Australia: European imports figure in trio of Group 3 stakes at Newcastle

European imports may dominate three Group 3 races on the Newcastle Gold Cup program on the East Coast of Australia on Thursday evening.

Cleveland, winner of the prestigious Chester Cup in Britain in 2022, is the 3-1 favorite in early betting to win for the first time in his career in Australia in the $192,800 Newcastle Gold Cup at Newcastle Racecourse, provided he can overcome a wide trip in the turf marathon.

Cleveland will start from the outside in a field of 16 in the 1 7/16-mile Newcastle Gold Cup. A 5-year-old horse, Cleveland is winless in three starts in Australia for trainer Kris Lees, including fifth and 16th-place finishes in Group 1 races in March and April.

More recently, Cleveland was fourth by 2 1/2 lengths in the Group 3 Premiers Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Aug. 19, closing from 10th in a field of 16 to be closest to the front at the finish.

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Hosier, winner of the Premiers Cup, is also part of the Newcastle Gold Cup field on an eight-race program that begins at 10:50 p.m. Eastern or 7:50 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Cleveland should have no problem with the distance of the Newcastle Gold Cup, provided the draw is not an issue. Cleveland won the Chester Cup at Chester Racecourse at about 2 1/4 miles and was later second by 1 1/4 lengths in the Copper Horse Stakes at 1 3/4 miles at Royal Ascot in June 2022.

Kalapour, another Irish-bred veteran trained by Lees, will have his second start of the month after he failed to finish in the Wyong Cup at Wyong Racecourse on Sept. 1. Kalapour was racing behind a rival who sustained a fatal injury that led to jockey Tim Clark being unseated.

Kalapour, the winner of the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Doomben Racecourse on May 13, was the 3-1 favorite in the Wyong Cup and was the second choice in early betting for the Newcastle Gold Cup.

The 4-year-old Australian-bred filly Wollombi, a winner of 4 of 14 starts, will be favored to win her second Group 3 race of the year in the $160,700 Tibbie Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs in the race prior to the Newcastle Gold Cup.

Wollombi, who is part of a field of 15, was third by slightly less than a length after a wide trip in a field of 12 in the Mona Lisa Stakes for fillies and mares at Wyong on Sept. 1 in her first start since mid-March.

Razeta, a minor stakes winner at seven furlongs in April for Lees, is another closer who is expected to perform well in the Tibbie after she finished a fast-closing fourth in a six-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens on Aug. 26 in her first start since early May.

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Lees, who is based at Newcastle, could have a big day on the Newcastle Gold Cup program.

In the day’s first Group 3 race, the $160,700 Cameron Handicap at seven furlongs, he starts the British import Inver Park, who closed with interest to finish seventh by 1 1/2 lengths in a seven-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens on Aug. 26 in his second start in Australia.

Inver Park, part of a field of 15 in the Cameron Handicap, won the 29-runner Buckingham Palace Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Ascot in June 2022.

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