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By Frances O'Shea

Damien Lane is confident he will see a much-improved run by Bombasay ($15 into $12 on TAB) in Saturday’s $150,000 Polytrack Provincial Championships Qualifier (1350m) at Wyong.

The five-year-old was disappointing at his last outing when resuming on February 27 in the Newcastle Qualifier, finishing toward the rear of the field.

Lane described his performance as a ‘forget run’ and is hopeful the gelding can put his best foot forward on his home track.

Bombasay (Jason Collett) wins at Royal Randwick. Image by Bradley Photographers

“Everything that could go wrong went wrong that day,” he said. “It was a hard watch to be honest.”

“We expected him to run better than he did. Normally those races are run at a genuine tempo, so we decided to try and ride him with cover first-up.

“When Digger (Darryl McLellan) made the decision to go for some cover they just walked, and nothing went right after that.

“He definitely had excuses and will be better with the extra bit of time we’ve had.

“He’s a lot fitter in his work and I expect he’ll run well. He’s a class horse and I thought his trial leading into his first run was really good. Nothing went right first-up.”

Lane’s only concern is the heavy track, despite Bombasay having recorded a win on a heavy surface: “He has won on the wet, but I do think he’s better on top of the ground especially if it’s a heavy 9.

“He won first-up for me at Wyong, and I really think the track will suit him. He will roll forward this time and put himself up on the speed and take the bad luck out of the equation.

"If everything goes his way and he gets a bit of luck this time he will be in the finish.”

Bombasay, a Rothesay gelding, has posted five wins and six placings from 15 starts, two of those since joining the Lane stable late last year. He has drawn barrier nine in the qualifier and will again by ridden by McLellan.

Lane is one of three Wyong trainers hoping to secure a berth in the rich series final via the local qualifier. Kristen Buchanan saddles up Ocean Go ($12), who was a close fourth behind the placegetters when first-up over 1350m at Wyong on March 9. Grant Buckley partners the Ocean Park gelding from barrier 8.

Tracey Bartley, who already has Barossa Rosa through to the April 17 Randwick Final, will be relying on scratchings for second emergency Onemore Sapphire ($26) to secure a run.

The Kris Lees stable has seven runners in the field of 16, including the $6.5 TAB favourite Safado. The qualifier will be the last on the eight-race card, to be run at 5.29pm.

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