Australia: Rock goes after repeat in Cameron Handicap

The 5-year-old gelding is simply named Rock has won 4 of 12 starts and knows his way around Newcastle Racecourse in Australia.

Last September, Rock won his first stakes in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle, his only appearance at the track north of Sydney. Winless in four subsequent starts, Rock is back in the Cameron Handicap on Friday, which appears to be an appropriate race for his second start after a six-month layoff.

Rock, trained by the partnership of Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, was fifth in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Sept. 5 behind Dreamforce and Kolding, who are entered in a Group 1 race in Australia on Saturday.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Rock is part of a field of 12 in the $117,400 Cameron Handicap, the first of three consecutive Group 3 races on the Newcastle program. The action starts at 11:35 p.m., Eastern, or a more reasonable 8:35 p.m., Pacific, on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Rock will carry 122.3 pounds, far below topweight Le Romain at 131 pounds. Le Romain was a Group 1 winner in 2016 and 2017 but winless in 15 starts since August 2018.

Special Reward, who has been assigned 129 pounds, won consecutive Group 3 races in February and March, and is likely to benefit from a drop in class following a fourth in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Randwick last Saturday.

The richest race on the card is the $146,800 Newcastle Gold Cup at 1 7/16 miles. Mugatoo is the 130-pound topweight in a field of 16 and will be favored on the strength of two recent stakes wins.

A winner of 7 of 13 starts, Mugatoo won the Group 3 Premiers Cup at 1 3/16 miles on Rosehill Gardens on Aug. 29.

The $117,400 Tibbie Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs is the last of seven races on the program. In a field of 16, the 4-year-old filly All Saints’ Eve looks poised to win her first stakes in her eighth start.

A three-time winner, All Saints’ Eve won a minor handicap at seven furlongs at Randwick on Aug. 15 in her first start since a third in her group stakes debut in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic at the track of same name in March.

Asiago and Wandabaa, first and second in the listed Mona Lisa Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 3/4 furlongs at Wyong Racecourse on Sept. 4, are part of the field. Asiago won the Kembla Grange Classic. Wandabaa has won 7 of 15 starts and had her stakes debut in the Mona Lisa.