Captains Knock winning The Bidgee at the Wagga Carnival of Cups. Photo by Brett Atkins
Newcastle Paceway will take centre stage on Friday night for the second leg of the TAB Carnival of Cups, headlined by the running of the $60,000 Steel City Cup.
All eyes will again be on the Brad Hewitt-trained Captains Knock, who is aiming to take another step toward the $1 million bonus on offer across the five-meeting Carnival series.
The five-year-old entire began his campaign in perfect style, claiming the Bidgee Cup at Wagga on November 14.
Hewitt has Captains Knock in career-best form, with the talented pacer delivering on the promise he showed as a juvenile.
Despite drawing the outside gate in the seven-horse field, Hewitt is brimming with confidence following a blistering sub-1:50 performance at Tabcorp Park Menangle last Saturday when he captured the Brian Hancock Free-For-All.
“He is really in the zone at the moment, and we cannot wait to get him up to Newcastle for Friday night’s feature,” Hewitt said.
“Nothing is easy in the top grade, and we meet another strong field as you’d expect. But we’re excited about the chance to take another step towards that million-dollar bonus.”
Reflecting on last week’s win, Hewitt added:
“He was great at Menangle. He did everything I asked of him and broke the 1:50 mark, which shows I couldn’t have him going any better.”
Captains Knock also boasts strong recent form at Newcastle, having won a heat of the 2024 Inter Dominion there, overcoming a tough three-wide run over the 2030m trip.
Supporting the Steel City Cup is the $75,000 TAB Hunter Regional Championship Final, featuring a competitive 12-horse field.
Harness Racing New South Wales has planned a massive night of entertainment off the track as well, headlined by Newcastle’s own rock legends The Screaming Jets. They’ll be joined by multiple ARIA Award winner Alex Lloyd, reigning Golden Guitar Female Artist of the Year Max Jackson, and local favourites Ignita and Just Us Duo.
Patrons planning to attend are encouraged to secure their free ticket online at www.carnivalofcups.com.au, with a memorable night of racing and entertainment guaranteed.
