Little Beginnings wins for Kris Lees in Alan "Jock" Gollogly race at Newcastle

A week after the death of Gollogly, the group 1-winning Queensland jockey and racing media personality who called Newcastle home since the late 1970s, Little Beginnings cruised to a 1.14-length win in the Vale Alan "Jock" Gollogly benchmark 64 handicap (1350m).

Newcastle jockey Aaron Bullock, last season's Australian premiership champion, positioned the Shamus Award four-year-old on the rail behind the leaders before putting him in the clear on the turn. He hit the lead about 250m out and raced away to give the Newcastle duo a satisfying victory.

Races at Randwick, Eagle Farm and the Gold Coast on Saturday were named in Gollogly's honour. Lees was second with Rogue Bear at Randwick, while Fast Lady was fifth at the Gold Coast.

Lees was thrilled to get the victory at Newcastle for Gollogly, who lost his battle with lung cancer at age 72.

"I got a real kick out of it," Lees said. "It was a good, strong win and there are Newcastle people in the ownership, so it was good.

"There were four [races named after Gollogly] around the country and we had runners in three of them, so it was certainly good to get one.

"[Bullock] did get a big thrill out of it. When he came back, the first thing he said was 'I got a real buzz out of that.' Jock was a big supporter of his from day one."

Little Beginnings ($5) was third-up into the race and took his record to four wins in 14 starts.

"He took a couple of runs to get that race fitness but he's probably better than a provincial grade, so he could easily measure up to better company," Lees said.

Alysha Collett and Irish jockey Darragh Keenan rode winning doubles on the program.

Collett was aboard Take Me To Church for Richard and Will Freedman in the 1200m maiden plate and Love Child for Chris Waller in the (1350m) super maiden plate.

Keenan scored his second and third wins in Australia since joining the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace team in Sydney. He took Lady Boss to a narrow win for his new stable in the fillies and mares benchmark 64 handicap (1350m) and La Sagrada to a easy front-running victory for Robert Quinn in the Des Edser Memorial maiden plate (2020m).

At Randwick, Lees-trained Chilli Filly claimed the last and Luncies was runner-up to Lion's Roar in the group 3 Summer Cup.

Newcastle apprentice Dylan Gibbons drove Monfelicity to victory for trainer David Payne earlier in the program.