Feb. 21, 2013, 10:30 p.m.
EXHIBITION: Newcastle dual group 1 winner Atomic Force gallops between races at Broadmeadow on Thursday. Atomic Force pleased trainer Darren Smith with the gallop over 800 metres with Tommy Berry aboard. He ran the final 600m in 34 seconds. "He's doing everything I want at this stage from a horse coming back from injury," Smith said. "He'll go to Sydney on Monday or Tuesday for a barrier trial, then I will decide when he runs first-up."
BLACK Caviar won again last night when the champion mare was inducted into racing's Hall of Fame.
There was plenty of debate about whether the mare should gain the honour before her racing days were over.
But Black Caviar's deeds in winning 22 races in Australia and the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot in England were too compelling for the judges to wait to put her among the sport's elite.
The ceremony was conducted in Melbourne last night.
Black Caviar, which has become an Australian icon, made it 13 group 1 wins when she took out the group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
She is is now just one victory behind the record holder in this department, Kingston Town.
The other horses inducted were Melbourne Cup winner Delta, champion jumper Crisp and sire Star Kingdom, which shaped Australian racing over decades.
The jockeys inducted were Geoff Lane and Hughie Cairns.
Late Brisbane trainer Bruce McLachlan was also named.
■ Handy Newcastle galloper Pitt Street may have a lucky omen as he strives to be known as country racing's new cups king.
Pitt Street, which was second in the Ballina Cup last year, had barrier one and used it in staving off rivals in the 1440-metre Walcha Cup on February 8.
Today, Pitt Street will be out to make it two cup wins in a row when he contests the $35,000 Quirindi Cup (1600m).
Once again Pitt Street has a rails run into the big country feature by drawing gate one.
"He definitely needed a soft draw, and coming up with gate one could be a winning factor for him," Lees said.
■ The old mates' act comes into play at Quirindi today when Robert Thompson rides The Jackal in the feature sprint, the $25,000 Lightning over 1100m.
The 10-year-old has not won since January 2011 and connections are considering retiring the great old stager if he does not perform today.
The Jackal, which has won more than $1 million, has finished last at two runs this preparation.
So champion Cessnock jockey Robert Thompson, whose many victories on The Jackal include two Ramornie handicaps at Grafton, has been called on to see if the gelding has any zest for racing left in him.
■ In an era when big stables dominate racing, it is great to report the story of Wyong trainer Stacey Strike, who had her first winner last week.
Strike has been training for just two years and has only one horse in work. She described the win of Kaboombie Boy in the 1100m maiden at Wyong on Sunday as "an incredible thrill".
"I have been around horses all my life and have worked for Crown Lodge when Jack and Bob Ingham owned the stable at Warwick Farm," she said.
"I decided to get a trainer's licence two years ago and have only had three horses, which have had 16 runs between them."
Kaboombie Boy, a three-year-old by Shaft, was spotted by Strike running around in a paddock.
"I asked what was going on with the horse and no one seemed to know, so I found who the owner was and asked about getting the horse," she said.
■ Newcastle trainer Darren Smith believes California Storm has the "upside" needed to go from winning a benchmark race to taking on listed opposition.
California Storm won a benchmark 80 over 1100m at Rosehill on January 19.
Tomorrow she runs in the $100,000 listed Triscay Stakes at Warwick Farm over 1100m.
"She has trialled well since that win at Rosehill," Smith said.
"I think she has the necessary upside to take on the fillies and mares in the Triscay."
■ The planets have aligned to ensure Gosford Race Club vice-chairman Jim Macfadyen has a very busy time in Melbourne.
Macfadyen and Gosford's chief executive, James Heddo, will represent their club at the Australian Racing Conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel this week.
While the Gosford contingent will be trying to help sort out all the problems in the sport of kings, Macfadyen will have other racing matters on his mind as well.
He is a part-owner in promising filly Kona Breeze, which runs in the group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield tomorrow.
"When I was asked to represent Gosford at the conference I had no idea that our filly would make it into the big group 1 race down there," Macfadyen said.
"It is an amazing thrill to have my first runner in a group 1 race."
Macfadyen paid $11,000 for a 10 per cent share in Kona Breeze at the Karaka Sales in New Zealand.
■ Follow this one closely - very, very closely.
Kris Lees nominated Whitlam for the Oakleigh Plate in Melbourne but did not pay up for the race when it looked like he was unlikely to get a run.
Whitlam is entered for Eagle Farm in Brisbane tomorrow but is not going north.
Whitlam is in the Southern Cross at Warwick Farm but will start only if the track is wet. If not, he will be kept for next week.
Stablemate Uate is also in the Southern Cross, but he will start only if it is a dry track.
Lees's other runner is the in-form Gold Epona in race two, and she will run if it is wet, dry or snowing. Got it?
■ Newcastle galloper Watch The Magic, which broke an eight-year-old 1000m track record at Wyong on Wednesday, has been a work in progress for trainer Alan Scorse.
"He was a lean bugger that just needed time to grow into himself," Scorse said.
"It was great to see him win so easy, but the Wyong track was on fire so I am not getting carried away by the effort.
"He may go to town next start for a midweek race or a night meeting at Canterbury."
■ The NJC had received four applications as of last night for the three appointee positions on its new board.
Officials believe there will be a rush today as applications close at the end of business.
If one man about town who applied yesterday is appointed, the NJC will get plenty of good legal advice.
■ There are sure to be emotional scenes if Monton can win the group 2 Apollo Stakes tomorrow.
David Lamond, who was a part-owner and breeder of Monton, died of a heart attack last week at the age of 66.
He was a champion knockabout bloke, a fact borne out by the wake held for him at a pub in Sydney on Tuesday.
Newcastle trainer Darren Smith and former Knights player Ben Kennedy attended.
"The pub ran out of beer - that is how many blokes were there drinking schooners," Smith said.
Lamond would have approved.
■ Just A Girl made an impressive return to racing yesterday when she bolted home in a 900m maiden at Newcastle.
Gosford's star apprentice, Jenny Duggan, is suffering the flu and missed the mount. The lucky replacement was Rachel Murray.
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