NEWCASTLE trainers will have a combined eight runners in the $500,000 Provincial Championships final (1400 metres) at Randwick on April 17 after scoring two of the last three available spots.
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Paul Perry and Kris Lees went one-two in the Kembla Grange qualifier on Saturday with three-year-old filly La Jolie Fille and four-year-old horse Darleb respectively.
The heat had been pushed back a fortnight because of recent rainfall and a reshuffle of Sydney's Autumn carnival.
La Jolie Fille joins stablemate and Perry's fellow race winner Pandano in the decider.
"She was drawn pretty awkward but the instructions were just to stay positive and try to get to the outside leader or possibly the one one, but it didn't quite pan out that way," La Jolie Fille jockey Jess Taylor told Sky Racing media.
"Just tried to keep her in a really nice rhythm. We were going just a nice, genuine tempo and travelling along nicely.
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"I actually gave her a squeeze around the 600 and she toed me up coming into the straight. I thought I might have got there a little bit too soon, but geez she's tough.
"I couldn't believe it. I just kept waiting for them to swamp me but she just kept giving and giving. It's just a credit to the Perrys and the staff. She's a tricky filly but if just leave her alone she'll give you everything."
Lees, who has claimed the event twice with Danish Twist (2016) and Serene Miss (2018), now has five chances with Darleb alongside Cristal Breeze, Animate, Zeftabrook and Loch Lomond.
Fellow Novocastrian Nathan Doyle had Electric Girl progress previously.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
