Open to the Best 8 nominations + Reserves. Includes $100 unplaced.
Prize money: $25000 / $5500 / $3500
The Ladbrokes Newcastle Cup has become a popular listed staying event on the racing calendar.
Some talented stayers have won the event over the years, notably Miagi in 2007, Dashing Corsair in 2010, Zipping Lad in 2011 and Smart Valentino in 2013.
In 2018, siblings Poco Dorado, Blue Moon Rising and Veloce Nero all by National Sprint Championship winner Chica Destacada, ran the trifecta in Newcastle Cup, with Jodie Lord’s Just Terms gave Blue Moon Rising a start and a beating in the 2019 edition of the Cup.
Talented stayer Heres Tears took out the 2020 Cup, then in 2021 leading Hunter trainer Jason Mackay won his third Newcastle Cup, when Cool Bourbski - who broke the track record in the heats - took out the final.
After the heats in 2022 the final set up as a match-race between the Jodie Lord-trained Cawbourne Magic, and Stagger Out Lee, trained on the outskirts of Wagga by 24-year-old Jack Strutt.
The pair has met the previous month in the Group 1 Bold Trease final at Sandown and it was Stagger Out Lee who got the cash over Cawbourne Magic.
But the tables were turned at Newcastle when, a night after they collected the Group 1 Megastar trophy at Dapto, the Lords were celebrating again with Cawbourne Magic taking the race in 41.55s.
