Tuesday, 15 March 2011: Broadmeadow trainer Kris Lees has Brisbane based rider Larry Cassidy on standby if he gives the green light for Hidden Wonder to start in Thursday's $150,000 Newcastle Newmarket on her home track.
 | Larry Cassidy
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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Lees confirmed that he has booked Cassidy to ride the mare in the Group 3 Newmarket (1400m) but will not decide if she will start until he peruses Tuesday's barrier draw and studies the entries for Saturday's G1
Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill.
“There are plenty of nominations for both races,” Lees said.
“I'll accept with her in the Newmarket and have a look at the field once it is finalised and also the Rosehill race and then make up my mind.
“Larry is right to fly down and ride the mare on Thursday if we go ahead with a Newmarket start but he wouldn't be available on Saturday as he has commitments at home.”
Hidden Wonder 
, who began her career with David Hayes in Melbourne, has won nine races and has had a different jockey in each of those wins.
Cassidy won the 2010 Magic Millions Stayers' Cup (1800m) on the mare 14 months ago so it is no surprise he is keen to ride her again at Newcastle.
Hidden Wonder was an unlucky second to Vintedge in the Listed Tibbie Stakes over the Newmarket course at last year's Newcastle Cup carnival at Broadmeadow.
She also won the Listed Belle Of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford and was spelled after finishing third in a Listed 1800m event at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.
Hidden Wonder resumed when ninth to Montana Flyer in the Millie Fox Quality (1300m) at Rosehill on February 26.
Lees is yet to win a Newmarket on his home track and undoubtedly would like join his late father Max, who won the race three times with Vain Fury (1985), Lucky Rass (1988) and Techniques (1999).
Techniques was the last mare to win Newcastle's feature autumn sprint.
Last year's AJC Metropolitan winner Herculian Prince is topweight with 59.5kg for the Newmarket.
Herculian Prince hasn't raced since an unsuccessful Melbourne spring campaign but he has contested two Randwick barrier trials ahead of his return.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse, chasing a third Newmarket win, has set Herculian Prince for next month's Doncaster Mile at Randwick.
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