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By Gary Harley

Scone trainer Jeremy Gask will drive down the Hunter Expressway to the Newcastle Racecourse on Saturday confident that the talented galloper in the float he is towing can complete a hat-trick of wins.

Newcastle Jockey Club will host the annual Clubs in The Community Pink Raceday which always attracts a big crowd, however, the COVID restrictions will significantly reduce the crowd in 2021.

The popular Gask, born in Adelaide where he trained for 10 years from 1998, trains the 7yo gelding Tim’s Principal, early favourite for the Club Macquarie Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m)

He doesn’t win out of turn with five wins from thirty-eight starts, but he has been placed in seventeen of those starts. Tim’s Principal has struck a purple patch of form with outstanding victories in his past two starts.

He won the $90,000 Country Cup on Scone Cup Day - May 14. Last start on June 3, the gelding came from a near-impossible position on the home turn to win at Wyong.

Scone boom apprentice Reece Jones has ridden Tim’s Principal in his past two wins and he rides the horse again with a 2kg claim. Gask spoke highly of his galloper when contacted on Thursday.

“He hasn’t raced for a month because of bad barrier draws, heavy tracks and he has been balloted out once or twice.

Tim’s Principal has won on both a Soft 5 and 6 in his last two starts, but he doesn’t like it slippery or heavy. He has been an unlucky horse and he did not race for a year when we had bush fires and drought.

This horse loves the Newcastle track and Reece rides him so well. He is flying and in fact, I nominated for a metropolitan meeting on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday, but with the prospect of a heavy track I didn’t accept.

"I can’t fault him at the moment and I’m pretty confident - as long as the track isn’t heavy,” Gask said.

The trainer had Group 1 placings in Europe where he trained for 10 years before settling with his family in Scone.

3yo King of Hearts is set to atone for an unlucky defeat at Canterbury last start when he contests The MEX Club Maiden Plate (1400m). The gelding was slowly away at Canterbury and in the early stages was ten lengths behind the second-last horse.

Twice in the straight King of Hearts was held up before sprouting wings late to finish 3/4 length from the winner. He will appreciate the long Newcastle straight.

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