Newcastle preview: Dam was a dud on track but offspring Soo Gold could be a hidden gem

A Gerald Ryan gelding whose dam was beaten by more than 60 lengths combined in bush maidens will make his debut at Newcastle on Tuesday after a couple of eye-catching trials.

Trainer Gerald Ryan is eager to see what Soo Gold can offer at his first start at Newcastle on Tuesday. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Soo Gold is a living, breathing example of why breeding is an inexact science.

Fast horses are supposed to sire fast horses.

Slow ones never amount to anything.

Enter Soo Gold’s dam, Hidden Numbers, whose short career was anything but spectacular.

She ran last at her first start, beaten 16 lengths in a Balranald maiden on February 15, 2020.

She resurfaced at Cobar on the same day as Verry Elleegant won the Winx Stakes and this time Hidden Numbers was beaten the best part of 50 lengths and was slapped with suspension for being uncompetitive for good measure.

And that was it.

She was off to stud and was covered by Sooboog resulting in Soo Gold.

An impressive winner of both of his trials, Soo Gold has an ardent admirer in Gerald Ryan who trained the Newcastle-bound debutant’s grandfather, Snitzel.

“He’s taken a bit of time as most of them do but his two trials have been good,’’ Ryan said.

“He has done everything right, right from the word go. We had him 12 months ago and went to the Breeze Up Sale and he didn’t reach the reserve so they kept him and are trying him (as a racehorse).

“He is a very switched-on horse.

“He has always been easy to get along with, always been easy to educate and not much fazes the horse.

“He is no star but he is going to be very competitive is a race like this even from a the bad barrier.’’

Ryan and Sterling Alexiou are taking a small but select team to the Newcastle meeting on ­Tuesday.

The first of their four runners on the program is Creditor, who steps out in the TAB Maiden Plate over 1600m.

“Twice I tried him over 1800m and 2000m and he just raced a bit too keen in them and didn’t finish off,’’ Ryan explained.

“So I freshened him up a bit and brought him back in journey.”

Ryan and Alexiou saddle up a pair of lightly-raced, talented and progressive three-year-olds in a capacity field vying for top honours in the “Get Out Stakes” over 1400m, namely Dark Gleam and Gone Bananas.

“Gone Bananas should have been at the races a couple of weeks ago. He has been in a couple of times but the races have been cancelled,’’ Ryan said.

“He is a nice, well related, horse who is going to get 1600m. I quite like him.

“Whatever he does on Tuesday, he is going to improve on.

“He is going to get a nice economical run from the draw. He will probably settle back off the speed but the form out of the Maiden he won proved quite good.

“We gave him a spell and he has come back a lot more switched-on horse and he appears to be working OK.”

Gone Bananas ought to feel very comfortable over 1400m around Newcastle given it was at the same track and distance that her ‘aunt’ posted her P.B winning the 2023 Group 3 NJC Tibbie Stakes.

A daughter of So You Think, Banana Queen was served by Zoustar on September 22 last year.

Dark Gleam meanwhile aims to add another one to the tally of Wanless-gallopers, this one a December 12 winner at Kembla before a close and closing third here at Newcastle as recently as 11 days ago in a 1200m Benchmark 64.

“He has got fitness on his side,’’ Ryan said

“And he looks like he wants 1400m.”

Sargent’s training feats stuff of Legend

John Sargent can raise his tally of Australasian winners to 1000 at Newcastle on Tuesday with a little help from a son of a mare who accounts for six of his epic total.

The aptly named Luvalegend is the first foal of his four-time stakes winner Luvaluva, a $55,000 NZB Ready To Run (Sargent) purchase who retired with $850,000 in the bank.

Her son Luvalegend’s account balance is $2450 before the TAB Maiden Plate (1600m) on Tuesday but he is getting better with each passing day.

“He disappointed last campaign but he has just taken time to click on,’’ Sargent said.

“He is by Lonhro and has just been a ‘time job’.

“In the trials, he is improving and hopefully should run a nice race.’’

Trainer John Sargent is just two short of 1000 Australasian winners. Picture: Getty Images

Luvalegend will have company and competition in the race from stablemate Whispering Way, a valuable half-sister to the stakes winner Frankely Awesome.

“She had a tough run at Kembla so we are going to ride her a bit colder and see if she can hit the line,’’ Sargent said. “I have taken the blinkers off.

“She is also by Lonhro and is another one that has taken quite a bit of time but we would like to see her front up on Tuesday.’’

Sargent’s third and final runner on the Newcastle card is Fox Reign, who was an instant hit when he won on debut at Scone in June in determined fashion on the testing track.

The son of Foxwedge resumes in the Dailey Family Funerals Midway Class 1 Handicap over 1200m.

Molly Bourke will be aboard, as she was at Scone.

“Fox Reign is forward enough to run a good race,’’ Sargent said. “He’s got a wide draw but he is a big, free-rolling horse so he’ll roll over from there and he should be on the speed somewhere.

“We gave him a quite trial and he’s done a lot of work since so I would expect him to run well.’’

Sargent has many highlights and fond memories among his 998 Australia/New Zealand winners.

“Winning the AJC Oaks, the New Zealand Oaks, the VRC Oaks and the Queensland Oaks,’’ Sargent said.

“And winning the Magic Millions in New Zealand a couple of times.’’

One of Sarge’s best horses, Gust Of Wind, provided him with a stunning highlight (beating Winx in the ATC Oaks) and a fair share of angst in her Melbourne Cup quest.

“She was bloody unlucky that day,’’ Sargent said.

Originally published as Newcastle preview: Dam was a dud on track but offspring Soo Gold could be a hidden gem