2017 Newmarket Handicap Nominations Feature The Quarterback

January 24, 2017

2017 Newmarket Handicap Nominations Feature The Quarterback

Defending champion The Quarterback is one of the feature Newmarket Handicap 2017 nominations taken this week for the Flemington autumn sprint running on ‘Super Saturday’ in March.

The Quarterback

The Quarterback is nominated to defend his title in the 2017 Newmarket Handicap this autumn on Super Saturday at Flemington. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A total of 66 sprinters were paid for at early entry stage on Monday for this season’s edition of the $1.25 million Group 1 Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) that takes place down the Flemington straight on March 11.

Newmarket Handicap nominations were down four on the 70 received by Racing Victoria at this stage last season.

Last Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival the Robbie Griffiths-trained The Quarterback improved on a sixth in the Oakleigh Plate to score an upset Newmarket Handicap result as a 20/1 shot in betting.

The now six-year-old son of Street Boss is in the mix again looking to go back-to-back in the race for the first time since Razor Sharp (1982-83).

A Flemington specialist, The Quarterback has been to the track thirteen times for five wins and four thirds to date and since his Newmarket Handicap success has posted just one other win.

He took out the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) first-up in October and was last seen running sixth to Malaguerra in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at the same track and distance on Emirates Stakes Day.

2017 Newmarket Handicap Nominations – Key Horses

  • The Quarterback (Robbie Griffiths)
  • Black Heart Bart (Darren Weir)
  • Chautauqua (Hawkes Racing)
  • Extreme Choice (Mick Price)
  • Flying Artie (Mick Price)

The other super sprinters that finished off the Newmarket Handicap trifecta last year – Black Heart Bart (2nd) and Chautauqua (3rd) – are also in the mix again in 2017.

Darren Weir’s Blackfriars six-year-old Black Heart Bart has amassed over $2.7 million in career prize money thanks to a trio of elite level wins.

That latest of those was in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) last September at Caulfield.

Razor Sharp (1982-83) was the last back-to-back Newmarket Handicap winner

He is nominated to kick-off his autumn this Friday night at Moonee Valley in the Group 2 Australia Stakes and was last seen running ninth to Winx in the Cox Plate over 2040m at that track.

Weir has a total of five Newmarket Handicap nominations this season including also William Reid Stakes winner last March Flamberge and ultra-consistent four-year-old Hellbent.

Chautauqua for Team Hawkes meanwhile is a $6.5 million earner and five-time Group 1 winner including his international win in Hong Kong’s Chairman’s Sprint (1200m) last May.

He is a genuine Flemington straight track horse boasting four wins, three seconds and a third from eight runs over 1200m at the course and also ran second in the 2015 Newmarket Handicap making this year his third run in the race if accepted.

2017 Newmarket Handicap Nominations – Key Trainers

  • Lindsay Park (11)
  • Darren Weir (5)
  • John O’Shea (4)

The best represented stable with a bumper 11 Newmarket Handicap nominees is Lindsay Park.

Co-trainer David Hayes took out the race back in 1989 with Grandiose and is back with plenty of livewire hopes this season that he trains in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig.

Among the key Lindsay Park nominees are Winterbottom Stakes runner-up Sheidel and the consistent Super Fun.

A host of the season’s gun three-year-old sprinters are out to take on the older sprinters in the Newmarket Handicap this year.

The youngsters have dominated the race in recent years including four wins in the past nine years, most recently with Brazen Beau (2015).

Some of the best three-year-olds bound for the race this March include Golden Rose winner Astern for Godolphin, Myer Classic winning filly I Am A Star, and the Mick Price-trained duo of Flying Artie and Extreme Choice.

Extreme Choice (1st) and Flying Artie (2nd) ran the Blue Diamond Stakes quinella last autumn for Price and both have gone on to win subsequent Group 1 races making them Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival contenders to watch.

Not A Single Doubt colt Extreme Choice beat the older gallopers at Moonee Valley in late September’s Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m).

