By John Schell
Kim Waugh will be out to make the trip from Wyong to Newcastle worthwhile on Tuesday when she sends two runners to the Wine Country Race Club meeting.
Waugh, who has been enjoying a good run of success, originally had two horses accepted for the opening event, the Sharp Office Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1900m) in the shape of Doraskaya (@.30 on TAB) and Community ($4.20), but the trainer said she will rely on Community to represent her in the event.
“Community will run at Newcastle and Doraskaya will be saved for Wyong on Thursday,” said Waugh.
Keagan Latham has been on Community in his last four starts and retains the ride at Newcastle.
Community had been placed in two Gosford starts before breaking his maiden in good style at Newcastle when last produced.
“It was a well deserved victory,” said Waugh. “He’d been racing well and was ready to win and to make it better it was a super maiden so it was a $60,000 race.
“Keagan knows him well and the race on Tuesday looks like it’s going to suit him again so I think he’ll be very hard to hold out.”
Waugh’s other Newcastle runner will be Hard To Dismiss ($16) in the Lees Racing Benchmark 66 Handicap (1400m).
Latham will again combine with Waugh to take the ride on Hard To Dimiss: “She’s a mare that’s only had the three starts for me,” Waugh said of Hard To Dismiss.
“She hasn’t figured in the placings for me yet but her last start at Tuncurry can be forgotten.”
After being well beaten in the Tuncurry event, jockey Lee Magorrian reported to stewards that Hard To Dismiss failed to travel when wide and without cover throughout, adding that the mare failed to handle a deteriorating soft track.
Hard To Dismiss comes up against a few handy types in what is the final race of the day at Newcastle.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Cape Byron ($5) is looking for its second win from as many starts since resuming from a spell, while the Kristen Buchanan-prepared Gardenzio ($4.40 fav) and the Kris Lees-trained Lady Soames ($5.50) have been racing in good form.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Newcastle here