PROVINCIAL TRAINERS HOPING FOR ANOTHER SCONE CUP SUCCESS

FOUR provincial horses are among 43 entries for Friday’s $200,000 Listed Scone Cup (1600m).

The lure of gaining a spot in the $3m Big Dance over the same distance at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November has attracted interest from Victoria and Queensland along with a stack of New South Wales entries.

Newcastle trainers Kris Lees (Tavi Time and Loch Eagle) and David Atkins (Promitto), and Wyong’s Sara Ryan (Salt Lake City), have the four provincial nominations.

Newcastle trainer Paul Perry won last year’s Cup with $31 outsider Sky Lab. Ridden by Koby Jennings, he overcame the extreme outside barrier (16) to defeat $3.50 favorite Waterford.

Perry was the sole provincial winner at Quirindi today, taking the Maiden Handicap (1200m) with $1.60o favorite The Piccolino.

Weights for the Scone Cup were released late this afternoon, and provided Newcastle jockey Ash Morgan with the chance of winning The Coast-Scone Cup double if Scone trainer

Paul Messara decides to back up last Saturday’s Gosford winner Know Thyself.

RacingNSW handicappers raised the four-year-old eight benchmark points to a 94 rating for his victory in the $500,000 The Coast (1600m), but his 54kg will not enable regular rider Aaron Bullock to return for the Scone assignment.

TAB.com.au this afternoon issued an early market on the Cup, and Know Thyself, chasing his fifth win on end, is the $5 favorite, with Tavi Time and My Oberon on the second line of betting at $8.

They are the only horses currently quoted under double figures.

Tavi Time’s trainer Kris Lees won The Coast-Scone Cup double with Rustic Steel in 2022, and that gelding later became the inaugural Big Dance winner the same year.

Whilst 43 horses have been entered, only 16 can start in the Cup with provision for four emergencies.

Know Thyself is currently equal 21st in order of ballot.

Scone Race Club has been besieged with entries – a staggering 519 - for its tremendously popular two-day carnival.

A total of 221 horses was entered for Friday, and 298 for Saturday’s stand-alone meeting (both days carry metropolitan status).

Saturday’s program features the $250,000 Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) for fillies and mares, as well as four Listed events; the $200,000 Luskin Star Stakes (1300m), $200,000 Ortensia Stakes (1100m), $200,000 Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) for three-year-old fillies, and $200,000 Woodlands Stakes (1100m) for two-year-old fillies.

The two-day carnival, which became stand-alone fixtures in 2011, is but part of a huge 10 days for Scone chief executive Jason Hill, who also has taken on the role of Scone Horse Festival organiser.

“Good people make you look good,” Hill said today, modestly playing down such an important position to ensure Scone’s biggest time of the year is a great success.

On the racing front, he says everything is set for another fantastic carnival.

“Whilst we have 10 races on Saturday, there’s every likelihood we again will have nine on Friday,” he said.

“We divided the 1300m Class 2 Handicap last year to run nine races, so we’ll see how acceptances develop on Wednesday morning.”

Scone’s racecourse manager Sam Murray said the track is in great shape, and on Monday was between a Good 4 and Soft 5 rating.

“Not much rain is forecast during the week, so we’re ready for two great days of top-class racing,” Murray said.

Story John Curtis, May 12, 2025