DEAMER RAPT TO GIVE LOOKER COAST REWARD

NEWCASTLE trainer Jason Deamer will be extremely happy if he can “reward” jockey Ben Looker with a $500,000 winner at Gosford tomorrow.

Deamer has lured Looker from his Northern Rivers base, after being in action at Grafton today, to ride talented mare Rapt in the highlight race, the Listed The Coast (1600m) – his sole engagement at the metropolitan stand-alone meeting.

Looker, with 1300 wins to his credit (including five at Gosford), has had a good association with Deamer, bringing home 13 winners for him.

“Ben does a lot of riding for me on country tracks, including the Sky 2 meetings, so it’s a nice reward to give him the chance to win such a good race for us,” Deamer said.

“I spoke with him at Newcastle races last Saturday about riding Rapt in The Coast at her 53kg, and he said he would make the weight.”

Deamer withdrew Rapt from two races, including the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) last Saturday, to focus on The Coast, which is for three and four-year-olds under Quality conditions.

Rapt, who has built a tidy record (five wins and six placings from 18 starts), hasn’t raced since finishing seventh to Matcha Latte in the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.

She drew awkwardly, got well back and made nice ground in the straight to finish just under four lengths from the winner.

Rapt also came from a long way back when she won a Hawkesbury Qualifier (1400m) of the series on February 20.

“Rapt has trained on well, and the 1600m is definitely more to her liking (she is unbeaten from three starts at the distance),” Deamer said.

. Meanwhile fellow Newcastle trainer Scott Aspery will wait until just before Saturday’s 7.30am scratching deadline before deciding whether Uzziah resumes in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford.

He has Wyong apprentice Anna Roper on standby to ride the gelding if he runs.

“I won’t start Uzziah if the track is a ‘Soft 7’ or worse,” Aspery said this morning.

“I trialled him over 800m on the Beaumont track on Wednesday morning, and he has come through that well.”

Aspery has done a splendid job with South Australian yearling purchase Uzziah, winning seven races so far with the now six-year-old.

If Uzziah misses the feature Gosford sprint, he will go to the Listed Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at the Scone Cup carnival next Saturday.

 THE COAST WINNERS

2021 BRANDENBURG (J. Sargent/R. Bayliss)

2022 RUSTIC STEEL (K. Lees/J. Ford)

2023 PALMETTO (J. Sargent/K. McEvoy)

2024 MAGNASPIN (L. & T. Corstens/T. Sherry)

Story John Curtis, May 9, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos