Australian Racing: Etna Rosso to flow home in Wyong Cup

There are four meetings set to take place on Friday, including at Wyong, where the Listed Wyong Cup is the feature event.

They also race at Birdsville, Canberra and Mornington.

Race 7 Wyong

Etna Rosso @ 2.70

Race 6 Wyong

Rush Attack @ 3.80

Race 5 Mornington

Let's Trot @ 4.60

Etna Rosso to lead Waller charge

The previously mentioned Wyong Cup comes up as the penultimate race on an eight-race card.

A soft 5 track is expected with a field of twelve declared for the 2100m contest.

Lion’s Roar is expected to have his supporters in this field, having won at a higher level in the past when taking the Group 3 Summer Cup at Randwick in December.

The seven-year-old saw off nine rivals when taking that 2000m contest held on a soft 6 track and he has recorded some solid efforts in defeat since.

Those efforts include a third in the 1600m Listed Scone Cup at Scone in May and a second in Hawkesbury’s Rowley Mile over the same distance last month.

John O’Shea & Tom Charlton’s representative rates highly stepping back up in distance, however, he is expected to find at least one too good.

Trainer Chris Waller boasts a strong hand here with Manzoice, Medatsu and ETNA ROSSO all set to feature at single figure odds for the trainer.

Preference is for the last named, the mount of Kerrin McEvoy, with the import having won two of his four starts since switching hemisphere’s late last year.

The five-year-old’s first victory saw him triumph by over a length when contesting a 2110m Benchmark 72 handicap at Warwick Farm in March.

The 2.70 selection was spelled following that effort, but proved that wet tracks were no issue when third in an 1800m Benchmark 78 handicap on a heavy 8 surface at Randwick on his return.

The son of Decorated Knight arrives here on the back of a victory when finishing strongly in a 1900m Benchmark 78 handicap at Rosehill and the step back up in distance is expected to suit.

The gelding recorded some big efforts at this level in Europe and he is taken to complete a double on his first Listed start for the Waller team.

Attack to salute at Wyong

Kristen Buchanan is set to saddle Kervette in the sixth race at Wyong, a 1600m Benchmark 58 handicap.

The four-year-old has been in good form since returning from a short break with a seventh over 1200m in a Newcastle maiden at the end of June.

The filly broke her maiden in a 1350m contest held on a soft 5 track here two starts later and has placed on both subsequent appearances.

The Kermadec filly finished strongly when half-a-length second in a 1400m Benchmark 64 handicap at Newcastle two weeks ago and she is expected to appreciate this step up in distance.

Trainer Nathan Doyle has started September well, with two of his four runners to date winning and his representative here RUSH ATTACK is preferred.

The gelding placed second at Queanbeyan earlier this prep and recorded the second win of his career when taking out a 1450m Benchmark 58 handicap at Kempsey at the end of July.

The 3.80 pick came home one-and-a-half-lengths clear of his rivals when racing on a soft 5 track that day and acquitted himself well when runner-up over this distance at Newcastle subsequently.

The four-year-old was narrowly beaten when racing in a similar race to this held on a heavy 9 track in that Newcastle event and he has a good barrier two from the rail here.

Apprentice Benjamin Osmond, on board for each of the selection’s last two starts, is again in the saddle and he looks capable of steering the son of Brave Smash to victory.

Trot for Mornington glory

The fifth race on the Mornington card is a 1000m maiden contest restricted to three-year-olds.

The Reece Goodwin-trained LET'S TROT is the pick in this event, having delivered placed efforts on both previous starts.

The first of those saw him finish runner-up when beaten just under two lengths in a 1000m contest on the synthetic track at Pakenham just over a month ago.

The 4.60 gelding finished strongly when ridden by his jockey here, Luke Nolen on that occasion and he again performed well when placing third in a similar event just under three weeks later.

The son of Reward For Effort jumped at odds-on when beaten two-and-a-half-lengths in that latest effort and he has a good barrier five from the rail here.

The selection is set to make his turf debut in this event and he is taken to break his maiden at the third time of asking.