The first of the 2018 Polytrack Provincial Championships Qualifiers will be run at Wyong on Saturday and with $150,000 up for grabs the race is set to be a cracker.
The Wyong trained Echo Effect is second favourite and if he is on his best behavior the gelding has a great chance. He is a very difficult horse to settle in his races but the 4-year-old is richly talented. Echo Effect was Group 3 placed at Caulfield in October and he bolted in with a recent Hawkesbury trial.
Newcastle mare Just Dreaming is the favourite and her first up run in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes was a ripper.
Witches is in good form and with only 54 kilos on her back will run well. The mare has had four metropolitan starts this preparation for a win and two placings.
The first three placegetters progress to next month’s $500,000 Provincial Championships Final at Randwick.
RACE 1 JOB CENTRE AUSTRALIA MAIDEN PLATE 1300M
Irish Success has a tricky draw but is well placed in this race. He hasn’t been far away in his past two starts on metropolitan tracks and he races on the pace.
Nai’a is third up after placings at Hawkesbury and Wyong and is drawn okay.
Sunday Session has trialled okay.
SELECTIONS: 3 IRISH SUCCESS 10 NAI’ A 9 SUNDAY SESSION
RACE 2 LAKES PODIATRY BENCHMARK 71 2100M
Furore is unbeaten in three starts and will be an odds-on favourite. The three-year-old steps up in class and distance after four length wins at Gosford and Cessnock. He is very promising and should account for this field.
Chilli Beauty has won three on the trot at Kembla and Wyong and she runs a strong 2100m.
Follow On is expected to lead and he has won two from three.
SELECTIONS: 4 FURORE 3 CHILLI BEAUTY 5 FOLLOW ON
RACE 3 SERVERS AUSTRALIA 2YO MAIDEN PLATE 1000M
Sanglier is back from Melbourne where his form was good enough to win this. The colt has good speed and will be suited to Wyong. He was placed in the Merson Cooper at Sandown in November.
Let Me Sleep On It should have been placed in the Randwick Nursery when fourth and he has speed.
Celosia trials have been good.
SELECTIONS: 5 SANGLIER 12 LET ME SLEEP ON IT 9 CELOSIA
RACE 4 MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AIR CONDITIONING MAIDEN 1100M
Carillon has won two of his three trials and he has been set for a first up win. He led all the way to win a recent Warwick Farm trial and the 1100M is ideal.
Clifton County was only beaten two lengths in his only start at Kembla in June. He has had a couple of recent trials.
Crystal Queen is a roughie with a chance.
SELECTIONS: 2 CARILLON 3 CLIFTON COUNTY 8 CRYSTAL QUEEN
RACE 5 VIETNAM VETERANS KEITH PAYNE VC CLASS 2 1600M
Chilly Cha Cha was brave first up when beaten half a length at Newcastle. The filly has a great record and she has won second up. She won’t be far off the pace and will run a strong mile.
Hunter Caulfield likes to lead and if he is not pressured in front is difficult to run down.
High Power is struggling to find form but he wasn’t far away at Newcastle last start.
SELECTIONS: 4 CHILLY CHA CHA 5 HUNTER CAULFIELD 3 HIGH POWER
RACE 6 LAKE MACQUARIE SHEET METAL CLASS 1 1100M
Floki has trialled brilliantly on Newcastle’s Beaumont track in preparation for his first up run. He is a talented 4 year old with a win and two placings from his three starts. He won a Scone maiden by 8 lengths and was a good thing beaten in his second start at Muswellbrook.
Newsfan is a huge threat after demolishing a Port Macquarie field first up.
Persia can and needs to improve on her last start.
SELECTIONS: 1 FLOKI 4 NEWSFAN 10 PERSIA
RACE 7 HAIER BENCHMARK 66 1000M
Shudabeen is a speedy filly which has won two from three on this track. She has a perfect draw and is well in with the 3 kilogram allowance.
Never Out races well here but has a tricky draw. The 3 kilogram claim is a big help.
Second Island has blistering speed and she bolted in here two starts back.
SELECTIONS: 4 SHUDBEEN 1 NEVER OUT 11 SECOND ISLAND
RACE 8 POLYTRACK PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER
Echo Effect is richly talented but is wayward. He trialled very well at Hawkesbury recently and he was group placed at Caulfield in the spring.
Just Dreaming’s first up run in the group 3 was a ripper.
Witches always puts in and it is hard to fault her form.
SELECTIONS: 6 ECHO EFFECT 5 JUST DREAMING 14 WITCHES