A Newcastle heat winner last week, Gotta Kick started a $3.20 favourite in the $25,500 decider and was given a sweet run by driver Jack Callaghan. Fifth early in an Indian file formation, Gotta Kick got a trail into the one-one position before coming three wide on the home turn and powering to a 1.8m win in 1:54:6.

It was a fourth win in just eight starts for the five-year-old gelding since coming to Ruggari. Gotta Kick had five wins in 54 starts before coming to the Hunter.

"He's been a real surprise packet, he's not a super expensive horse," Ruggari said.

"He's come up from the Forbes area and you wouldn't have thought it would turn out like it has.

"We've given him eight starts for four wins and he's had a little issue in one of those other starts. He's run second and probably should have won. And another start when I drove him, he galloped out of the gate, gave them 100 metres and ran fourth. So he's probably unlucky not to win six of the eight.

"There's another series for him in three weeks' time, and you're allowed to win two of those each year, so we'll keep him for that now."

On Friday night at Newcastle, Ruggari had a first-up success with recent addition Zoes Rainbow. He will target a $14,000 Queensland bonus win in the near future with the five-year-old mare.

KerryAnn Morris trained four winners on the program.

Ruggari said Zoes Rainbow, having just her third start, had come up from the Taiba family in Melbourne.

"They gave her a couple of starts down there, sent her up and she was able to win first-up," he said.

"Guy [Chapple] got her into the gun spot behind the leader and then had her out at the top of the straight and she was able to do the rest.

"Freddy Taiba put the polish on her before I got her and he said she would win at her first couple of starts."