A Calcutta will be held at the Royal Oak Hotel on Thursday at 7pm.

The Cessnock Cup is normally staged during the winter and the Newcastle Jockey Club is confident that a Friday in November will attract an increase in TAB turnover on previous years. Such was the case with last month’s Jungle Juice Cup race day, which was always held in early July. TAB turnover on that day was up half a million on the three previous years.

Cessnock’s Robert Thompson has been the Cessnock Cup’s most successful jockey winning the race five times. Two of Thompson’s winners Gay Scene (1987) and Trevino (1991) were trained by his late father Arthur.

Over the years a number of successful apprentice jockeys have been indentured to Cessnock trainers. Thompson of course is the most famous while Queensland’s Scott Galloway and one of Newcastle’s leading jockeys Aaron Bullock were educated on the Cessnock track.

The latest Cessnock apprentice to emerge with a bright future is 18-year-old Lexi McPherson who is indentured to Jeremy Sylvester. 

The young lady hails from Quorrobolong and rode a winner on her first day of riding on Melbourne Cup Day. Lexi had four rides at Taree that day and her final mount for the day Prince Coureuse saluted. She has now had seven rides for a win and a second.

Sylvester speaks highly of the young hoop.

“She is a quiet girl with a good attitude and is a quick learner. This girl just loves horses and she is off to a flying start,” he said.