He then ran a close fifth to his star stablemate Flying Artie in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Derby Day at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

See below for the official 2017 Newmarket Handicap nominations, first acceptances for the race closing on February 21 and futures odds out shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Newmarket Handicap Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 11/04/2017

# Form (Last 10) Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp. Rating
1 1976x1225x AEGEAN SEA M 4 Clarry Conners 85
2 0x3x00352x AROD (IRE) H 6 Chris Waller 108
3 x101x1122x ASTERN C 3 John O’Shea 109
4 106x ASTRO CASTRO G 4 Alan Hunter 66
5 1x110x2 BARTHELONA C 3 Michael Moroney 73
6 0x6025x75x BIG MONEY G 7 Rodney Northam
7 212x12129x BLACK HEART BART G 6 Darren Weir 113
8 2x1311x47x CHAUTAUQUA G 6 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
9 133x1111x CHETWOOD G 4 John O’Shea 105
10 575432460x CHURCHILL DANCER G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 101
11 5217x2602x COUNTERATTACK H 4 Chris Waller 102
12 62x600x21x DAL CIELO (NZ) G 4 Kris Lees
13 262x44434x DENMAGIC M 4 David Pfieffer 96
14 3525x456x4 DOTHRAKI G 6 Peter & Paul Snowden
15 11x477x EL DIVINO C 3 Darren Weir 85
16 6x0690089x ESSAY RAIDER G 7 Trevor Godfrey
17 1118x15x EXTREME CHOICE C 3 Mick Price
18 115x16225x FAATINAH G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 102
19 42156x323x FELL SWOOP G 5 Matthew Dale 110
20 7x1100x98x FLAMBERGE G 7 Darren Weir 112
21 14x7x01x05 FLIPPANT M 4 Peter & Paul Snowden
22 2x123x11x FLYING ARTIE C 3 Mick Price
23 2×52717121 GRANDE ROSSO G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 96
24 6x1x14x3 GUARD OF HONOUR C 3 Kris Lees
25 497x000x6x HEART TESTA G 7 Matthew Smith
26 31113x132x HEATHERLY M 4 Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra 107
27 1x0x10113x HELLBENT H 4 Darren Weir 96
28 240x11134x HEY DOC G 3 Tony McEvoy 100
29 1900x70x9x HOOKED H 6 Robert Smerdon 103
30 11x154231x I AM A STAR (NZ) F 3 Shane Nichols 105
31 5121x1212x ILLUSTRIOUS LAD G 5 Peter Gelagotis 105
32 13x3314x IMPENDING C 3 John O’Shea 97
33 6162x INSIDE AGENT (NZ) C 3 Nigel Blackiston 75
34 083426033x INSPECTOR G 6 Peter White 85
35 0x10x3021x KAEPERNICK G 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
36 1170x15x0x KAYJAY’S JOY M 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 88
37 83x211478x KEEN ARRAY G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
38 x360x22171 KURO (NZ) G 5 Joseph Pride
39 236268×415 LITTLE INDIAN M 4 Robbie Laing 67
40 1L0x55402x MISS PROMISCUITY M 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 99
41 9x1x66735x MISSROCK F 3 Robbie Laing 81
42 2311x1210x MUSIC MAGNATE (NZ) G 5 Bjorn Baker
43 1182x NO DOUBT H 4 Anthony Cummings
44 7x21x531x PEACOCK C 3 John O’Shea 76
45 11110x100x PETITS FILOUS M 4 Ciaron Maher
46 1x4646x4x POWER TRIP G 3 John McArdle 70
47 622x72x321 PRIVATE SECRETARY M 7 Gregory Hickman
48 5120x5x21x REDKIRK WARRIOR (GB) G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 100
49 11114x RUSSIAN REVOLUTION C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden 97
50 414210265x SHAF G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 89
51 27x421152x SHEIDEL M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
52 0313x68x23 SOLD FOR SONG M 4 Kevin Kemp 92
53 7x0111x12x SPIETH (NZ) H 4 Bryce Heys 108
54 x256x1213x STAR TURN C 3 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 106
55 31536x143x SUPER CASH M 4 Andrew Noblet 92
56 13111233×3 SUPER FUN G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 81
57 x1x11x113x SUPIDO H 5 Michael Kent
58 24×111 TACTICAL ADVANTAGE G 3 James Cummings
59 242x256Px1 TARGET IN SIGHT G 7 Joseph Pride
60 73x296x20x TERRAVISTA G 7 Joseph Pride
61 61539x146x THE QUARTERBACK G 6 Robbie Griffiths 110
62 1121306x THRONUM C 3 Gai Waterhouse 77
63 461x26330x TIVACI H 4 Michael Moroney 102
64 1 VILLA ROSA F 3 Ciaron Maher 63
65 212311210x VOODOO LAD G 5 Darren Weir 107
66 31619×7 WALL STREET WOLF G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 67

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