Roch ‘N’ Horse eyes back-to-back Newmarket Handicap victories

There will be 16 runners doing battle down the famous Flemington straight in the $1.5 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap this Saturday, with Roch ‘N’ Horse ($31) looking to become only the second horse ever to go back-to-back in the race.

The online bookmakers‘ favourite going into this year’s edition of the 1200m feature is the star Peter Moody gelding I Wish I Win ($3.90), who flashed home at the end of the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning over 1000m last start to indicate that the six furlongs will be perfect for the 2022 Golden Eagle winner.

Coolmore Stud Stakes winner In Secret ($5) will be tackling a Group 1 handicap against the older horses for the first time in her eight-start career, and along with Buenos Noches ($11) these two three-year-old fillies can give this race a fair shake with 51.5kg and 50.5kg, respectively.

After winning the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes down the Flemington straight for the first time, Private Eye ($7.50) – who also ran second in The Everest – will be carrying the top weight of 58kg.

Of the local hopes we have Lofty Strike ($9), who won the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes first-up before going on to finish runner-up in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate, as well as Star Patrol ($17), although he has to show that he can match it with the Group 1 sprinters after he finished sixth in the Oakleigh last start.

One of the runners that will be on notice for many punters will be the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Mazu ($11), who will be first-up in the Newmarket coming off a strong spring campaign where he finished in the placings at his last three starts in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes, The Everest and Winners Stakes, after winning the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in May last year.

2023 Newmarket Handicap field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Private Eye	Joseph Pride	Brenton Avdulla	2	58kg
2	Mazu	Peter & Paul Snowden	Sam Clipperton	16	57kg
3	I Wish I Win	Peter Moody	Luke Nolen	14	56.5kg
4	Roch ‘N’ Horse	Mike Moroney	Jamie Mott	3	55.5kg
5	Baller	Tony Gollan	Blake Shinn	13	55kg
6	Bella Nipotina	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Craig Williams	1	54.5kg
7	September Run	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	11	54kg
8	The Astrologist	Leon & Troy Corstens	Damian Lane	15	54kg
9	Lofty Strike	Julius Sandhu	Craig Newitt	12	52.5kg
10	Chain Of Lightning	Peter Moody	Linda Meech	6	52kg
11	Front Page	Geoff Duryea	Patrick Moloney	7	52kg
12	Snapper	Mike Moroney	Michael Poy	4	52kg
13	Star Patrol	Clinton McDonald	Damien Thornton	10	52kg
14	Swats That	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Daniel Moor	5	52kg
15	In Secret	James Cummings	Jamie Kah	8	51.5kg
16	Buenos Noches	Matthew Smith	Ben Thompson	9	50.5kg