Oh baby: Newcastle mare out to finish on a career-high

If the upcoming Rosehill meeting were scheduled just one day later, in-form mare So Newchee Thinks would be ineligible to race. The daughter of So You Think is currently in foal to Starspangledbanner, and according to racing rules, her official cut-off date for competing is February 1, which coincides with Saturday’s Rosehill card.

“She can’t race on Sunday, but she can race on Saturday,” trainer Kris Lees quipped.

The timing is tight, but So Newchee Thinks has earned her racetrack farewell in the Ranvet Handicap (2000m), where she will aim to secure a Saturday-grade victory before retiring to stud. The mare has been in outstanding form since being confirmed in foal, winning her last two starts in midweek city-grade races.

Lees isn’t entirely sure whether her recent success is due to her impending motherhood or simply a result of her natural development. “It can happen, but it’s the chicken or the egg. It could just be time and maturity,” he said. “She’s a So You Think mare who always had potential and has taken a little while to peak. Now that she’s a four-year-old, she’s probably just needed that bit of time.”

When asked if connections have any regrets about not waiting another year before sending her to the broodmare barn, Lees admitted, “I haven’t asked. There might be a little bit.”

Lees will also saddle up Age Of Sail in the same race, expecting the gelding to appreciate the step up to a middle distance after a midfield finish over 1500m in his first-up run. If Age Of Sail performs well, the Group 3 Parramatta Cup (1900m) at Rosehill on February 22 could be a potential target.

“That would be a logical race, although it’s a race where a lot of nice horses resume too,” Lees said. “Hopefully, he’ll have a couple of runs going into it if we go that way. It’s something we’d consider, but he’d need to be winning on Saturday to be running there, I’d say.”