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By Gary Harley

Local trainer Kim Waugh, enjoying the first half of the current season with 23 winners, has a good chance of adding to that figure when she saddles up four-year-old mare Doraskaya ($3.80 into 3.30 on TAB) in the 2100m Wyong Leagues Group Benchmark 64 Handicap at Thursday's Wyong race meeting.

Waugh scratched the mare from a 1900m race at Newcastle on Tuesday preferring to rely on stablemate Community (who won) and Doraskaya lines up in this event with very good recent form.

She was not disgraced when runner up 2.6 lengths behind Chris Waller's hot staying prospect Unusual Legacy in a strong race at Newcastle on January 27. Two starts back Doraskaya won a 1500m Super Maiden at Kembla. She is very consistent with a win and three second placings from her past five starts.

Keagan Latham rode Doraskaya last start and he retains the mount on Thursday. The main threat is Waller's imported stayer Counter ($3.10 favourite) placed in his past four starts, three at Canterbury.

Hawkesbury-trained Irish Anthem ($1.65 fav) has a great chance to break through in the 1600m Carlton & United Breweries Provincial Maiden Plate. Placed in four of seven starts including two of three from a spell, the 4yo is very well placed under the set weigh conditions.

He drifted back to second last in a big field at Warwick Farm last start over 1400m and he made up plenty of ground to finish fifth behind the smart Dimitrov. Two runs back at Randwick on Boxing Day he again came from near last and stormed home to go down by less than a length over the ‘mile’. Irish Anthem was a close third first-up at Hawkesbury.

The husband and wife training partnership of Jason Attartd and Lucky Keegan-Attard prepare the son of Starspangledbanner and Thursday's jockey Rory Hutchings has ridden the horse in three of his starts and he has the mount as he did last start.

The Richard Litt-trained Bo Katon ($2.10 fav) resumes from a spell in the opening event the De Bortoli Wines Maiden (1100m). His only two starts were last winter when he finished a solid fourth at Warwick Farm coming from second last in June.

Next start he again raced well back and charged home to finish third less than a half a length from the winner. The 3yo has been ridden on the speed in his two recent trials and he looks ready to fire first-up. Chad Schofield is heading to Wyong to ride Bo Katan and barrier 2 is ideal.

O’tycoon ($3.30 fav) from the Bjorn Baker stable was narrowly beaten into second place first-up at Gosford recently can go one better in the final event the TAB.COM.AU Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m). His trial form leading up to his first-up run was very good. He hit the line hard and the gelding was runner-up in his only start on this track.

RACE 1, DE BORTOLI WINES MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1100m: Bo Katan ($2.10 fav) resumes from a spell and had very good form back in the winter. After a solid fourth on debut at Warwick Farm in June he came from second last to finish third less than half a length from the winner at Canterbury in July. He has been ridden forward in both recent trials and he draws perfectly. Good Once ($2.70) is also resuming and he has been runner-up in four of six starts and the claim is a bonus. Densetsu ($8.50) has a place chance.
SELECTIONS: 2 BO KATAN, 1 GOOD ONCE, 4 DENSETSU

RACE 2, CARLTON & UNITED BREWERIES MAIDEN PLATE, 1600m: Irish Anthem ($1.65 fav) is knocking on the door and this is his race. He was placed at Hawkesbury first-up and was narrowly beaten when runner-up at Randwick on Boxing Day. His last start at Warwick Farm, he made up good ground when fifth behind a smart horse. Oakfield Zena ($7.50) is very quick and could be hard to run down on the home track. All Above ($8.50) ran on good when placed at Gosford recently.
SELECTIONS: 2 IRISH ANTHEM, 4 OAKFIELD ZENA, 1 ALL ABOVE

RACE 3, WYONG LEAGUES GROUP BENCHMARK HANDICAP, 2100m: Doraskaya ($3.30) is in career best form and she steps up to 2100m. The mare was runner-up to a promising Kiwi stayer Unusual Legacy over 1850m at Newcastle last start. Two starts back she sat on the speed when a Kembla winner and she won’t be far off the lead from this barrier. Counter ($3.10 fav) came from last when a close second at Newcastle last start and previously he was placed in all three Canterbury starts. Topweight Zegalo ($5.50) will find this easier than Warwick Farm behind the flying Naval College.
SELECTIONS: 5 DORASKAYA, 3 COUNTER, 1 ZEGALO

RACE 4, SKY CHANNEL CLASS 1 HANDICAP, 1000m: Still Alice ($4.40) is very quick and led all the way for an easy win on this track on January 18. In her only other start at Gosford on New Year's Eve she ran on strongly into third place behind a couple of nice horses. Fludway ($4.20) was two lengths away when placed at Gosford first-up and he has had a tick over trial since. Pearls Treasure ($6) looked good in winning on this track on debut on December 23.
SELECTIONS: 7 STILL ALICE, 2 FLUDWAY, 6 PEARLS TREASURE

RACE 5, PBL LAW GROUP SUPER MAIDEN, 1350m: Jack of Aces ($3.70) is ready to win after three good efforts this preparation. He was beaten 1.24 lengths at Wyong first-up then was beaten a length at Tuncurry on December 11. Last start at Kembla he came from way back when third, a length from the winner, on December 30. The 4yo won a Warwick Farm trial on January 30. Starmae ($2.30 fav) ran on strongly when runner-up at Gosford on January 24. Wellerman ($5) is resuming but has trialled twice recently and expect a forward showing.
SELECTIONS: 2 JACK OF ACES, 11 STARMAE, 5 WELLERMAN

RACE 6, MAGIC MILLIONS ADE YEARLING SALE 18-19 MARCH F&M MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1100m: Art Volant ($2.60 fav) was nailed on the line at Newcastle last start after sitting outside the leader. She was a runner-up in a Kembla Maiden two starts back and the winner bolted in on this track recently. The filly has a nice barrier and can race on the speed. Cross Your Heart ($5) is on debut and she won a recent Randwick trial. Nettles ($12) has trialled okay and his run at Newcastle 12 months ago was okay.
SELECTIONS: 1 ART VOLANT, 4 CROSS YOUR HEART, 8 NETTLES

RACE 7, CENTRAL COAST COOLROOMS MIDWAY BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP, 1350m: Navy Blood ($4.20 equal fav) has won two from four and he was impressive winning second-up at Gosford recently. He has a longer trip on Thursday but the way he finished in a 1200m last start the distance won’t be a problem. The barrier is perfect and he won’t be far from the lead. Oakfield Redgum ($8) loves her home track where she has two wins and two placings from four starts. She has led in her past three starts. Super ($10) is down in class and can improve.
SELECTIONS: 3 NAVY BLOOD, 6 OAKFILED REDGUM, 2 SUPER

RACE 8, TAB.COM.AU BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP, 1100m: O’tycoon ($3.30 fav) doesn’t win that often but he is never far away. He finished second in his only run on this track and first-up recently at Gosford he just missed when a fast finishing second. The 4yo draws okay and has the service of Dylan Gibbons. Oakfield Triumph ($5.50) had good Randwick placings in the winter and he is a winner first-up. Triskelion ($4.80) was a Canterbury winner on debut and wasn’t far away at Gosford in his second start.
SELECTIONS: 4 O’TYCOON, 2 OAKFIELD TRIUMPH, 3 TRISKELION

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