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

Roch ‘N’ Horse
Roch ‘N’ Horse will look to go back-to-back in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on Saturday.

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. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
1 Silks
Private Eye
Joseph Pride
Brenton Avdulla
2
58kg
2 Silks
Mazu
Peter & Paul Snowden
Sam Clipperton
16
57kg
3 Silks
I Wish I Win
Peter Moody
Luke Nolen
14
56.5kg
4 Silks
Roch ‘N’ Horse
Mike Moroney
Jamie Mott
3
55.5kg
5 Silks
Baller
Tony Gollan
Blake Shinn
13
55kg
6 Silks
Bella Nipotina
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Craig Williams
1
54.5kg
7 Silks
September Run
Chris Waller
Jye McNeil
11
54kg
8 Silks
The Astrologist
Leon & Troy Corstens
Damian Lane
15
54kg
9 Silks
Lofty Strike
Julius Sandhu
Craig Newitt
12
52.5kg
10 Silks
Chain Of Lightning
Peter Moody
Linda Meech
6
52kg
11 Silks
Front Page
Geoff Duryea
Patrick Moloney
7
52kg
12 Silks
Snapper
Mike Moroney
Michael Poy
4
52kg
13 Silks
Star Patrol
Clinton McDonald
Damien Thornton
10
52kg
14 Silks
Swats That
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Daniel Moor
5
52kg
15 Silks
In Secret
James Cummings
Jamie Kah
8
51.5kg
16 Silks
Buenos Noches
Matthew Smith
Ben Thompson
9
50.5kg

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