General Salute carried 59kg to win Newcastle's $1 million The Hunter by a nose at $10. Favourite Sweynesday ran third, and the Supernova at Pakenham is next on the list.
Our preview of The Hunter said the market was wide open, and Saturday's race lived up to that. General Salute, trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou and ridden by Tim Clark, won the $1 million Listed race (1300m) at Newcastle by a nose at $10.
Top weight, top effort
General Salute carried 59kg, the top weight, and still found enough late to beat She's An Artist ($7) in a photo. Favourite Sweynesday ($6) ran a solid race to finish a length and a half away in third.
- 1st: General Salute (Tim Clark, trainers Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou) $10
- 2nd: She's An Artist $7
- 3rd: Sweynesday $6 fav
It was General Salute's sixth win from 22 starts, and it lifted his prizemoney past $1.6 million.
End of the road for Coal Crusher
Coal Crusher, who won this race in 2023 and 2025, finished near the back. Connections have retired him after the race, which ends a fine career for one of the stars of the race's short history.
What's next
Alexiou said the stable will look at the Supernova at Pakenham in about a month. That is another rich race for sprinters and milers, and it would suit a horse in form. General Salute has shown he can handle big fields and big weights, so he should be well suited to that kind of race.
The punting angle
Big-money races with a set field like The Hunter often come down to a photo, and the market rarely sorts them out cleanly. Here a $10 chance beat a $7 chance. Carrying top weight did not stop General Salute, which shows that current form and fitness can count for more than the weights in these races. Keep that in mind when he lines up in the Supernova. She's An Artist also deserves another look after going so close, and Sweynesday showed his place in the market was deserved with a strong run into third.