HUGE ENTRIES FOR GOSFORD’S SATURDAY STAND-ALONE MEETING

THERE will be no shortage of “entertainment” at The Entertainment Grounds on Saturday!

Gosford Race Club today received a whopping 226 entries for its annual metropolitan stand-alone meeting, which features three Listed events, highlighted by the $500,000 The Coast (1600m) for three and four-year-olds.

The others are the $300,000 Gosford Gold Cup (2100m), and $250,000 Takeover Target Stakes (1200m).

Gosford chief executive Daniel Lacey understandably was delighted by the response to the meeting after the track came through with flying colours on Anzac Day.

“The nominations are excellent, and similar to the last couple of years,” Lacey said. “They are down a little bit on last year but up on the previous year.

“Hopefully with good weather on our side this year, it will be fantastic to run our biggest raceday of the year at home again.

“The first of 10 races is scheduled for 11.15am and the last at 4.40pm.”

Heavy rain 12 months ago forced the transfer of The Coast meeting to Newcastle.

Twenty-four horses have been entered for The Coast, 18 for the Cup (which carries Big Dance eligibility), and 22 for the Takeover Target.

Four provincial horses figure amongst The Coast weights. Leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup has entered both Hyperbolic and High Dandy, and Newcastle pair Kris Lees and Jason Deamer have Australian Oaks placegetter You Wahng and Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier winner Rapt (pictured) respectively.

Only one race, the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m), has seen nominations extended until 11am Tuesday.

RacingNSW late this afternoon released weights for the meeting, with Annabel and Rob Archibald’s Port Lockroy heading The Coast weights with 61kg, followed by Victorian Lady In Pink (58.5kg), a recent Group 2 placegetter in Adelaide.

The mare’s trainers Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin won last year’s The Coast with Magnaspin.

John O’Shea and Tom Charlton’s UK import Klondike tops Cup weights with 59kg, whilst Team Archibald also has the topweight Ostraka (59kg) in the Takeover Target.

TAB.com.au also has issued early markets on Gosford’s three features.

Country Championships Final winner Know Thyself opened favorite at $4.50 and quickly firmed a point to $3.50.

Hezashocka and New Endeavour are joint favorites at $4.50 for the Gold Cup, and Ostraka and Accredited also are disputing favoritism for the Takeover Target at the same quote.

Former New Zealander Hezashocka relished the heavy ground at Newcastle last year to take the Cup from imports Sir Lucan and Double Cherry.

. The early market for The Coast is:

$3.50 Know Thyself

7 Wootton Verni

8 Depth Of Character, Mare Of Mt Buller

9 Ducasse

11 Lady In Pink

13 Les Vampires

15 Royal Supremacy, You Wahng

17 Port Lockroy, Scarlet Oak, Vivy Air

Story John Curtis, May 5, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos