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By Gary Harley

Randwick trainer Mark Newnham is expected to saddle up three favourites at Thursday's eight-race Wyong meeting.

The three are Roma Avenue (1350m, Coombs Family Maiden Plate where he is the $2.90 favourite with TAB), Cruizingdafield (1000m, Canadian Club 2yo Maiden Handicap-$3.70 fav) and Sneaky Paige (1100m, Wyong Race Club Function Centre Class 1 Handicap-$3 fav).

Roma Avenue has been placed in all four starts at Canterbury (2), Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm. His two runs this preparation have been on very heavy tracks at Canterbury.

First-up on the Kensington Track on June 15 the 3yo  came from back in the field to go down by half a length. Newnham’s talented apprentices Tom Sherry and Tyler Schiller will ride the stables three runners.

The John O’Shea-trained import Siyata ($4.60 equal fav) can overcome a wide barrier in the 1300m Wyong’s Next Raceday July 28 Benchmark 64 Handicap. The mare flashed home when a close second on this track on June 16.

She was only a length from the winner on the Kensington Track last start and Willie Pike has the mount.

RACE 1, HAPPY RETIREMENT JEFF ENGELBRECHT CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE, 2000m: Queenmaker ($2.40 fav) broke through for her first win at Hawkesbury on June 30. The filly was narrowly beaten over 1800m on a soft 7 at Hawkesbury in May and this is a winnable race. Roccaforte ($2.70) is racing well with a Kembla win and two seconds from his past three starts. King Kikau ($4.20) has been runner-up in his past two starts at Scone and he is an on-pace stayer.
SELECTIONS: 5 QUEENMAKER, 3 ROCCAFORTE, 2 KING KIKAU

RACE 2, ALLAN DENHAM RACING 3YO MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1600m: Regal Pom ($2.60 fav) has been placed in seven of 11 starts but this is not a strong race. He has been beaten a long way in both starts this prep but his form in previous preps was good enough. He is well weighted after the claim. Flyway ($3.90) was placed at big odds last start and Oakfield Redgum ($5) is ready to win.
SELECTIONS: 2 REGAL POM, 3 FLYWAY, 4 OAKFIELD REDGUM

RACE 3, COOMBS FAMILY MAIDEN PLATE, 1350m: Roma Avenue ($2.90 fav) is knocking on the door with placings in all four starts. The 3yo has good heavy track form. He ran on strong when 1½ lengths from the winner on a heavy 10 at Canterbury last start. He will appreciate the longer trip. Cairdeas ($4.80) has trialled well and his form last prep was okay. Rovers Pepper ($5.50) has a place chance.
SELECTIONS: 4 ROMA AVENUE, 7 CAIRDEAS, 5 ROVERS PEPPER

RACE 3, TAB.COM.AU PROV & COUNTRY MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1200m: Diamond Tipped ($4.40) is first-up after an impressive barrier trial win at Wyong on June 29. The 3yo came from near last in the trial and cruised up in the straight. He was a close third on the Beaumont Track on Boxing Day before a spell. Verzenay ($2.90 fav) was runner-up at Newcastle on July 2 and she should run well. Separatist ($3.10) is down in class.
SELECTIONS: 2 DAMOND TIPPED, 6 VERZENAY, 5 SEPARATIST

RACE 5, CANADIAN CLUB 2YO MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1000m: Cruizingdafield ($3.70 fav) has only had the one start when he led and was run down late on the Kensington Track on June 29. That run was on a soft 6 and she will appreciate the shorter trip. Fire and Ice ($5) looked good in an easy Randwick trial win with Bowman aboard and he rides him on Tuesday. Winnertakesitall ($3.90) has raced in much better fields and she trialled nicely at Randwick.
SELECTIONS: 5 CRUIZINGDAFIELD, 1 FIRE AND ICE, 11 WINNERTAKESITALL

