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By Tony Megahey

Sacked as unraced after trialling early like a “rocking horse” Taree mare Austeja is now a revelation into a TAB $100,000 Class 3 Highway 1300m prelude to a tremendous Newcastle - The Hunter Raceday on Saturday.

The Poet’s Voice (GB) four-year-old, formerly with the Freedman camp at Rosehill, doesn’t just win these days, she gaps the opposition and spins the clock.

Austeja wins at Scone for Dylan Gibbons. Image by Bradley Photographers

Austeja is airborne for the father and son training partnership of Wayne and Joel Wilkes, with rain forecast the wetter the better. She has won three races by a total of 10 lengths plus, a double this preparation on extremely heavy tracks at home.

It’ll be “happy days” for team Wilkes if the rains come and although barrier 16 is the negative, but she has the speed to offset it.

“She thrives on heavy, but she handles all conditions; won her maiden in fast time last prep at Scone on a good four, developed into a lovely mare,” enthused Joel, 28, who rides her work and is in just his second season training partnership with his dad.

Austeja is well weighted on 54.5kg for Jay Ford as she won with 57kg and 55kg in the heavy at Taree recently.

Austeja was sacked by the Freedmans after finishing near 11 lengths last at just 800m in a Warwick Farm trial in early February of 2020. Incredulous the way she is racing now.

For the new stable she was spelled for six months and then put out again after she encouragingly broke through.

“I’d say an immature two-year-old, slow learner and wasn’t showing anything for their level,” Joel added.

“But we gave her a long spell and time to develop. She’s come back super.”

The Wilkes family is a racing institution on the north coast. In 2019, Wayne won the Mid-North Coast Country Championships Qualifier with Lucciola Belle who then ran a super second to Noble Boy in the final on The Everest Raceday.

“We’re a family concern, I ride trackwork with dad and my sister, we grew up around horses, 24 in work, winning some races lately, so it’s been good.

“Dad had this race in mind after her last win while she’s eligible - she was impressive.”

Austeja certainly was. The natural speed mare was $1.50, spinning in the lead by three lengths unextended for her third win overall from nine starts and two placings.

At just her second start for team Wilkes, Austeja won a Scone maiden by four lengths in a class record 1.13.43 that compared with the track record.

The big firmer could be the Danny Williams-trained Shelby Sixtysix ($14 on TAB) through the massive influence of James McDonald and proven Highway and wet form.

At present Ceasefire is the $4.80 favourite on TAB (in from $5) but the McDonald factor could swing the market heavily where Austeja ($17) is lengthy double-figure odds.

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