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By Gary Harley

In-form locally trained mare Rubi’s Serve ($4.20 favourite on TAB), racing in great form on the two Newcastle tracks, should win again when she contests the 1400m Benchmark 64 Handicap at the Velich Brother’s Memorial ‘Legends’ Raceday at Newcastle Racecourse on Saturday.

Trained by Mark Minervini and bred and part-owned by Gerry Harvey, Rubi’s Serve last start on the Newcastle Beaumont Track on Boxing Day raced away for a very impressive win.

It was a Benchmark 64, 1350m fillies and mares’ provincial event and she was a clear last early and near last on the home turn.

Rubi's Serve (Lee Magorrian) powers home to score at Newcastle. Image by Bradley Photographers

The mare sprinted quickly when in the clear halfway down the straight and won by a length running away.

Rubi’s Serve’s previous two starts were on the Newcastle course proper and the mare stormed home for her first win on November 27, and 10 days later the four-year-old was beaten a head by the unbeaten Churchill’s Choice which then won at Randwick and is talked about as an Oaks prospect.

Rubi’s Serve has had five starts on the Newcastle track for a win and four placings, she draws nicely and Lee Magorrian has the mount again.

The Minervini stable's filly Ocean Joy ($2.80 fav) will be hard to beat in the opening event the 900m Craig Philpotts Consulting ‘Kurt Fearnley’ Midway Maiden Plate.

A very fast 3yo Ocean Joy was placed in two hot 900m Newcastle maiden events in September and October.

She led when third behind Randwick winner and black type performer Zoubaby on September 21 and on October 1 Ocean Joy led when third behind Ciaron Maher's subsequent Moonee Valley placegetter Force Red.

The speedster led all the way to win a recent Beaumont trial. Andrew Gibbons trialled her and has the mount on Saturday.

John Sargent’s 4yo Balmierro ($5.50 equal fav) has only won once with six placings from 17 starts but he is well placed in the 1880m Bob Velich Memorial Benchmark 64 Handicap on Saturday.

Before a spell the son of Pierro trounced a Benchmark 58 field by more than four lengths at Scone over 2200m. He is third-up on Saturday after a very good placing in a strong field at Wyong on New Year's Eve.

How Much Better won the race and was a good thing beaten at Newcastle on Tuesday and the runner-up at Wyong, Elle Hudson has won since at Newcastle and finished runner-up on the Kensington Track. The in-form Jean Van Overmeire has the mount from a lovely barrier.

The Ciaron Maher-trained The Beast ($2.60) has a good chance in the 1880m Franky’s Five O ‘Jack Newton’ Super Maiden Plate despite a ‘car park’ barrier.

The son of Snitzel has had five starts for four placings and he has the speed to overcome barrier 14. He led in a 1900m Canterbury Super Maiden last start on New Year's Day and after being challenged from the ‘400’ he was tough to the line going down by a length.

Andrew Adkins has the mount after riding The Beast for the first time last start.

The consistent Sara Ryan-trained Aix En Provence ($2.15 fav) with the Brazilian Jose Severo in the saddle has bright prospects in the 1600m Doyle Racing ‘Gary Harley’ Benchmark 68 Handicap.

The 4yo stormed home to go down by a nose at the Wyong stand-alone metropolitan meeting on January 11. His race record stands at two wins and seven placings from 12 starts.

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