LATHAM BOOKED FOR OAKFIELD JUPITER IN NEWCASTLE QUALIFIER

DAMIEN Lane has turned to provincial kingpin Keagan Latham at Newcastle on Saturday to qualify Oakfield Jupiter for the Provincial-Midway Championships Final.

The Wyong trainer, buoyed by a home track victory yesterday with Sneaky Sofia (pictured above), today confirmed Latham’s booking for the talented mare in the second Qualifier (1400m) for provincial-trained horses only.

The first two placegetters will join last Thursday’s Hawkesbury first and second Octa De Lago and Oui Oui Oui in the $1m Final (1400m) to be run at Royal Randwick on April 11 on Day 2 of The Championships.

Oakfield Jupiter, owed by Bruce Mackenzie, who will be trackside on Saturday, has won four of her six starts and is currently a $26 chance to win the Final.

Lane was rapt with the four-year-old’s last start sixth in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on February 7, and is thrilled with her subsequent progress.

Oakfield Jupiter never got on the track in the Randwick race (yet was beaten little more than two lengths) after Tim Clark was a late replacement when Aaron Bullock withdrew.

“It was a tough assignment, especially asking a lot of Tim virtually at the last minute,” Lane said today.

“She went terrific, and I’m really pleased with her progress since.

“Oakfield Jupiter is as good as I can get her, and it’s great to get Keagan to ride her, given his great record at the provincials.

“As she didn’t win the Randwick race, she will come in nicely at the weights on Saturday.”

Oakfield Jupiter’s stablemate Sneaky Sofia (apprentice Shannen Llewellyn) made it four career wins when she led throughout at $18 to land the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m) at Wyong yesterday.

An $80,000 purchase at the 2023 Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast, Sneaky Sofia took her earnings to near $160,000.

“We bought her because she is a half-sister to a good mare I trained called Just Field,” Lane explained.

“Sneaky Sofia has been troubled by bad feet, and it’s been a battle to get her right.

“Her record should be even better.

“She was unlucky not to win the Wellington Boot as a two-year-old (drew awkwardly and was narrowly beaten by recent Randwick winner Fingers Hunter).”

Lane’s day ended well with Sneaky Sofia taking the closer at his home track, but it didn’t begin well.

“I had All Too Sneaky in a race at Tuncurry where I thought she would be hard to beat,” he said.

“However, she injured herself in the float not long after leaving the stables at Wyong, and had to be scratched.”

Oakfield Jupiter’s rivals on Saturday will include local pair Lord Of Biscay and Tasoraay as leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees chases a sixth PMC Final triumph.

Lord Of Biscay was runner-up to Matcha Latte in last year’s Final, and Lees understandably considers him his No 1` seed this year.

Andrew Gibbons and stable apprentice Will Stanley will ride the Lees’ horses in Saturday’s Qualifier.

Whilst Lees missed out qualifying his mares Miss Busslinger and Imposant (third and fourth in last Thursday’s opening Qualifier at Hawkesbury), he hasn’t given up hope of getting them into the Final.

“Whilst both were having their 21^st starts, under the rules of the series they will now be able to run again,” Lees said.

“Most likely they will go back to Hawkesbury on Saturday week for another 1400m Qualifier, which is restricted to provincial horses only.”

STORY JOHN CURTIS, FEBRUARY 22, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS