The two-day Scone Cup Carnival concludes on Saturday, May 18th, with the 2024 Dark Jewel Classic Day card lighting-up Scone Racecourse in the Upper Hunter.
There’s a packed 10-race program to look forward to, and there will likely be Soft track conditions for the stellar meeting.
The girls are on show at Scone with a couple of Listed sprints for the fillies before the open Ortensia Stakes and Luskin Star.
The main event of course is the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) where a quarter-of-a-million-dollars is up for grabs for the successful female galloper.
Read on for our complete Dark Jewel Classic race day preview and Scone betting tips for Saturday!
Good handicap to kick off the card in Scone, and Smart Legend looks right up to this having been knocking on the door all campaign.
The ultra-consistent So You Think four-year-old hasn’t won since June last year, but has run top three in six of his past seven.
Back-to-back Canterbury 1900m placings in similar grade, likely to carry 54.5kg so gets a bit of relief and give out of the track suits.
Watch for an on-speed run from Les Bridge’s galloper who can surprise a few here.
The milers are on show in the second and have landed on Torovista who is lightly-raced and on the improve.
David McColm’s Toronado four-year-old has his sixth start here looking for win number three, and he looks very well placed and rated to get it.
Ideal gate three draw for Dylan Gibbons who comes aboard the horse for the first time.
Narrow Class 1 winner two back at the Sunshine Coast over 1400m on Heavy going before a credible Eagle Farm fourth on May 4 in a BM78 over this distance on firmer ground when thrown in the deep end.
Right up to this class, distance is a non-issue considering he won over 1526m with 59kg at Lismore in the mud last December, and with a Soft track and rain pending for Saturday he’ll get things to his liking.
Big hope.
The first of the day’s Black-Types sees a field of untapped two-year-old fillies take to the track in the third for the Woodlands Stakes, and Toque is hard to go past as the deserving favourite even with the hefty weight.
This nicely-bred daughter of Street Boss looks a good type in the making from the powerhouse Waterhouse/Bott stable.
She was tested right away debuting in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1100m) running a distant but still credible third for her first start back in December.
Given time to mature and kept fit with some eye-catching Randwick trials in the autumn, which she came through to break her maiden status with a Canterbury win on a Soft (6).
That was on May 1 and she was dominant putting 2.89 lengths on them at this distance with 56.5kg.
Needs to be good again up to 58kg now, and Regan Bayliss will need to keep her out of trouble from that inside run, but class should prevail here.
Expect her to control from go to whoa and salute.
Plenty of genuine hopes in the fourth, but Chris Waller’s For Victory is going too good to knock chasing a hat-trick and full of confidence now.
The Mehmas four-year-old import is starting to put together a decent record down under coming off back-to-back wins at Canterbury (1800m) and Hawkesbury (1900m) respectively.
Last start on May 4 was in a BenchMark 78 like this with 55.5kg and he won by 1.5 lengths in a smooth performance.
Well placed again and drawn with options in eight for Tommy Berry.
Down in distance but up in weight.
He needs the right run with the 58.5kg on a likely Soft track which is the only question.
Still, at the price, happy to suggest he’ll get the job done again.
Looking like a day for favourite backers early on at Scone with another top fancy, Jewellery, ticking all the boxes in the fifth.
With some of the dangers too widely drawn to really consider in this big field over 1300m, happy to stick with the talented and progressive James Cummings-trained Lonhro mare.
This four-year-old from the Godolphin stable is proven at the distance (2:1-0-1) having won on a Heavy (8) at Kembla Grange carrying 58.5kg defeating The Replicant back in January.
Two credible placings since, the latest of which had her going down just a neck when giving all the weight away under 60kg over 1100m at Canterbury at the start of the month.
Her sectionals there were outstanding given what she had on her back.
Will relish the extra furlong now, is fit and ready to return to winning form back to a more manageable weight.
Wins.
The second Listed support act of the day is the Denise’s Joy Stakes over 1100m and of the three-year-old fillies in the mix think the Royal Blue brigade can bag this Black-Type with Commemorative.
James Cummings’ I Am Invincible filly is a multiple Group 3 performer having run fourth to Brazen Style in November’s Thoroughbred Club Stakes at Caulfield over the spring without disgrace.
