Newcastle Spring Stakes Preview

The Newcastle Spring Stakes is a Group 3 race for three-year-olds that takes place midweek each year on a Wednesday at Broadmeadow racecourse in Newcastle during the Sydney spring racing carnival in September. The race is run over a distance of 1600 metres and worth $175,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Newcastle Spring Stakes was won by Darci Be Good from Rekindled Alliance with Ambidexter third.

Newcastle is located about 200km north of Sydney and Gr3 Cameron Handicap day on the Wednesday forms part of the two day Newcastle carnival, which also includes this race on the the same day, with the Gr3 Newcastle Gold Cup held the following day on the Thursday.

Newcastle Spring Stakes info
Date:	Wednesday 19th September 2012
Track:	Broadmeadow racecourse, Newcastle
Distance:	1600 metres
Race Type:	3yo Set Weights
Status:	Group 3
Prizemoney:	$175,000
2011 Winner:	Darci Be Good

The Newcastle Spring Stakes is the feature race held for three-year-olds during the two day Newcastle spring carnival and quite often attracts good quality gallopers who may bypass the bigger 3yo races on offer at Rosehill and Randwick for an easier group race to tackle.

Some more than handy gallopers have won this event over the years including Clangalang (2002), Universal Prince (2000), Shogun Lodge (1999) and Encounter (1997).

Previous winners and placegetters of the Spring Stakes have gone on to perform well in the Gr1 Spring Champion Stakes over the years and also the listed Dulcify Quality to a lesser extent.

Sousa (2008), Hotel Grand (2005), Universal Prince (2000), Coronation Day (1992) and Imprimatur (1986) all managed to go on and win the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on Epsom Handicap day after winning the Spring Stakes.

Rhyno Chaser (2nd in 2008) and Viking Legend (3rd in 2009) went on to win the Dulcify Quality at their next start while Hotel Grand (2005) and Ebony Grosve (1996) both went on to place in the Dulcify Quality.

Darci Be Good (2011) ran third in the listed Ming Dynasty Handicap over 1400m at Warwick Farm on his way to winning this event and recent Newcastle Spring Stakes winners have been Ilovethiscity (2010) and Lovemelikearock (2009).

Newcastle Track Map
Newcastle race track is a flat track which has a circumference of 2000m and horses race in a clockwise direction. The track surface is turf and the straight length is 415m.

2011 Newcastle Spring Stakes result
1. $4.60 Darci Be Good 56.5 G Boss
2. $4.20 Rekindled Alliance 56.5 C Brown
3. $4.00 Ambidexter 56.5 K McEvoy

then followed
4. $3.20 Just The Tonic 56.5 C Munce
5. $17.00 Boys On Tour 56.5 T Bell
6. $31.00 Trapunto 56.5 C Reith
7. $151.00 Taronga 56.5 C O’Brien
8. $41.00 Fortunefivehundred 56.5 H Bowman

Margins: Neck, 3/4 len
Time: 1:36.61

Newcastle Spring Stakes recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Darci Be Good	Rekindled Alliance	Ambidexter	1:36.6
2010	Ilovethiscity	Gireson	Heartsareforlove	1:37.0
2009	Lovemelikearock	Viking Legend	Euphemism	1:38.9
2008	Sousa	Rhyno Chaser	Back Off	1.37.5
2007	Race not held	Equine Flu
2006	Mearas	Magic Jet	Teranaba	1:36.0
2005	Hotel Grand	Manton	Flora Danica	1:36.3
2004	Lotteria	Wenceslas Square	Dane Shadow	1:35.2
2003	Allgunadoit	Niello	Danbird	1:34.8
2002	Clangalang	Recruiting	Takas	1:37.7
2001	Magic Albert	Viscount	Viking Ruler	1:37.0
2000	Universal Prince	Phoenix Park	Picholine	1:35.9
1999	Shogun Lodge	Perfect Paradise	Angling	1:38.0
1998	Dracula	Dignity Dancer	Paris Dream	1:37.2
1997	Encounter	Adam	El Mirada	1:37.0
1996	Ebony Grosve	Adventurous	Late Night Fun	1:35.2
1995	Vernal	Star Defence	Nothin' Leica Dane	1:35.8
1994	Obsessed	Law Of The Land	Le Melezin	1:37.0
1993	Mistador	Mahogany	Clever Victory	1:42.1
1992	Coronation Day	Irish Rort	Shoeshine Henry	1:37.0
1991	Enjoy Dancing	Skilful Star	Subzero	1:37.5
1990	Bright Kite	Stradmore	Integra	1:37.2
1989	Procol Harum	Select Prince	Party Mood	1:37.3
1988	Royal Pardon	Pradnapper	Wonder Dancer	1:39.6
1987	All Ashore	Count Henri	Impoverish	1:36.0
1986	Imprimatur	Top Avenger	Big Zapple	1:38.3
1985	Easter	Splendid Speed	Silver Champagne	1:36.3
1984	Blazing Devil	Castanillia	Konedobu	1:38.2