The clash of three promising and lightly raced gallopers will be the highlight of the annual Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service meeting at Newcastle on Saturday.
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Through The Cracks, Powertrain and The Crimson Idol will meet in a 1200-metre benchmark 70 handicap.
Central Coast trainer Angela Davies is confident Through The Cracks can atone for a first-up defeat at Canterbury on November 15.
"He has had a number of setbacks since he raced at Newcastle in May, however he was working well in the lead-up to the Canterbury race," Davies said. "Nash Rawiller rode him at Canterbury, and he was beaten a length and a quarter. Nash got off the horse and confessed the horse went super, but he went terrible.
"He said he was three wide and when coming around the field on the home turn, Through The Cracks wobbled a bit but then made up many lengths.
"The horse prefers the long straights like Newcastle, where he has had a win and a second from two starts. It is a very classy field, but my bloke is ready and is unbeaten second-up."
Scone three-year-old Powertrain has toyed with his rivals in his only two starts this preparation. Trainer Paul Messara has booked boom Irish apprentice Tom Sherry to ride and his three-kilogram claim means Powertrain will carry 54 kilograms, compared to Through The Cracks' 60.5kg.
Wyong mare The Crimson Idol has won her past two starts, both at Scone.
Sherry has seven mounts at the meeting and, apart from the well-fancied Powertrain, he has two very winnable rides for Richard and Michael Freedman.
The brothers have Our Fun in the opening event the 1885m benchmark 64 handicap and Outback Diva in the 1300m class one handicap. Our Fun was most unlucky when beaten a head over the Gosford 1600m on November 23. The mare was third past the post but was badly hampered in the closing stages and protested successfully against the second placegetter.
Outback Diva finished a close fourth first-up at Gosford on November 23 and she has won second-up. That was the first time she has finished out of a place in five starts and she raced well when runner-up in her only Newcastle start in June.