MASSIVE ENTRIES FOR SCONE’S TWO-DAY CUP CARNIVAL

A whopping 563 nominations have laid the platform for another bumper two-day Scone Cup carnival on Friday and Saturday.

“Terrific entries indeed; it’s a great start to Cup week,” Scone Race Club chief executive Jason Hill said this afternoon.

“All we want now is for those entries to translate to full fields on both Friday and Saturday.”

A half-day holiday on Friday will ensure a big crowd, and Saturday’s meeting is a metropolitan stand-alone fixture.

Two hundred and thirty-nine nominations were received for Friday’s program, and 324 for Saturday’s 10-race card.

“Whilst we have eight races programmed on Friday, acceptances on Wednesday morning will determine whether we can divide a race to extend the program to nine,” Hill said.

“The track is in great nick, and we’re looking forward to two very big days.”

Friday’s $200,000 Arrowfield Big Dance Eligibility Listed Scone Cup (1600m) drew 37 entries, whilst the five features on Saturday attracted between 28 and 38 nominations.

The $250,000 Group 3 Arrowfield Dark Jewel Stakes (1400m) for fillies and mares has 38 nominations, the $200,000 Listed Darley Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) 30, $200,000 Listed Emirates Park Ortensia Stakes (1100m) 29, $200,000 Listed Coolmore Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) for three-year-old fillies has 28, and $200,000 Listed Yarraman Park Woodlands Stakes (1100m) for two-year-old fillies has 31.

Hill welcomed Arrowfield as a new sponsor of the Scone Cup, and also extended his appreciation and thanks to Darley for their fantastic support of the feature for the last nine years.

“Arrowfield also has taken over sponsorship of the Dark Jewel this year, but Darley will return as sponsor for Saturday’s Group 3 feature next year,” he said.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Tavi Time (pictured) has 59kg topweight – 2.5kg more than last year – as he attempts to defend his Cup crown.

But Team Archibald already holds a strong hand prior to acceptances with four of the first seven in the early market issued today by TAB.com.au.

That includes Tamworth Gold Cup winner Formal Display ($6 favorite) and Cristal Clear, who shares second favoritism at $8 with Tavi Time.

Annabel and Rob Archibald also have Hellsing ($11) and Depth Of Character ($13).

Newcastle mare Churchill’s Choice (56kg), striving to become the first this century to complete the Hawkesbury Gold Cup – Scone Cup double, is at $11.

This year’s Group 3 Newcastle Stakes winner Tuileries heads Dark Jewel weights with 59.5kg against her own sex.

Estadio Mestalla (61kg) is topweight for the Luskin Star, and Tuileries’ stablemate King Of Sparta (also 61kg) heads weights for the Ortensia.

Recent Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown runner-up Surfin Bird is the early $4.50 Dark Jewel favorite, ahead of local mare and last year’s winner Melody Again ($6).

Linebacker is the $3.50 top fancy for the Luskin Star, Golden Straand heads Ortensia betting at $4.50, and Moscatel at $3.50 is favorite for the Woodlands.

As well as Tavi Time and Churchill’s Choice, other provincial entries for the Cup are Paul Perry’s Sky Lab (who won the race two years ago when ridden by now Victorian-based Koby Jennings), fellow Newcastle trainers Scott Aspery and Damien Smith have Uzziah and Hunter Bred respectively, and Hyperbolic for leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup.

. Gosford trainer Jake Hull was the sole provincial winning trainer at Quirindi today.

Hull took the closer, the Class 1 Handicap (1200m) with Dingle Grey ($4.60).

Ridden by Luke Rolls, the lightly-raced filly made it two wins from her only four starts.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, MAY 11, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS