If formlines are gold, and punters have one eye on the next outing, three runners fit the bill at today’s Newcastle meeting.
Promising local three-year-old Time Raid steps out in a good-quality BM70 over 1400m to close the seven-race card. The gelded son of Time Thief out of a mare by 1987 Golden Slipper winner Marauding has won twice and been placed three times in just seven starts, but his last run, over 1600m at Warwick Farm two weeks ago, had form bells ringing. He finished just two lengths behind high-class Fun Fact which went to Eagle Farm and ran them off their legs in the group 3 Grand Prix over 2200m.
Emerging four-year-old This Is So lines up for his second start in race four, a maiden over 1300m.
A gelded son of dual Cox Plate winner So You Think out of a Dehere mare, This Is So finished strongly on debut at Kembla under a big weight behind filly Invinciano, which then backed up to score in the Belle Of The South at Nowra on Sunday. Given that formline, and a pedigree that suggests he will eat up extra ground, This Is So looks primed today.
Completing the form-boosted triple treat, smart Randwick two-year-old Enforcement returns off two dominant trial wins in race five, a maiden over 900m.
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In fact, so impressive was his latest trial win at Hawkesbury over 1000m under a hold, that he left highly touted unraced colt Deadly Impact in his wake.
Few observers will need reminding Enforcement jumped a $4.80 favourite in December on debut when he finished down the track behind high-class sprinting pair Accession and Strasbourg, which ran the quinella in Saturday’s group 2 Sires’ Produce at Eagle Farm, the latter charging home to land one of the best wins of the day.
Supplied by Racing NSW