3 minute read

Premier trainer Scott Brunton has the two race day favourites in The Inevitable ($3.10) and First Accused ($5.50 into $4.80) for Wednesday night’s Listed Jacksons Security Newmarket Handicap, and they have drawn barriers 12 and one respectively.

In Brief

• Goodwood romp puts The Inevitable as hardest to beat.
• Brunton pair draw opposite sides of the track.
• Stevenson struggles to split his duo.

David Pires guided The Inevitable to an incredible first-up win in the Goodwood Handicap (1100m) in Hobart that is the traditional lead-up race to the Newmarket.

The Inevitable had not raced since finishing second to Lim's Cruiser in the weight-for-age Tasmania Stakes in Hobart in January but he made his rivals look ordinary winning by over two lengths.

"I can't fault The Inevitable since his Goodwood win and while he is going to need a 10 out of 10 ride from David (Pires) from that gate, he is in great order," Brunton said.

First Accused has long been considered by Brunton as the best horse in his yard at Seven Mile Beach but he has had to contend with some issues that have prevented him from realising his full potential.

Victorian jockey Blake McDougall has been booked to ride First Accused and while the gelding comes off a third to The Inevitable in the Goodwood, he is a huge winning chance as he races best in Launceston and McDougall was aboard when the gelding won the Tasmanian Magic Millions Classic for three and four-year-olds last season.

Glenn Stevenson will saddle up Turk Warrior and Music Addition and he says he can't split his pair.

"Music Addition has taken a bit longer to come to hand this time in than I thought it would but he is well and he will go into the race in great order and the same can be said for Turk Warrior," Stevenson said.

Turk Warrior was fourth in the Goodwood after sharing the lead but Stevenson said his best chance of winning the Newmarket would be if rider Ismail Toker could find a spot one-out with cover two or three pairs back.

"Music Addition is a go-forward horse and from barrier eight Codi (Jordan) should be able to get him in a nice spot."