MATCHA LATTE THE FLAVOUR FOR NEWCASTLE QUALIFIER

THEY say bad luck runs in threes!

As far as Wyong trainer Sara Ryan is concerned, two is more than enough in regard to her talented five-year-old gelding Matcha Latte.

After two setbacks – one of them so serious he was given almost no chance of racing again – the lightly-raced Matcha Latte is ready to return on Saturday, most likely in a Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Newcastle.

Ryan also entered him for the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1200m) at the corresponding Royal Randwick meeting, but today was favoring heading to Newcastle.

After beginning his career in Sydney with now Hong Kong-based Mark Newnham, the Domeland-owned gelding was Group 3 placed as a two-year-old in 2022, broke through on the Kensington track as an early three-year-old, then ran seconds in both the Group 3 Ming Dynasty (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens and Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm before finishing fourth in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.

Matcha Latte returned in the autumn of 2023 to run third in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill, sixth in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) and fifth in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

When Newnham relocated overseas, Ryan took over the gelding’s program – and he was no stranger to her.

A $150,000 buy at the 2021 Inglis Classic yearling sale, she broke him in and looked after him until he joined Newnham’s stable.

Matcha Latte, a fortnight after the Rosehill Guineas, was narrowly beaten in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick at his first run for his new trainer, who was looking confidently ahead to the Brisbane winter carnival and a shot at Eagle Farm’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

However, he suffered a serious tendon injury and whilst the prognosis was gloomy about ever getting him back to the track, Ryan managed to do so and 77 weeks later nearly pulled off a miracle win in Newcastle’s Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) last September.

Matcha Latte made Victorian Hard To Shock earn every bit of his victory, and that gelding has since won three races; two worth $1.5m and $1m in Australia along with a recent Group 1 in New Zealand.

However, whilst Here To Shock carried on in winning style, another cruel twist of fate struck Matcha Latte.

“Unfortunately he bled at his next trial at Randwick on October 8,” Ryan said today.

“He had given no indication of that happening, and of course we had to miss the spring racing as a result.

“So far everything is good and he has had two nice trials (both at Rosehill on February 3 and 18 over 900m and 1030m respectively).

“My current thinking is that we will go to the Newcastle for the PMC Qualifier, and Andrew Adkins is on standby to ride him.”

Adkins hasn’t ridden Matcha Latte in a race, but partnered him in his latest trial when third to Glint Of Silver.

He was quickly away, settled third in the run and figured in a three-way finish without being asked to reach his top.

Matcha Latte may be Ryan’s sole chance to reach the $1m PMC Final (1400m) at Randwick on April 12.

She ran five-times winner Roma Avenue (seventh in the opening 1400m Qualifier at Hawkesbury last Thursday), but that was his 20th start and thus is no longer eligible under the conditions of the series.

“I have the lightly-raced four-year-old Koios, who has just won a Provincial Maiden at a Gosford meeting held at Scone, and then he ran second at Canterbury at his last start,” Ryan said.

“But I’m not sure whether we will go to the series with him. It’s a big jump going to a Class 5 Plate.”

Newcastle Jockey Club received two extra entries (taking the number to 16) for Saturday’s Qualifier, for which acceptances will be taken at 9am on Thursday.

Matcha Latte has 56kg, with Kris Lees’ Spangler topweight with 59kg.

Provincial trainers Greg McFarlane (Gosford) and Ross McConville (Kembla Grange) were successful at today’s Kembla Grange meeting.

McFarlane’s promising filly Bremel (Ash Morgan) made it two in a row in the Class 1 Handicap (1000m) as a $1.65 favorite, and Montigo Bay (Chad Lever) took the Midway Maiden Handicap (1500m) for McConville as a $3.10 favorite.

At Taree, Wyong’s Kim Waugh was the sole provincial winner. Her $2.30 favorite Prince Kuro (Matt McGuren) broke through in the Maiden Plate (1000m) at his fourth start.

Story John Curtis, February 25, 2025