By Neil Evans
She might be in limbo by name, but it’s full steam ahead in reality for a metropolitan filly when she has her first start in Newcastle at Thursday’s feature meeting.
In Limbo, a three-year-old daughter of prolific sire Hellbent in the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable at Rosehill, is shooting for a second win from nine starts when she tackles a Fillies & Mares Benchmark 64 Handicap over 1200m fourth-up.
Trainers Sterling Alexiou and Gerald Ryan.Credit: Getty
And she looks both well-placed and suitably graded after her recent performances.
A dominant maiden winner at Wyong two starts ago, In Limbo was then only run down by in-form Spaceballs over the last couple of strides in a deeper BM 64 at Hawkesbury three weeks back.
And the form from that race is more than encouraging.
Spaceballs was only collared by a long neck next start in a deeper BM 68 at Newcastle, while third-placed Vivian’s Express was again in the money next start at Kembla.
Again drawn to settle forward, with Tom Sherry in the saddle, In Limbo will likely head back to a midweek metropolitan target if all goes to plan in Newcastle.
She opened around $5.00 in early betting behind favourite Manaajem ($2.80) for the Peter Snowden stable who is second-up off a solid closing effort in open BM 64 company at Canterbury, and lightly raced mare Miss Capitale ($4.80) third-up for the Matthew Smith stable.
In Limbo is one of two from the Ryan-Alexiou yard in the race, with each-way chance Firepop ($8.50) coming off a fourth-up Super Maiden win in the country.
Meanwhile, immediately after that race the latest Hong Kong arrival will have his first start in nearly 10 months for the new Warwick farm-based David Pfieffer stable in the boys’ BM 64 edition over 1200m.
Call Me Gorgeous, a sparingly raced five-year-old son of Deep Field, hasn’t started since a string of unplaced efforts at Sha Tin early last year.
Yet, Down Under is not totally foreign to this troubled gelding.
Owned by Fraternity Australia, he started his career as a three-year-old in Sydney early 2024, but after an encouraging second-start win on the Kensington track he was sidelined with problems, and after a lengthy spell eventually made his way to Hong Kong.
Back now for a renewed Aussie assault, Call Me Gorgeous even had to gain a vets’ certificate two months ago before resuming his career.
And certainly with all his best form on soft tracks, connections will be hoping the sun doesn’t shine too hard in the lead-up.
In a wider race, Call Me Gorgeous opened a $3.20 favourite in early betting ahead of hard-fit Shelstein ($4.20), with a gap to the next line at $7.50.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
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