Geraldton Turf Club: The locals that are catching the attention of punters in the 2024-25 season

With only one meet until the big dance in season 2024-25, it’s time to look at the season that has been and preview potential runners for the 2025 Geraldton Gold Cup.

Local trainer Allan Hughes has flirted with punters after his six-year-old mare Butterflyrock’s impressive runs.

Butterflyrock has been paired with star jockeys in Geraldton Tash Faithfull, Madi Derrick and Simone Altieri who have ridden the Hughes product to perfection in past races this season.

Like On The Mark, Butterflyrock has won four of its last four official meets in impressive style. A favourite of chairman Brian O’Dwyer, this mare has captured the attention of onlookers for the last year of racing.

While Butterflyrock may not be thrown into the Geraldton Cup, it certainly has a red hot chance of taking out the 1400m $50,000 Abrolhos Plate, the only question come race day will be who is on its back to claim the cash.

Julia Martin has been leading the way this season with a number of impressive performances with multiple of her stable products but none more impressive than Miff Muffered Moof.

Kristy Bennett has been the go-to jockey for Martin on the five-year-old mare with the duo contending in the last six appearances together.

A dark horse who has recently began to work nicely with stablemate Miff Muffered Moof has been Martin’s Bombay Style.

The nine-year-old gelding has found a string of form in recent times when paired with apprentice hockey Chanel Cooper.

Cooper has taken each race by the scruff of the neck, suiting the style of ride that martin hopes to get out of Bombay Style.

Working together with Bennett, Cooper pulled out an impressive win over the 1600m run earlier this season and will be one to look out for come race day. If the two are thrown into the same race, either the Abrolhos Plate or Gold Cup, will spell danger for the rest of the field.

Winning four of its last four official meets is none other than Barry Newnham’s On The Mark. Newnham is no stranger to the Cup, taking it out last season with What A Prince who led from the start out of barrier one and never looked back.

This year Newnham is set to run with On the Mark, a four-year-old gelding that packs a punch over multiple distances this season.

The Newnham stable product has been partnered up with local jockey Peta Edwards who has got to know this runner quite well, proving to be a winning duo on multiple occasions now.

On The Mark will be a likely starter in the Geraldton Gold Cup on April 6 and will be hoping to replicate the performance of last year’s performance of Newnham’s What A Prince.

The $125,000 Geraldton Gold Cup and $50,000 Abrolhos Plate will run on April 6.