Racing: Pepper keen to keep Berry on Opal Ridge; Callaghan savours biggest thrill

The four-year-old's first-up victory in the $200,000 race on Saturday was the highlight of day two at the Scone Cup carnival, and gave her back-to-back successes on the annual standalone program after her dominant win in the Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) last year.

Newcastle apprentice Dylan Gibbons rode her at Scone in 2023, then Tyler Schiller took over when Opal Ridge went to the Queensland winter carnival.

Berry was sidelined with a seven-month disqualification at the time, and Pepper was thrilled to finally get him aboard his star on Saturday.

"Me and Tommy are great mates and have been for a long time," Pepper said. "It was extra special to get the win with him on.

"We've got a great relationship and I just think Tommy's style of riding really suits her, and it was just to give him a crack on her at Scone and hopefully we stick together all the way through."

Opal Ridge's Queensland assault will be the group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m) or Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) as a lead-in to her target - the group 1 Tatts Tiara (1400m).

"I've only spoken to Tommy after the race, we haven't looked into it," he said of Berry staying on. "I'll have to talk to his manager over the next day or so and sort that out."

Opal Ridge will head north on June 1 before Pepper locks in her next assignment. She was a close second in the Dane Ripper last year before running fifth in the Tiara.

"Both are really good options," he said. "It's just a matter of us sitting down and figuring out if we need to give her three weeks [Moreton Cup] or two weeks [Dane Ripper] between runs. We'll make some decisions once we see how she recovers."

Her win on Saturday came after a 22-week spell and two trials following her 10^th in The Hunter in November. She was made to work in the dying stages after Berry positioned her just off the speed with cover. Opal Ridge hit the front 100m out and held off Mark Minervini's Quick Tempo by 0.65 of a length.

"She was a little bit underdone as well," Pepper said on Sunday. "But she's pulled up fantastic and was nice and bright this morning.

"I was a little bit worried, obviously being a softer track and being off for a while, and we were being quite soft, wanting her to improve going to Brisbane, so it was great to see her get the job done.

"I don't think 1100 is really her go, but first-up it was her ideal kick-off spot and there were a couple of nice horses in there. She raced a bit fresh, she was up on the chewy early, and she's definitely got that improvement heading north, so I was just rapt for her to keep her unbeaten record at Scone."

Richard and Will Freedman's Coastwatch edged out Amenable in the Luskin Star, John O'Shea-trained Fall For Cindy claimed the group 3 Dark Jewel Classic and Godolphin's Commemorative won the Denise's Joy Stakes. Berry had a feature double, also winning on Chris Waller-trained Lazzura in the Woodlands Stakes.

Newcastle duo Ash Morgan and Jay Hopkins won the first with Sonofdec. Morgan rode the next winner, Dances With Hooves, in the Highway Handicap for Scone's Cameron Crockett. Scott Singleton's Dollar Magic snared a third win for local trainers.

Morisset trainer Mark Callaghan was eyeing a piece of the NSW final prizemoney on Saturday night with The Cid after he delivered him a career highlight in the Hunter Regional Championship decider (2030m) at Newcastle.

Callaghan's eldest son, Jack, found a gap down the inside late in Friday night's $100,000 final and The Cid ($7) did the rest, edging out Major Reason by a head.

It was a third victory in the Hunter final for Jack but a first for Mark, who recently took over the training of The Cid from Sawyers Gully conditioner Adam Ruggari.

In just his third start for Mark, the five-year-old was third back on the pegs from a back-row start before Jack found the late run.

"It was a huge thrill and would rank right up there," Mark, 52, said.

"As a trainer, money-wise it's definitely my biggest win and obviously to do it with Jack as well.

"My son Tom works for me now and he had a lot to do with the training of the horse. It's a big family involvement. My middle son, Harry, gives us a hand at home, and so does my wife, Simone, so it's just a really big thrill to win a race of that stature on our home track."

The win gives The Cid a start in the $100,000 state decider at Menangle on Saturday night, where metropolitan final victor Extreme Sea looks a cut above.

"Barring incident you'd think it will be winning, but hopefully we draw a good alley, get a good trip and we can run a place," Mark said.

He was pleased for The Cid's owners, Danny and Amy Evans from Ascot Park Standardbreds, who now have three pacers in his stable.

The Cid was second in the Hunter consolation last year after a luckless heat run when ninth.

"He was a little bit unlucky last year, he got interfered with in his heat and probably would have qualified," Mark said.

"Then he ran a really good race in the consolation to get second.

"So the win was probably just deserts for the owners and to reward them, they've only just come on board, was great, so hopefully it's the start of a good relationship with them.

"The owners gave him a good spell and he came to us in really good order. They asked to set him for this race so the whole preparation has been aimed at it.

"We gave him a couple of trials and I wanted him to be at least third up into the race if I could, so he would be starting to peak in his fitness, so it all worked out really good.

"He worked super last weekend and I was pretty confident he would run a big race.

"He was a bit unlucky in the heat [when third]. He copped a pretty big bump at the 500 and if he didn't get that, he would have won, so it was good for him to pick himself up and still qualify.

"When the draw came out, I was happy enough with it. I just needed a couple of the favourites drawn one or two to overdo it at some stage, and I knew if we got out, he'd run a big race.

"Jack drove him a treat. Not many drivers would have got him home from that spot halfway down the straight. He's a great driver and made all the right decisions.

Mark has three runners at Newcastle on Monday.

Sky Diamond and Grosestar are in the last and Eiffel From Heaven is in the sixth.

"Sky Diamond and Grosestar are coming to the end of their careers but Grosestar has been competitive his last couple of starts, with a couple of seconds," he said.

"We've got a good trailing draw, so hopefully he can run well.

"Eiffel From Heaven, she's been reasonably consistent but doesn't win too often. It's not the hardest race in the world so hopefully she can be competitive."

Furious, Blue Juggler and Sunrise Jethro lead a strong contingent from East Gresford trainer Charmaine Field's kennels at Maitland on Monday night.

Field has eight runners across the 11-race program.

Furious is going for four consecutive wins at the track over 400m and has drawn eight for race five, a 4th/5th grade event. He has won from outside boxes his past two starts and looks the one to beat again.

Blue Juggler was a close second to Furious last week from box four and has drawn the one for race eight, a 400m 5th grade contest. Kennelmate Sunrise Blues has box six in the same race.

Sunrise Jethro won on debut at Maitland over the 400m from box one, then was second next start there at 450m from three. He returns to 400m for the ninth race but has to overcome a draw in seven.