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By Gary Harley

It is the $200,000 Carlton Wyong Gold Cup day on Friday and Chris Waller has the numbers to win his eighth Wyong Cup in 11 years.

The Champion trainer accepted with seven of his stayers including the early favourite Lord Ardmore ($3 on TAB) which will be ridden by Hugh Bowman.

The five-year-old New Zealand bred son of Reliable Man has been racing in top form this preparation. He led all the way for an easy win on an 1800m Benchmark 88 on July 16.

Two starts back he outstayed the opposition in the Randwick Premier's Cup Prelude (1800m).

Last start Lord Ardmore was placed less than a length behind the winner Arapaho in the Group 3 Premier's Cup at Randwick. He has a soft draw and should have a nice trail on the speed.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's European import Grove Ferry ($4.40) is a big threat. A front-runner to be ridden by Tim Clark, the 6yo was run down and beaten by 0.63 of a length by Lord Ardmore in the Premier's Cup Prelude on August 6. He finished alongside Lord Ardmore in the Premier's Cup.

The Waller pair Toomuchtobear ($6.50) and Yiyi ($7.50) should both run well.

The Listed $160,000 Wyong Leagues Club Mona Lisa Stakes for the fillies and mares is the main support race. It is a wide open event with the NSW pair Expat ($5.50) and Katalin ($3.60 fav) big chances with the well-performed Queenslander Boomnova ($5.50).

Expat is first-up and she has a good fresh record and Tom Sherry has the mount. Katalin has won five of 12 and she was a close third first-up at Rosehill recently.

Boomnova is very talented with a win in the Listed-Eagle Farm Lightning during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.

RACE 1, STONE REAL ESTATE WYONG MAIDEN PLATE, 1350m: Nano Star ($3 fav) is well placed and Bowman rides for Waller. The mare was only beaten a length when runner-up on this track last start. She was placed at Canterbury and Kilmore earlier this year. She is pretty quick. Notabadsuspect ($4.60) ran on well when runner-up first up at Goulburn and Pelsaert ($5.50) can improve.
SELECTIONS: 12 NANO STAR, 3 NOTABADSUSPECT, 4 PELSAERT

RACE 2, CENTRAL COAST COOLROOMS DA VINCI BENCMARK 64 HANDICAP, 1300m: Godolphin filly Sumatra ($3.10 fav) was impressive first-up when she won a Hawkesbury maiden. She was 3½ lengths from the winner in the Group 2 VRC Sires' in March and she was placed at Moonee Valley in January. I Am Geronimo ($4.20) overcame a slow start to win well on this track last start. Psychiatrist ($7.50) trialled okay and he has the rails barrier.
SELECTIONS: 8 SUMATRA ,6 I AM GERONIMO, 4 PSYCHIATRIST

RACE 3, PBL LAW GROUP MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1200m: Orzala ($2.25 fav) is on debut and has a horror draw but if she runs will be hard to beat. The filly has had a number of trials and she won the last one at Randwick and J-Mac has been booked. Sacred Field ($7) has speed and he was placed first-up at Wyong recently. Time To Boogie ($6) had no luck on debut when beaten a length at Hawkesbury.
SELECTIONS: 14 ORZALA, 1 SACRED FIELD, 4 TIME TO BOOGIE

RACE 4, HUNTER PETROLEUM PRODUCTS CLASS 1 HANDICAP, 1100m: Cholante ($2.60 fav) came from well back when he stormed home to win first-up at Nowra recently. The filly won by 4.3 lengths on the Soft 7 track and on Friday she has a nice barrier and Pike has the mount. Bayezid ($4) beat a subsequent winner when she won on debut at Newcastle. Acceber ($15) has had three starts for a win and two placings.
SELECTIONS: 11 CHOLANTE, 9 BAYEZID, 6 ACCEBER

