NEWCASTLE PAIR GET SPECIAL WEEKEND RESULTS

WILL Stanley will forever remember Romeo’s Choice, and Jason Deamer picked the right race for Dollars.

The Newcastle apprentice clinched his first metropolitan Saturday double at Rosehill Gardens yesterday, and one of his winners Romeo’s Choice also was part of his maiden city double.

Fellow Novocastrian Deamer scored a hollow victory with $14 chance Dollars, a horse he trains for a Dynamic Syndications group, at Gosford yesterday after also having him in three other races during the week.

Stanley’s Rosehill successes on double figure odds pair Rolling Magic ($13) and Romeo’s Choice ($10) boosted his season’s winners to 42.

But he wasn’t in the least surprised about scoring on both.

“I have ridden both before and knew they were very capable on heavy ground,” Stanley said today.

“I was looking forward to riding them, and they didn’t let me down.”

Stanley, who had only three mounts at the meeting, won the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) on Rolling Magic, and Benchmark 88 Handicap (1300m) on Romeo’s Choice.

He won a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1000m) on the latter at Warwick Farm on Wednesday July 2 last year, and later that day posted his maiden city double on the Ciaron Maher-trained Covert Thinking ($9).

It was no coincidence that Warwick Farm was also heavy that day.

Stanley, who made the move from the country to Newcastle in October 2024 to join leading trainer Kris Lees, is glad he did.

“Everything has gone so well, and my wife Chelsea and I have a beautiful little daughter Layla,” he said.

“She has just turned 10 months old.

“My manager Ryan Roberts is doing a terrific job getting me mounts with some of the big Sydney stables, and it’s nice to get a Saturday double heading into the new season.”

Stanley’s 3kg claim proved immeasurable on both winners, as Rolling Magic carried 60kg instead of 63kg, and Romeo’s Choice’s handicap was reduced from 60.5kg to 57.5kg.

Jason Deamer’s success with Dollars (Lee Magorrian) in the Midway Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m) at Gosford culminated a week where a decision had to be made about which race he would contest.

“We had him in at Newcastle last Tuesday, Grafton on Wednesday and Tamworth on Friday,” Deamer said.

“Thankfully his win yesterday will pay for all the scratching fees,” he added, jokingly.

Though at double figures, Dollars won like an odds-on favorite, romping home by four and a half lengths from Wyong trainer Denim Wynen’s Kahraba ($21).

Deamer put blinkers on Dollars for his Gosford assignment, and said that no doubt helped return him to the winning list.

“He’s a big kid; he’s still learning,” he said.

“Hopefully that win yesterday will give him the confidence to win again.”

Dollars, a four-year-old by Written Tycoon, has won three of his 16 starts, and also been placed on four occasions.

. Stanley’s boss Kris Lees and fellow Newcastle trainer Andrew MacDonald were successful today at Grafton’s five-day July carnival closer.

Lees won the Maiden Handicap (1700m) with Taga Smile ($2.45 favorite), and MacDonald the marathon Benchmark 58 Handicap (3150m) with Legs Power ($10).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JULY 19, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS