2026 Dark Jewel Classic Day Preview

I’m eager to have something on VIEWPOINT third up in the first on Dark Jewel Classic Day.

Viewpoint returned to action for a dominant victory in BM64 company at Hawkesbury last month, while he was fair when two lengths behind the winner at the same track last time out, but in Saturday Midway company.

With further improvement and getting out to the 1700m this week, I think he can bounce back.

He has drawn the carpark, but OCCULT still rates as a key winning chance in Saturday’s Highway Handicap.

Occult has continued to go from strength to strength in his recent preps, winning a couple of races at Tamworth last time in, while picked up where he left off with a nice performance to salute in Class 1 company at Muswellbrook when resuming this year.

Having only been denied by an impressive Ishikari at Randwick last time out, he will need some luck in the run, but he’s back on fresh legs with a month between runs.

HELLENIC BELLE has continued to progress well since debuting, and the Woodlands Stakes look another lovely race for her.

Having finished down the order in the Magic Night Stakes on debut in March, Hellenic Belle broke her maiden in the two-year-old feature race at Muswellbrook a fortnight later before repeating the dose in the Wellington Boot last time out.

She’s been kept up to the mark with a trial since that race and boasts both a form and experience edge over the lion’s share of these rivals.

NITRO returns to action in a winnable race at Scone.

The Deep Field gelding hasn’t been seen at the races since December, but he stamped himself as one to follow during his first prep when winning on debut at Warwick Farm and placing in a couple of stronger Saturday metro races.

His trial performance at Randwick last week adds further confidence and this shapes as a perfect campaign launchpad.

MAN OF WORTH takes winning form and improvement into the fifth on Dark Jewel Classic Day.

Man Of Worth ended his last campaign with consecutive wins in Sydney metro company, and after turning in a nice trial performance in April, he picked up where he left off with arguably his best performance so far to get up at Canterbury.

He’s since been back to the trials and further benefitted by Siena Grima’s claims this week.

HAY STREET has returned to the races in strong and consistent form.

The Capitalist gelding has hardly turned in a poor performance in eight appearances since debuting, but he has undoubtedly improved this time in and recorded consecutive wins at Rosehill and Randwick-Kensington before filling the minors behind the likes of Compensation at Randwick last time.

In peak order this week, he’s still got upside and he is my best bet on the program.

She’s been charged with carrying topweight, but I still think that NEPO BABY gets plenty of ticks in the 2026 Denise’s Joy Stakes field.

Nepo Baby stamped herself as one to follow by winning each of her first two starts back in 2025, and while she’s yet to strike in four 2026 appearances, she’s also yet to miss the minors.

Having only been denied less than half a length by Plaintiff in the PJ Bell Stakes last month, she was a length behind an eye-catching Beadman in last weekend’s Gold Coast Guineas and is on the quick back-up into a weaker race here.

This is a wide-open edition of the Ortensia Stakes with plenty of winning chances engaged, and with luck from a potentially stick draw, I thought that it was a nice black type race for BEV’S NINE.

Bev’s Nine recorded three wins from as many starts during his debut prep and returned to action this year to win another two straight off the bat.

While finished down the order in BM94 company at Rosehill in early April, he bounced back when second behind Zealously in the Listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush last time out and steps out this week in peak order off the back of that.

I’m siding with SURFIN’ BIRD second up in the 2026 Dark Jewel Classic.

Surfin’ Bird has won four of just seven starts since debuting, finding form around some talented opposition in the process.

She attracted interest in the market head of the Hawkesbury Crown when resuming a fortnight ago and was a narrow second behind Chidiac, beaten in a photo.

With natural improvement for that run, she’s drawn and weighted to go one better this time.

LINEBACKER is the class horse of the 2026 Luskin Star Stakes field, and I am happy to be with him on that alone.

While he is yet to strike in three runs back this time, all three of those races were deep Group 1 contests, and he’s been freshened since running a credible sixth in the Doncaster Mile.

He’s a horse capable of a handy fresh performance and the booking of Zac Lloyd adds further confidence.