classic contenders, and we’ll give her the chance to see if she can measure up to an ATC Oaks (2400m) in April.”

Meanwhile, Widdup has decided to run dual acceptor Hyperbolic in the Australian Horse Arenas Class 1 Handicap (1400m).

“It was 50-50 whether we went to the 1400m or the 1500m Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap,” he said. “But I thought it was best to go to the Class 1, and like her stablemate Rose’s Legacy, I also expect her to run well again.”

Stable apprentice Zac Wadick again rides the Proisir filly, on whom he won a Super Maiden Plate (1300m) at Newcastle on December 1. Widdup went to New Zealand early last year to buy both Rose’s Legacy and Hyperbolic as yearlings on behalf of Jedibeel’s owner, Sydney businessman Mike Gregg.

Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Marc Chevalier is banking on a return to home turf enabling Without You to bounce back in the Baygreen Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m).

Without You bolted away with a similar race at Hawkesbury on November 12 before failing in a Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m) at Wyong 11 days later.

“She didn’t seem comfortable on the tighter circuit, and is better suited on the bigger tracks,” Chevalier said. “Without You has worked well since the Wyong race.”

The rail is in the TRUE position for Hawkesbury’s final meeting of the calendar year, and course manager Kyle Cassim at 8am today posted a Good 4 rating.

Hawkesbury has recorded 19mm of rain in the past seven days, but nil in the previous 24 hours. A total of 14mm of irrigation has been put on the track in the last week, including 3mm in the previous 24 hours.

The seven-race program begins at 1.45pm.

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