RACE 6, WYONG RACE CLUB FUNCTION CENTRE CLASS 1, 1100m: Sneaky Paige ($3 fav) is third-up and is ready to fire. First-up she was beaten half a length in a Benchmark 64 on the Kensington Track after coming from worse than midfield. She won a Canterbury maiden by more than 3 lengths in November. Allusionist ($4.20) led all the way to easily win a Randwick trial and he races well fresh. Notifies ($6.50) has had two starts for a win and a second at Hawkesbury.
SELECTIONS: 1 SNEAKY PAIGE, 2 ALLUSIONIST, 8 NOTIFIES

RACE 7, GREAT NORTHERN CLASS 1 HANDICAP, 1600m: Sovereign Express ($3.20 fav) is lightly raced and in good form. He was a close second, second-up at Hawkesbury then was impressive winning at Newcastle last start on June 25. Believe So ($5) is first-up but had good form prior to a spell. Brynner ($4.60) was a last start winner at Goulburn on July 8 and was placed first-up.
SELECTIONS: 2 SOVEREIGN EXPRESS, 1 BELIEVE SO, 3 BRYNNER

RACE 8, WYONG’S NEXT RACEDAY JULY 28 BENCHMARK 64, 1300m: Siyata ($4.60 eq fav) is an imported galloper trained by John O’Shea and is ready to win. Two starts back the mare flashed home when beaten less than a length on this track. She was only beaten a length last start on the Kensington Track. Terrameades ($4.60 eq fav) and Budhwar ($9.50) are the main threats.
SELECTIONS: 9 SIYATA, 5 TERRAMEADES, 1 BUDHWAR

LATE MAIL
RACE 1
5 QUEENMAKER – EASY H’BURY WIN LAST START
3 ROCCAFORTE – FORM HARD TO FAULT
2 KING KIKAU – GOOD COUNTRY FORM
6 GRACIOUS GRACIE – PLACE

RACE 2
2 REGAL POM – ITS NOW OR NEVER
2 FLYWAY – LAST RUN HIS BEST
4 OAKFIELD REDGUM – HAS FOOT ON THE TILL
6 COUDREAU – PLACED 4 OF 10

RACE 3
4 ROMA AVENUE – PUT WRITING ON THE WALL LAST TIME
7 CARDEAS – NICE RECENT TRIAL
5 ROVERS PEPPER – CAN IMPROVE
8 EXO ANGEL – LAST RUN OK

RACE 4
2 DIAMOND TIPPED – 1ST UP. LOVELY TRIAL
6 VERZENAY – NOT FAR AWAY 2ND UP
5 SEPARATIST – DOWN IN CLASS. CHANCE
7 MARTINI CRUSADER – PLACE

RACE 5
5 CRUIZINGDAFIELD – NAILED LATE ON KENSO ON DEBUT
1 FIRE AND ICE – IMPRESSIVE TRIAL WIN
11 WINNERTAKESITALL – DROP IN CLASS. BIG PLAYER
6 PERPIGNAN – QUIET TRIAL. HAS RACED BETTER FIELD.

RACE 6
1 SNEAKY PAIGE – LOVES A WET TRACK. SMART ENOUGH
2 ALLUSIONIST – BOLTED IN RECENT TRIAL
8 NOTIFIES – 2 STARTS A WIN & A 2ND. BIG WATCH
7 THE LEOPARD’S TABLE – FAST & IN FORM

RACE 7
2 SOVEREIGN EXPRESS – N’CLE WIN VERY GOOD
1 BELIEVE SO – HAD GOOD FORM IN THE SPRING
3 BRYNNER – STRONG WIN AT GOULBURN. GOING WELL
7 EQUIVADA – HAD NO LUCK BUT STILL WON GRAFTON

RACE 8
9 SIYATA – HAS FOOT ON THE TILL
5 TERRAMEADES – HAS GOOD RECORD
1 BUDHWAR – HUGE DROP IN CLASS
12 HIGHLY AMBITIOUS – WILL IMPROVE FROM THIS BARRIER

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Wyong here