Won fresh at Wyong by a tidy 1.77 lengths in a BenchMark 72 to kick off her autumn over 1200m before posting another Group 3 fourth, this time on a Heavy (8) Randwick track.
She was 2.5 off Facile in the PJ Bell run during a soggy Sydney ‘The Championships’ and has been kept fresh since that April 6th performance.
Trialled well at Warwick Farm on the Synthetic track on May 7 to keep her ticking over, unbeaten on Soft going, proven at the distance and apprentice Zac Lloyd has ridden her well before.
He’s going good as is this filly, so even from wider out think they can make a real go of it!
The seventh at Scone on Saturday is the Listed Ortensia Stakes and this handicap sprint is always a strong race!
Plenty of nice types on show with varying form lines to consider, but believe Godolphin could be in for a few wins at the meeting including in this with Spacewalk drawn a treat in gate five for Jason Collett.
He is at single-figures but still represents good second-up value following the Exosphere four-year-old’s first-up third on May 4 in the Listed Hawkesbury Rush (1100m).
Carted 59kg fresh to be beaten two lengths by Parisal in a brave run where he got no favours and did his best work the closing stages.
Strips fitter now, has a solid record over the distance (10:2-3-3) so shouldn’t find sticking at the 1100m too sharp.
Is versatile enough to handle any track conditions as he chases his first win since the Group 3 Rising Fast Stakes down the Flemington straight during last year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Also Group 2 placed that prep beaten a nostril-flare by Doull in the prestigious Caulfield Sprint (1100m) so well up to this.
Looks overs.
The meeting’s marquee event – the 2024 Dark Jewel Classic – jumps as race eight and we’ve got a tidy field of fillies and mares vying for the day’s top prize.
Going to follow the money and stick with the leading elect with Shadows Of Love looking right up to a race like this rock-hard fit now and always consistent.
Kim Waugh’s four-year-old daughter of Dissident has been building all prep and is deserving of a Black-Type victory.
She may be yet to win over the distance, but the 1400m doesn’t look beyond her reach based on what she’s been up to lately.
Her two most recent runs have produced dual third place efforts, including her eye-catching half-length placing in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown with 56kg.
She never gave up after a wide run throughout in that showing plenty of grit.
Dropping to 54.5kg here and Tommy Berry aboard are other pluses for the punters’ pick.
Can salute.
The day’s final Black-Type is the Luskin Star running as the penultimate event, and I fancy the Kris Lees-trained Kinloch at close to double figures at time of publish.
A picture of consistency this time in, the six-year-old son of I Am Invincible is after his first turf triumph since his Listed Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m) victory back in January.
Placed in a number of similar grade races since and comes off back-to-back placings in Cup races around New South Wales.
At his latest he went down under a length with 59.5kg in the Tamworth Cup (1400m) on April 26.
Drops right back to 55.5kg for the in-form Dylan Gibbons and gets options from a favourable mid-field draw.
Is the fittest horse in the race, proven at the distance, has the class and, if he races up to his latest effort, he’ll be hard to hold out.
Forgotten runner in the markets with genuine claims.
A really tricky race for the punters to close the card with this sprint a hard one to get a gauge on.
Have opted for an Each Way play with the once very promising Chris Waller-trained Cigar Flick down in grade and potentially able to upset them and return to her better form.
This three-year-old daughter of Churchill has had a dozen starts for two wins, both of which were at this distance.
She handles Soft – Heavy going well and has raced against some top tier fillies over her time.
Group 3 Widden Stakes fourth last year behind Learning To Fly and was third in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes beaten by the same filly as a two-year-old later on.
Her spring included a fifth in the Group 2 Furious under two lengths off Tiz Invincible, and a fourth in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes at Flemington.
Two runs this prep have been confusing.
Fresh was ninth in the Group 3 PJ Bell on Heavy going during at Randwick on April 6 before improving when runner-up to Disneck by a half-length three weeks later at Rosehill.
Less weight here, back to 1100m third-up from the six furlongs.
Widely-drawn so needs to find her position, but just get a feeling she’s about to do something better.