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By Gary Harley

Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller has won five Carlton Draught Wyong Gold Cups and he has accepted with two of his stayers for Friday’s $160,000 listed event.

Both Carzoff ($5 on TAB fixed odds) and Black On Gold ($3.90) are genuine contenders in a wide-open 2018 Wyong Gold Cup – Carzoff was unlucky when fourth (1.5 lengths) behind Harper's Choice ($4.80) in the recent Rosehill Premiers Cup Prelude. He was near last into the straight and he had a chequered passage in the run home. Kevin McEvoy will ride the former European stayer which will appreciate the longer trip.

Black On Gold resumed from a two-month break with a solid fifth in last week’s Hawkesbury Rowley Mile. He won the 2000 metre Kensei at Rosehill on June 16. Harper's Choice is chasing a hat-trick after on-pace wins at Rosehill and he has a great chance.

The $125,000 Mona Lisa Stakes for fillies and mares has attracted a cracking field. There is a host of chances and the lightly-raced mare Shumookh ($3.20 favourite) ticks all boxes. Earlier this year the four-year-old was narrowly beaten in the Group 1 Surround and Group 2 Light Fingers. The appearance of the boom Newcastle filly Smart Melody ($1.55 fav) in the Doylo Springtime adds further interest to a bumper eight-race program.

RACE 1 (SENPOS MAIDEN PLATE, 1200M): Recitiude is knocking on the door after placings in his only three starts. He led well in the straight when third, two lengths behind the promising Maid of Heaven at Canterbury last start. He was placed on the track two starts back. Shinju, a runner-up in the Wellington Boot, will be fitter after a first-up placing at Kembla. Scepter of Power is on debut after a nice trial.
SELECTIONS: 4 RECITITUDE, 7 SHINJU, 6 SCEPTER OF POWER

RACE 2 (BIOCHEM WATER MAIDEN PLATE, 1200M): Veranes wasn’t far away in the Group 3 McLachlan at Doomben in December and she has had a freshen up since her commendable second-up run at Warrick Farm six weeks ago. The filly had a nice quiet trial at Warrick Farm a week ago. Prophet’s Thumb is a debut after an impressive trial recently. Lucky Helmet is another that has trialed well.
SELECTIONS: 9 VERANES, 7 PROPHET’S THUMB, 6 LUCKY HELMET

RACE 3 (HC GROUP BENCHMARK 64, 1600M): Panzerfaust is lightly-raced but talented. She was a good thing, beaten two starts back at Muswellbrook before finishing 1.8 lengths from the winner in a Ranwick Highway last start with only 56kg on her back she will be hard to hold out. Ardanza resumes and she wasn’t far away in a couple of strong Warrick Farm races earlier this year. Flower Of Love has been racing OK at Kembla.
SELECTIONS: 9 PANZERFAUST, 4 ARDANZA, 10 FLOWER OF LOVE

RACE 4 (BISHOP COLLINS CLASS 2, 1200M): Lady Of Shalott has had two trials for this first-up run and she is a quality filly. She won the Muswellbrook Miss Finland in a breeze on debut and next start she was placed in the Listed Woodland Stakes at the Scone Cup Carnival in May. Well-weighted, barrier one and McEvoy she ticks all the boxes. Mighty Marmalade always puts in and has a good record. Expect Intrinsic to improve on his first-up run.
SELECTIONS: 10 LADY SHALOTT, 8 MIGHTY MARMALADE, 5 INTRINSIC

RACE 5 (THE DOYLO SPRINGTIME BENCHMARK 74, 1100M): Boom Newcastle filly Smart Melody will be an odds-on favourite and she is very smart. Undefeated in her only two starts at Newcastle and Canterbury, this filly has been set for Group races during the spring. She has won both her races by more than five lengths and she was nosed out by a Group 1 runner in a recent trial. Jericho hasn’t raced for two years but has had two trails and ha talent if fit. Americana Magic is in good form and will be on speed from the barrier.
SELECTIONS: 8 SMART MELODY, 3 JERICHO, 1 AMERICANA MAGIC

