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By Gary Harley

Champion trainer Ciaron Maher and Newcastle's 18-times Group 1 winning trainer Kris Lees have bright prospects of saddling up the first two winners, both blueblood females at Newcastle Jockey Club’s race meeting on Saturday.

Maher’s I Am Invincible mare Yvette ($1.75 favourite on TAB) resumes from a 525-day spell in the 900m Phil Duggan Tribute Maiden Handicap with Louise Day in the saddle.

The mare was very unlucky on debut at Canterbury in December 2023 when backed from $3.40 into $2.60.

She raced in fourth place on the rail and was full of running when badly cut out twice in the straight when looking for clear running.

Yvette was an odds-on favourite in her only other start at Canterbury Park in January 2024 and finished a close third.

The mare has had two recent quiet trials and draws an ideal barrier. She is bred and raced by Cressfield Stud, one of the Hunter Valley’s leading broodmare farms.

Yvette’s dam, Secret Agenda, won the Group 1-Robert Sangster Stakes in 2017 and she won and was placed in a number of Group races.

Lees has a classy three-year-old filly Flame Of Hestia ($2.60 fav) which carries the Yulong colours in the 900m Cambridge Classic Benchmark 64 Handicap.

A half-sister to dual Group 1 winner In Her Time, the Too Darn Hot filly has won two of four starts, both on wet tracks.

Flame Of Hestia won a Newcastle Class 1 by 6.38 lengths on a soft track on April 1 over this short course and the 3yo won a recent trial on the Beaumont Track (heavy 9). Andrew Gibbons rode her on April 1, and he has the mount on Saturday.

The consistent Righteous Legend ($2.50 fav) can break through for his first win in his sixth start when he contests the 1400m Air Control Australia Midway 3YO Maiden Handicap.

The 3yo has been placed in three of five starts including placings in both Newcastle starts. He was beaten less than a length when third over 1400m on this track in August 2024 and the gelding was a length from the winner when runner-up here on 23rd April.

Trained at Rosehill by Less and Cherie Curtis, Righteous Legend has been placed on soft and heavy tracks, with Penza riding him for the first time on Saturday.

The Archibald training partnership has called on Aaron Bullock to change the luck for Louisburgh ($5.50) in the 1300m Ivers Sheet Metal Super Maiden Plate.

An on-speed galloper, he has been runner-up in his only two starts this preparation at Wyong and Gosford. Both starts have been on heavy tracks.

The 3yo had every chance when beaten two and a quarter lengths at Wyong on May 8. Last start Louisburgh looked the winner halfway down the straight at Gosford on May 29 when he ed the leader Winning Rupert, however, the leader kicked back and won by a nose.

Queen’s Rhapsody ($2.25 fav), an impressive winner for new trainer Nathan Doyle at Hawkesbury on May 15, has drawn the coveted rails barrier in the final event the 1200m Daikin Australia Class 1 Handicap.

She was runner-up in all four starts for her previous trainer and all four were on metropolitan tracks.

The filly was then a $1.50 chance at Hawkesbury when she travelled well midfield before racing way halfway down the straight for an impressive first win. Ben Looker drives down form Port Macquarie to take the mount.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Newcastle here