RACING VICTORIA senior handicapper Neil Jennings has today allocated versatile Western Australian galloper Luckygray topweight of 58kg for the $1 million G1 Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Super Saturday, 9 March.

The Gino Poletti-trained five-year-old is being primed for a first-up tilt at Australia’s premier sprint race, having won the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic over 1800 metres at his most recent appearance at Ascot, WA on 8 December 2012.

A winner at 12 of 18 starts, Luckygray is one of six horses – all Group 1 winners – allotted 56kg or more for the 140th edition of the Newmarket which doubles as the final leg of RV’s lucrative G1 Sprinters Championship.

Six of the past seven Newmarket winners have carried 56kg or more to victory including topweights Hay List (2012 58.5kg), Black Caviar (2011, 58kg), Scenic Blast (2009, 57kg) and Takeover Target (2006, 57kg).

Last start Black Caviar Lightning runner-up and current TAB favourite Moment Of Change has been given 56.5kg as trainer Peter Moody chases his third Newmarket in four years after the wins of Black Caviar and Wanted (2010).

Sharing billing as second topweight with Moment Of Change are star globetrotting mare Ortensia, who ranks as a doubtful starter, and 2012 Oakleigh Plate winner Woorim who carried 55.5kg into fifth place 12 months ago.

Woorim is one of three runners from the 2012 edition that feature among the 24 first acceptors for this year’s renewal. The others are Lone Rock (21st in 2012) who rises 0.5kg to 53.5kg and last start Oakleigh Plate runner-up Facile Tigre (15th) who rises 2kg to 54.5kg.

Unbeaten WA star Barakey, who was scratched at the barriers last Saturday when favourite for the Oakleigh Plate, has been allocated 56kg, along with dual Group 1 winner Atomic Force who has not raced since September.

Together with topweight Luckygray, Barakey and Atomic Force will need to break a near 100-year-old hoodoo to taste success with Polycrates the last horse to win the Newmarket first-up from a spell back in 1917.

A quartet of three-year-olds remain in Newmarket contention with Queensland colt Better Than Ready, South Australian gelding Last Day, locally trained Shamexpress and the filly Shamal Wind each allocated 50.5kg.

Final acceptances for the Newmarket will be taken at 10am on Wednesday, 6 March with the field to be released shortly thereafter.

RACING VICTORIA MEDIA RELEASE