RACE 6 (WINNING COMMERCIAL MONA LISA STAKES, 1350M): Shumookh resumes here and she has outstanding form in Group races. She was narrowly beaten in a Group 1 and Group 2 race earlier this year. She has had two recent trails and is an on-pacer. Another Dollar resumes after a narrow defeat in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks in May. She trialed nicely recently. Savatiano hasn’t raced since an easy win at Randwick in May. She won a recent Rosehill trial and she will go forward.
SELECTIONS: 7 SHUMOOKH, 8 ANOTHER DOLLAR, 4 SAVATIANO

RACE 7 (CARLTON DRAUGHT WYONG GOLD CUP, 2100M): Carzoff’s last start was an eye-catcher when he was a luckless fourth in the Rosehill Premiers Cup Prelude on August 11. He was in the last four on the home turn and despite a checkered path in the straight he stormed home. Harper’s Choice is flying with wins in the Premiers Cup Prelude and Winter Cup in his past two starts and he races on the speed. Black On Gold will be fitter for his first-up fifth in last week’s Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury.
SELECTIONS: 7 CARZOFF, 4 HARPER'S CHOICE, 5 BLACK ON GOLD

RACE 8 (HUNTER PETROLEUM DA VINCI BENCHMARK 66, 1300M): Morpheus resumes here and he had very good form last prep. He bolted in with a Goulburn Maiden in May then was half a length behind Dealmaker on the Kensington track on June 11. He hasn’t raced since but he won a recent Warwick Farm trial. I’m So Sweet won nicely at Gosford last start and she will be hard to beat. Nai’a is first up after a recent trial won and he was a last start Gosford winner in March.
SELECTIONS: 8 MORPHEUS, 9 I’M SO SWEET, 5 NAI’A

GARY HARLEY'S LATE MAIL
RACE 1
4 RECTITUDE – KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
7 SHINJU – FITTER THIS TIME
6 SCEPTER OF POWER – NICE TRIAL
2 ALCATRAN – WENT OK STRONG PACE FIRST UP

RACE 2
9 VERANES – HAS GROUP FORM IN QUEENSLAND
7 PROPHET’S THUMB – ON DEBUT AFTER GOOD TRIAL
6 LUCKY HELMET – FIRST UP TRIALED WELL
4 ALISON OF TUFFY – SPEEDY AND WENT OK FIRST UP

RACE 3
9 PANZERFAUST – TALENTED AND IN FORM
4 ARDANZA – DROPS IN CLASS
10 FLOWER OF LOVE – HAS FOOT ON THE TILL
6 CINDERCONI – TOP 4 CHANCE

RACE 4
10 LADY OF SHALOTT – QUALITY FILLY. TICK ALL BOXES
8 MIGHTY MARMALADE – ALWAYS THEREABOUTS
5 INTRINSIC – IMPROVEMENT EXPECTED
11 ROMAN TYPHOON - PLACE

RACE 5
8 SMART MELODY – UNBEATEN BOOM FILLY
3 JERICHO – FIRST START IN 2 YEARS BUT HAS ABILITY
1 AMERICANA MAGIC – WILL GIVE A GOOD SIGHT
7 RIDICULE – RECENT TRIAL WIN ENCOURAGING

RACE 6
7 SHUMOOKH – HAS OUTSTANDING GROUP FORM
8 ANOTHER DOLLAR – BEATEN A NOSE IN GROUP 1 LAST PREP
4 SAVATIANO – VERY FAST AND TOUGH WITH FINE RECORD
2 PRINCESS POSH – UNDERRATED MARE WITH A CHANCE

RACE 7
7 CARZOFF – NO LUCK LAST START
4 HARPER’S CHOICE – ON PACER IN GREAT FORM
5 BLACK ON GOLD – THIS TRIP IDEAL 2ND UP
2 MORTON’S FORK – VICTORIAN FORM OK

RACE 8
8 MORPHEUS – SMART COLT WITH GOOD CREDENTIALS
9 I’M SO SWEET – STRONG WIN 2ND UP
5 NAI’A – CAN’T FAULT FORM. GOOD TRIAL
4 SO BIZARRE – RACING WELL AND ON PACE