Continuing showers will keep the track around a heavy 8/9 and, with the rail true, expect the winners to drift wider as the day wears on.
Race 1: C, G & E MAIDEN PLATE (1150m)
Newcastle-trained 12. Ultimate Power looks very hard to beat after just missing as clear favourite at Port Macquarie last start in soft ground. Has ability and breed handle the wet.
Local hero: Robert Thompson is always popular with the punters on his home track on Jungle Juice Cup day.Credit:Max Mason-Hubers
Dangers: Wyong-trained 3. Destiny's Choice has only fair form, but two trials on soft 6 ground three months apart have both been good so seems to relish rain-affected conditions. Newcastle-trained 4. Game Set Match had three trials before an even debut at home and should be improved. 6. Trust The Boss chased home a smart one in soft 7 ground at Gosford last start and should find this more to his liking, while 9. Black Haze from strong Sydney stable trialled okay for his return but is drawn very wide.
How to play it: Ultimate Power WIN and quinella with Destiny's Choice
Race 2: BM 58 HCP (1150m)
Very keen on 1. Oxford Angel from leading yard who was scratched from Thursday's Wyong meeting for this. Trialled nicely in soft ground and consistently found the line strong in first prep earlier this year. Gets a 1.5kg claim to off-set the big weight.
Dangers: Not too many, although 2. Atum has been consistent enough, including a nice closing effort in soft 7 ground at Mudgee three runs back, while 4. I Can Hear Music will get a long way back but finishes hard and does have some useful runs in wet ground under his belt.
How to play it: Oxford Angel WIN
Race 3: MAIDEN HCP (1350m)
Wide open and weak affair, with most of these struggling to run placings let alone win, but 11. Legit only has to handle the ground to be in the finish. While unwanted in the market last start at Bathurst, hit the line nicely from off the speed and did similar from well back at Gosford previous start.
Dangers: Newcastle-trained 4. Kalahari has solid form from off the speed for a race like this, but is untested in rain-affected ground, while local pair 5. Timion and 6. Allaru, as well as 9. Clarencetown all have reasonable claims.
How to play it: Legit E/WAY and box 4-5-6-11 in trifecta
Race 4: MAIDEN PLATE (1150m)
Tough race, but going wide in the market with debutant Randwick filly 11. Queens who has trialled good enough. Obviously hasn't seen a heavy surface, but is by Delago Deluxe out of aptly named Morning Swim, dam by Reset who can produce mudlarks, so the pedigree suggests she'll handle it.
Dangers: Warwick Farm-trained 11. Lucky Siren is a clear threat. Hasn't been far away in two career starts, both times solid in the market and parking on speed. Should improve stepping up from 900m. Big watch on debutant Gosford filly 9. Miss Kokkinakis who has served up two narrow trial wins recently in soft ground and may cause a racket for her rivals.
How to play it: Queens E/WAY and quinella with Lucky Siren
Race 5: CL1 HCP (1150m)
Competitive affair with a few chances. Scone-trained 2. Real Classic comes back from stronger Cl2 races where two starts back he hit the line hard in soft 7 ground at Muswellbrook. Will probably need to steer away from the fence, but has leading rider country rider aboard.
Dangers: Wyong mare 3. Venture Capital has only won once from 14 starts, but placed eight times, and stuck on well from the front in a good Cl1 at Wyong last run, while Wyong mare 5. Fudgewedge trialled okay for her return. Three-year-old colt 7. Jamaican Dream was right around the money back in the autumn and comes through the same resuming race as Real Classic. Will go forward.
How to play it: Real Classic WIN and quinella with Jamaican Dream
Race 6: CL3 HCP (900m)
No loafing here even in the mud, although keen on one from just off the pace to make it back-to-back wins on the track. Wyong-trained 8. Rogue Runner finished strong to beat a good Cl1 field four weeks back and has since been kept up to the mark with an easy trial win at Gosford. Yet to race on heavy, but was very forward in a home trial in soft 6 ground last month.
Dangers: Wyong-trained 1. Leogang resumes off a six-month break but normally comes to hand quickly and has shown a liking for wet ground, while Newcastle galloper 6. Ghibli won a decent BM 66 dash at Muswellbrook last start in only his second run for more than a year and will be prominent again.
How to play it: Rogue Runner WIN
Race 7: JUNGLE JUICE CUP (1350m)
Typical open feature, but looks a nice race for Warwick Farm visitor 2. Pianissimo third up. While the 6YO's strike rate is not flash, his closing effort last start in a stronger BM 78 at Rosehill behind the smart Piracy when fancied at odds was good enough for this. Two of his three wins have been on rain-affected ground and gets his chance to return to the winner's stall.
Dangers: Plenty as you'd expect. Newcastle-trained 1. Marathon has found the line nicely in his last two BM 70 starts, but the ground is a query, while another Newcastle raider 5. Nick On The Run wasn't beaten far in the Hurricane and then hit the line hard in the Denman Cup at Muswellbrook. Ready for the extra trip and handles wet ground. Include Taree-trained 6. Sniponet who has won his last two at Tuncurry and Bowraville in weaker grades and loves rain-affected going.
How to play it: Pianissimo E/WAY
Race 8: BM 58 HCP (1570m)
Another open race, but super keen on lightly raced 3YO Newcastle-trained 5. Time Raid. Careered away to win on debut at Tuncurry on soft 7 ground before just missed in a CL1 at Newcastle when heavily backed. Looks to be headed for better races and this is the perfect trip at third career start.
Dangers: Another Newcastle visitor 6. Retribution won early in his career, and has been closing off nicely this prep, while Taree-trained 8. Lucciola Belle comes back from a much stronger Rosehill Highway after two strong runs at home and is already a winner in heavy ground. Leading rider aboard to off-set the wide draw.
How to play it: Time Raid WIN
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