BULLOCK BACK ON “JUPITER” FOR RANDWICK RETURN

TALENTED Wyong mare Oakfield Jupiter’s return to racing at Royal Randwick on Saturday carries extra significance.

It’s not that the hat-trick seeker needs to win to continue on a Provincial-Midway Championships path – but it’s vital as far as jockey Aaron Bullock is concerned.

“Aaron will be back on Oakfield Jupiter on Saturday as she has got enough weight (57.5kg) for him to ride her in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m),” trainer Damien Lane explained en route home this afternoon from a successful Dubbo trip, where he scored with Maximum Ride today.

“Aaron is keen to stay with the mare in the second PMC Qualifier over 1400m at Newcastle on February 28.

“But for that to happen, she needs to win at the weekend so that she has enough weight for him to be able to ride her.”

The February 28 Qualifier at Newcastle is for provincial-trained horses only, and guarantees the first two placegetters automatic inclusion in the field for the $1m Final (1400m) at Randwick on April 11.

Oakfield Jupiter has won four of her five starts, and Bullock rode her to victory at her first two starts at Wyong and Gosford on April 3 and 25 last year.

She is unbeaten in two Sydney appearances this campaign, taking Midway Benchmark 72 Handicaps at Randwick (1200m) on October 25 and Rosehill Gardens (1300m) on November 8 when partnered by Jason Collett and Zac Lloyd respectively.

Lane gave Oakfield Jupiter a short break after her Rosehill victory with the aim of setting the four-year-old for the Provincial-Midway Championships.

“Oakfield Jupiter is in good order and ready to go back to the races,” he said.

“But she has had only the one trial (second to Signor Tortoni over 1050m at Randwick on January 15), whereas she had two trials before winning first-up at Randwick in late October.

“I wanted to be sure she is at her top for the Provincial-Midway Championships.”

Oakfield Jupiter, raced by Bruce Mackenzie, is currently a $26 chance to win the Final, with Hawkesbury mare Oui Oui Oui heading an open market at $6.

Bullock clinched a home track treble at Newcastle last Saturday on another Mackenzie-raced mare Oakfield Mamselle ($10), trained by Kris Lees.

Lane, meanwhile, was pleased to finally break through with Maximum Ride ($4.80) in the Maiden Plate (1400m) at Dubbo today.

The six-year-old Stryker gelding was ridden by apprentice Izzy Neale, and defeated Castro ($4) and $201 bolter Arwa Miss.

Maximum Ride’s 13^th start thankfully didn’t hold any bad luck, and his owners made the trip to Dubbo this morning from outside Sydney to get their first winner.

“Maximum Ride was bred by his owners who race him under their Black Star Racing banner, and of course they were thrilled to see him win,” Lane said.

“It has been a while coming, but he didn’t start racing until he was four years of age.

“I gave him a preparation at three and turned him out, and later he tore a ligament behind a knee on a heavy track at home in June 2024.

“He was off the scene for 10 months, then had only two starts back and picked up a virus and needed further time out.

“This is the first time we have been able to get a good preparation with him.”

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees was the sole provincial winner at the Beaumont track meeting today.

His UK import Golden Smile ($3 favorite) posted her second Australian success in the Class 1/Maiden Plate (2200m).

Jockey Andrew Gibbons took no prisoners, taking the well-bred six-year-old mare to a hollow seven lengths’ victory over La Morra ($5) and Call Me Son ($6.50).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, FEBRUARY 2, 2026 - BRADLEY PHOTOS

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