Terravista Tops 2017 Newmarket Handicap Field

Joe Pride’s last start Black Caviar Lightning winner Terravista headlines a smart field of thirteen sprint stars set to face off in the Newmarket Handicap 2017 on ‘Super Saturday’ at Flemington Racecourse this weekend.

Terravista carries top weight in the 2017 Newmarket Handicap field at Flemington this Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Due to run as Flemington Race 7 at 3:55pm (AEDT), the $1.25 million Group 1 Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) is one of two elite level Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival features on the card along with the Australian Cup.

Drawn out wide in barrier 12 of 13, which last produced a Newmarket Handicap winner in Lankan Rupee (2014), is veteran seven-year-old Terravista.

The evergreen Captain Rio gelding surprised at double-figure odds winning the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) first-up at Flemington where he now boasts two wins, two seconds and two thirds from six runs at the track.

Winner of the 2014 Darley Classic, Terravista ran third in the 2015 Newmarket Handicap trifecta behind Brazen Beau.

He didn’t contest last edition of the race, instead backing-up from a Lightning Stakes second to run ninth in Sydney’s The Galaxy.

Saturday gives him the chance to complete the Lightning Stakes – Newmarket Handicap double for the first time since the mighty Black Caviar (2011).

Terravista also heads the Newmarket Handicap weights with 57kg and has the race’s 2004 winning hoop (Exceed And Excel) Corey Brown in the saddle.

The far outside barrier meanwhile belongs to the Mick Price-trained Extreme Choice who was originally set to bypass the race to be freshened-up for a William Reid Stakes run at Moonee Valley later in the month.

Price, who prepared Lankan Rupee (2014) for his Newmarket Handicap success, was forced to re-evaluate however after stablemate Flying Artie was ruled out of a run on the weekend due to a low-level lung infection.

Dual Group 1 winning Not A Single Doubt colt Extreme Choice will look to add to the smart record of three-year-olds in the Newmarket Handicap, the last to salute being the aforementioned Brazen Beau (2015) just two years ago.

Extreme Choice was last seen running third to Sheidel in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 25 and has just his second Flemington run on the weekend.

Lindsay Park’s Oakleigh Plate winning mare Sheidel also backs-up in the Newmarket Handicap field, the five-year-old daughter of Holy Roman Emperor looking to complete the double most recently achieved by Lankan Rupee (2014).

Black Caviar (2011) was the last mare to beat home the boys in the Newmarket Handicap results and Sheidel is out to hand co-trained David Hayes with his first victory in the race since Grandiose (1989).

The stable is also represented by the returning import Redkirk Warrior who hasn’t raced since beating home Stratum Star in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) last November.

The six-year-old jumped from barrier four that day and is drawn the same in the Newmarket Handicap barriers getting in on the 52.5kg lightweight.

Barrier four hasn’t produced a winner since Primacy (1993), while Sheidel jumps one closer to the inside rail in barrier three with Damien Oliver aboard.

Oliver has ridden three previous Newmarket Handicap winners, most recently Alinghi (2005).

Other key Newmarket Handicap hopefuls include the luckless Bryce Heys-trained Lightning Stakes runner-up Spieth with the inside run from barrier one and the defending champion The Quarterback out to go back-to-back in the race for the first time since Razor Sharp (1982-83).

See below for the full Newmarket Handicap 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and weights with updated markets set for release shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Newmarket Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 7 (3:55pm) – 11/03/2017