Source: Newcastle Jockey Club - Gary Harley

The Nathan Doyle stable is closing in on its best ever season following another successful day on Saturday with a double at the HBCF Pink race day at Newcastle on Saturday and a winner ridden by the stables apprentice at Randwick. Doyles hometown winners were the well-bred Home Affairs filly Sprightly Affair and the inform mare Turning Circle while Cool Waters finished second. All three were ridden by Jean Van Overmiere.

At Randwick, stable apprentice Shannen Llewllyn steered Aroha Stone to victory and in doing so the talented lady notched up her 60^th win for the season including seven on Metro tracks. Sprightly Affair was first up in the 900-metre Beresfield Bowling Club Midway 2 & 3-Year-old Maiden Handicap, and the $7.50 chance began quickly and after settling in third place raced to the lead in the straight and came away to win by more than two lengths. Her breeding indicated Sprightly Affair is a valuable filly with her sire Home Affairs one of Australia’s boom younger sires and she is a grand daughter of the champion Snitzel.

Turning Circle contested the 1300 metre Belmont 16’s Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap and despite only winning one of twenty-one starts previously the mare was well supported from $4.40 into $3.30. She reached the lead after 400 metres and fought off the challengers to win by a nose.

 Shannen Llewellyn produced a classic patient ride to land Doyles plunge horse Aroha Stone, a narrow winner in a 1400 metre Benchmark 78 Handicap at Randwick. Backed form $26 into $9.50 the mare was in last place before making ground near the home turn. She stormed home to win by a neck.

The Newcastle track was again the talk of the participants as stewards upgraded the track to a soft 6 at 2.30pm after it was a Heavy 10 two days earlier. An amazing recovery but no surprise as it’s one of the best.