RACE 5, BISHOP COLLINS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS BENCHMARK 64, 1600m: Martini Crusader ($3 fav) is in great form and is the one to beat. He has had three runs this prep for a win and two luckless seconds. He came from way back when beaten half a length on this track on July 19. Second-up he bolted in at Newcastle and last start he was checked at the start when a good thing beaten at Newcastle. Coppleson ($3.60) was impressive in winning on debut at Newcastle while Kokoro ($6) has a place chance.
SELECTIONS: 1 MARTINI CRUSADER, 7 COPPLESON, 2 KOKORO

RACE 6, WYONG LEAGUES GROUP MONA LISA STAKES, 1350m: Expat ($5.50) is first-up and is good fresh horse. She is trialling well, has drawn nicely and regular rider Tom Sherry has the mount. The mare has won eight from 15 starts. Queenslander Boomnova ($5.50) has a good record and she will be fitter for a solid first-up effort. Katalin ($3.60 fav) is talented but has a terrible barrier.
SELECTIONS: 2 EXPAT, 3 BOOMNOVA, 5 KATALIN

RACE 7, 2022 CARLTON WYONG GOLD CUP, 2100m: Grove Ferry ($4.40) is a front runner with solid recent form. He was beaten 0.63 of a length in the Premier's Cup Prelude two starts back and was a close fourth in the Group 3 Premier's Cup on August 20. Lord Ardmore ($3 fav) has won two of his past three starts. He is an on-pacer and hard to beat. Toomuchtobear ($6.50) is knocking on the door.
SELECTIONS: 4 GROVE FERRY, 1 LORD ARDMORE, 5 TOOMUCHTOBEAR

RACE 8, THE DOYLO SPRINGTIME BENCHMARK 68 HANDICAP, 1100m: Oakfield Duke ($3.60 fav) rises in class after three wins on the trot. His three wins have been on country tracks and he was narrowly beaten in his only start on this track. Belladeel ($5) has been racing well and has a 2kg claim. Bullinachinashop ($6) has won her past two starts.
SELECTIONS: 5 OAKFIELD DUKE, 2 BELLADEEL, 7 BULLINACHINASHOP

LATE MAIL
RACE 1
12 NANO STAR – CLOSE 2ND THIS TRACK LAST RUN
3 NOTABADSUSPECT – 1ST UP RUNNER UP GOULBURN
4 PELSAERT – SHARP DROP IN CLASS
1 DEVELOPED – PLACE

RACE 2
8 SUMATRA – STRONG 1ST UP WIN
6 I AM GERONIMO - OVERCAME SLOW START TO WIN LAST START
4 PSYCHIATRIST – NICE ROSEHILL TRIAL
1 ARTERO – CAN IMPROVE BUT NEEDS TO

RACE 3
14 ORZALA – 1ST START WON RECENT TRIAL
1 SACRED FIELD – SPEEDY. HARD TO BEAT
4 TIME TO BOOGIE – RUNNER UP ONLY START
7 CHESTERAY – HAS SPEED. TRIAL OK

RACE 4
11 CHOLANTE – BOLTED IN LAST START
9 BAYEZID - SMART WIN ONLY START
6 ACCEBER – HAS GOOD RECORD
1 ALLUSIONIST – CLOSE LAST 3

RACE 5
4 MARTINI CRUSADER – UNLUCKY LAST START
7 COPPLESON – WON N’CLE ONLY START
2 KOKORO – GOOD ENOUGH TO TEST THESE
9 HENDO’S MAGIC – PLACE

RACE 6
2 EXPAT – WON 8 OF 15. RACES WELL FRESH
3 BOOMNOVA – CLASSY. FITTER NOW
5 KATALIN – CLOSE 3RD 1ST UP. CAN WIN
9 SUR LA MER – 3 WINS & A 2ND LAST 4

RACE 7
4 GROVE FERRY – HAS FOOT ON THE TILL
1 LORD ARDMORE – HAS OUTSTANDING FORM
5 TOOMUCH TO BEAR – NO LUCK LAST START
9 YIYI – NOT OUT OF IT

RACE 8
5 OAKFIELD DUKE – WON LAST 3
2 BELLADEEL – BEATEN A NOSE HERE RECENTLY
7 BULLINACHINASHOP – ON A HAT TRICK
10 UNYIELDING SPIRIT – LIKED 1ST UP RUN

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