Talented gelding a Force to be reckoned with at Newcastle

A lightly raced home-track four-year-old is set to return for only her second campaign with a bang at Tuesday’s Newcastle meeting on the Beaumont track.

Talented gelding Force March has not raced since an impressive and fast-finishing second at Wyong in early April. Finishing only a long neck that day behind rival Newcastle mare Turning Circle, which went on to claim a benchmark 64 handicap, Force March was immediately spelled.

Connections then set about charting a late winter and spring preparation for this powerful son of Grunt.

A strong home trial three weeks ago has him ready to return for just his fourth start in a competitive maiden handicap over 1150m for the older gallopers.

Trained by Andrew MacDonald, whose wins have been few and far between since summer, Force March drew an inside barrier, and opened a $4 favourite, narrowly ahead of four-year-old St Johann ($4.40), which makes its debut for the Hawkes stable at Rosehill, and promising five-year-old Wan Lost ($5), also first up for the leading Kris Lees stable.

The track was rated a good 4 in the days leading up to Tuesday’s meeting, but forecast rain on the day may push it back into the soft range.

Either way, it’s very much a “peak” meeting in the campaign for many runners, especially those metropolitan-based gallopers coming through seemingly stronger form lines.

It’s also a golden chance for local trainer Nathan Doyle to continue what has been a terrific start to the new season. The Doyle yard already has six winners from 21 runners in August, including a BM72 double at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Doyle has a big hand in a class 1 handicap over 1150m, with last-start third-up winner Lady Of The Castle ($5.50) and promising mare Perfect Force ($7), second up, both strong value chances.

But his biggest statement could well come in the closing race, a provincial BM68 handicap over 1200m, with the progressive Better Late.

A tough four-year-old son of gun sire Maurice, Better Late only missed by a half-length when resuming in a BM64 at Gosford 19 days ago. Fitter now, he stays over the distance, and gets big weight relief tackling a deeper graded race.