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Mazu heads up bumper Hunter field

A bumper field has been declared for the $1 million The Hunter at Newcastle’s Broadmeadow racecourse on Saturday.

The 2023 edition of the quality handicap will be the fifth running of the race and a field of 16 plus three emergencies has been declared for the 1300m contest.

Group 1 winning performer Mazu will carry the 59kg topweight while last year’s winner Vilana has 58kg but his chances were dealt a blow drawing barrier 16.

* COMMENT: I’m now convinced we just need to live with track bias

The field includes a host of top class Group performing gallopers including the likes of King Of Sparta, I Am Me, Golden Eagle fourth placegetter Strait Acer, Coal Crusher, Rustic Steel, Victorian raider Ayrton and Kosciuszko placegetters Opal Ridge and Far Too Easy.

Here is the field and barrier draw for the 2023 The Hunter.

No. - Horse - Trainer - Jockey - Barrier - Weight

1 - MAZU - Peter & Paul Snowden - Nash Rawiller - 6 - 59kg

2 - VILANA - James Cummings - Adam Hyeronimus - 16 - 58kg

3 - KING OF SPARTA - Peter & Paul Snowden - Chad Schofield - 10 - 57.5kg

4 - I AM ME - Ciaron Maher & David Eustace - TBA - 4 - 57kg

5 - STRAIT ACER - Edward Cummings - TBA - 5 - 57kg

6 - COAL CRUSHER - Joseph Pride - Tyler Schiller - 2 - 56.5kg

7 - RUSTIC STEEL - Kris Lees - Sam Clipperton - 18 - 56kg

8 - DARK DESTROYER - John O’Shea - Tom Sherry - 17 - 55.5kg

9 - EXCELLENT PROPOSAL - Michael Freedman - Joshua Parr - 11 - 55.5kg

10 - AYRTON - Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) - Brett Prebble - 9 - 55kg

11 - FAR TOO EASY - David McColm - Jason Collett - 1 - 54kg

12 - ROCKETING BY - David Pfieffer - TBA - 12 - 54kg

13 - SINAWANN - Joseph Pride - Reece Jones - 15 - 53.5kg

14 - OPAL RIDGE - Luke Pepper - Dylan Gibbons (a) - 14 - 53kg

15 - DAJRAAN - Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott - Tim Clark - 13 - 53kg

16 - GRAVINA - James Cummings - Zac Lloyd (a) - 7 - 53kg

17e - MILITARY EXPERT - Annabel Neasham - Rachel King - 3 - 52kg

18e - UMGAWA - Leon & Troy Corstens - Liam Riordan - 8 - 52kg
19e - MUCH MUCH BETTER - Sara Ryan - TBA - 19 - 52kg

* J-Mac to finish 2023 with extended Hong Kong riding stint

Other feature races on Saturday’s card are the Group 3 Sprint Stakes (1600m), the $300,000 The Beauford (2300m) and the Max Lees 2YO Classic (900m).

The Newcastle track was rated a good (4) at acceptance time. The rail will be in the true position on Saturday.

Saturday’s 10-race program commences at 11.40am with the final event to be run at 5.10pm.

The Bureau Of Meteorology forecast for Newcastle is.

Wednesday – Partly cloudy. 27.

Thursday – Partly cloudy (70% chance of 0-10mm of rain). 27.

Friday – Partly cloudy (80% chance of 0-15mm of rain). 23.

Saturday – Partly cloudy. 25.

CLICK HERE to get the fields and free form guide for the Newcastle meeting on Saturday.

Originally published as Group 1 winner Mazu heads up bumper The Hunter field

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