Albert Stapleford knows no peer conditioning horses out of the Central Coast and the veteran trainer can produce Skychaser to win second-up in the BBX Newcastle Maiden (Race 4 at 3.50pm AEDT) at Cessnock today.

Skychaser (4g Hurricane Sky – Ondeeki by Zephyr Zip) is a lightly raced galloper who put in a top run when second to Alumbrado at his home track at Gosford on December 10.  He was slowly away but flashed home over 1000m to be beaten little more than a length.

He will need to jump on terms from an inside barrier but, with that run under his belt and an extra 150m, will be hard to hold out this afternoon.

His sire Hurricane Sky started stud life at Arrowfield but has been based at Durham Lodge in Western Australia for the last four years.  He sired an interstate double on Saturday with Rainband (Caulfield) and Sky Magic (Ascot).

Skychaser’s dam Ondeeki has thrown winners by Integra, Spectrum and Nuclear Freeze.  She is a sister to Zinders who was a G1 winner of the Castlemaine Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Ondeeki was bred by Lord Huntingdon who was based in Australia for many years when he was better known as William Hastings-Bass.  Her Hurricane Sky gelding is a homebred for the Noble Note Syndicate.