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By Gary Harley

The feature race on the eight-race program at Wyong on Saturday is a qualifier of the Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships.

It is a cracking line-up with first and second progressing to the $500,000 Final at Royal Randwick on April 8.

Wyong's Kim Waugh trained True Crime to win the Newcastle Qualifier on March 9 and she saddles up the favourite in the Wyong Qualifier on Saturday.

Conrad ($2.80 on TAB) is the horse and he was impressive when he came from second last to fail by a neck when runner-up on the Kensington Track on March 8.

The prospect of a soft track won’t be a problem for Conrad as he as won on a heavy track. The gelding has won at Wyong and has a very good second-up record.

Conrad has a soft draw and Keagan Latham will ride.

The European four-year-old Wrathful ($8) resumes here and he is talented. Newcastle trainer Sam Kavanagh bought the gelding unraced online and he had three Australian starts in October and November.

Following an eye-catching fourth at Warwick Farm first-up Wrathful won his next two at Newcastle. He has had two quiet trials recently.

Kris Lees has won four of the Provincial Championship Finals and he will have five runners in Saturday's Qualifier. The European import Acquitted ($4.80) is he most fancied and he had no luck when trapped three-wide no cover in the Newcastle Qualifier.

Lees's New Zealand-bred gelding Willinga Freefall ($6.50) has a good record with three wins from five starts.

RACE 1, LAKES PODIATRY 3YO MAIDEN PLATE, 1000m: Russian Rose ($2.40 fav) is ready to win after placings in her only two starts at Kembla and Hawkesbury. Both runs have been on soft tracks and she has speed. The filly has blinkers for the first time. De Poet ($3.90) has won two trials recently and he raced well on this track in November. Beauty Bound ($5.50) is on debut and her trial form is okay.
SELECTIONS: 7 RUSSIAN ROSE, 3 DE POET, 4 BEAUTY BOUND

RACE 2, REWARD HOMES PROVINCIAL CLASS 1 HANDICAP, 1350m: Yankee Hussel ($3.40) is second-up after making ground late first-up at Newcastle. Her only win was second-up and she will appreciate the longer trip. Justina ($3.30 fav) has raced well here in the past and is fitter now while Fun Sunday ($5.50) went well first-up.
SELECTIONS: 4 YANKEE HUSSEL, 5 JUSTINA, 1 FUN SUNDAY

RACE 3, LIFEFUL CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE, 2100m: Domingo ($2.25 fav) is in good form and the 2100m won’t be a problem. He outstayed his opponents at Canberra last start and two starts back was runner-up at Warwick Farm. Owari ($2.90) bolted in here two starts back and he was runner-up twice early in the prep. Piccadilly Lass ($7.50) was narrowly beaten last start.
SELECTIONS: 2 DOMINGO, 3 OWARI, 8 PICCADILLY LASS

RACE 4, PETER MAC’S SERVICE CENTRE MAIDEN PLATE, 1600m: Meet Me In Bondi ($2.20 fav) put the writing on the wall when he was narrowly beaten at Warwick Farm on March 15. He led on the soft 7 track and was run down late. He has drawn nicely and Aaron Bullock has the mount. Riley Park ($5.50) has been placed in his past two starts and he will appreciate the longer trip and Vegas Outlaw ($6.50) is racing well.
SELECTIONS: 8 MEET ME IN BONDI, 5 RILEY PARK, 6 VEGAS OUTLAW

RACE 5, THE ARY 2YO MAIDEN PLATE, 1200m: Snippety Star ($4) has been placed in her only two starts at Gosford and Canberra. She is a speedy filly and last start at Gosford she was on the speed with no cover before being gunned down late. The filly has drawn perfectly. Abstruse ($12) came from near last when a fast finishing 2.42 lengths from the winner at Gosford first-up recently. Townsend ($7) is on debut after a nice trial.
SELECTIONS: 12 SNIPPETY STAR, 5 ABSTRUSE, 3 TOWNSEND

RACE 6, NATIONAL AIR PARTS MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1350m: Victory Salute ($3.20 fav) is first-up from a spell and she has won two trials at Rosehill and Warwick Farm recently. She had good soft track form last prep and before a spell the filly was a close third at Kembla. Shihab ($6) closed in nicely in a recent trial and she was placed on this track last prep. Personal Best ($9) ran on well in a recent trial.
SELECTIONS: 13 VICTORY SALUTE, 7 SHIHAB, 4 PERSONAL BEST

RACE 7, POLYTRACK PROVINCIAL-MIDWAY QUALIFIER, 1350m: Acquitted ($4.80) was trapped wide with no cover first-up in the Newcastle Qualifier on March 9. Despite the tough run he was running on strong on the closing stages. He has won two from three on heavy tracks. Wrathful ($8) resumes after a successful first prep in which he won two from three and he has had two recent trials. Conrad’s ($2.80 fav) first-up placing on the Kensington Track was an eye-catcher and he won his only start on this track.
SELECTIONS: 3 ACQUITTED, 8 WRATHFUL, 4 CONRAD

RACE 8, TWIN LAKES AIR & SOLAR BENCHMARK 68 HANDICAP, 1200m: Ningaloo Star ($5) won races at Canterbury and Newcastle in February and she has a positive barrier. She races on the speed and has won two from three over this trip. Ceasefire ($3.40 fav) had no luck in the straight at Gosford last start and Super ($14) is ready to win.
SELECTIONS: 4 NINGALOO STAR, 2 CEASEFIRE, 7 SUPER

LATE MAIL
RACE 1
7 RUSSIAN ROSE – KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
3 DE POET – WON 2 RECENT TRIALS
4 BEAUTY BOUND – 1ST START. LAST TRIAL OK
8 ZHI – PLACE

RACE 2
4 YANKEE HUSSEL – OK 1ST UP. FITTER
5 JUSTINA – WELL PLACED THIS FIELD
1 FUN SUNDAY – PLACED 1ST UP. BIG CHANCE
6 TAKARA STAR – EASY COUNTRY WIN LAST START

RACE 3
2 DOMINGO – PROMISING STAYER IN FORM
3 OWARI – A WIN 2 2NDS LAST 4 STARTS
8 PICCADILLY LASS – NEVER RACED BETTER
7 BALINOR – TOP 4 CHANCE

RACE 4
8 MEET ME IN BONDI – BIG EFFORT LAST START
5 RILEY PARK – LAST 2 RUNS HIS BEST
6 VEGAS OUTLAW – CHANCE IN OPEN RACE
10 SCARPARO – COUNTRY FORM OK

RACE 5
12 SNIPPETY STAR – HAS BEST FORM
5 ABSTRUSE – THIS TRIP IDEAL
3 TOWNSEND – ON DEBUT. TRIAL OK
6 BELYAEV – 1ST START. NICE TRIAL

RACE 6
13 VICTORY SALUTE – WON 2 RECENT TRIALS
7 SHIHAB – 1ST UP LOVELY TRIAL
4 PERSONAL BEST – FINISHED OFF WELL IN TRIAL
8 JUST AN UPSTART – PLACED 2 OF 4

RACE 7
3 ACQUITTED – NO LUCK LAST START
8 WRATHFUL – VERY SMART. HARD TO BEAT
4 CONRAD – HUGE RUN 1ST UP
7 WILLINGA FREEFALL – WON 3 OF 5

RACE 8
4 NINGALOO STAR- IN GOOD FORM THIS PREP
2 CEASEFIRE – UNLUCKY LAST START
7 SUPER – READY TO WIN
8 DAME CARTLAND – IMPRESSIVE LAST START

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