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Former Victorian four-year-old Edge of Reward ($2.30 favourite on TAB), runner-up in all four starts for Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle, is set to break through in the Tozer Air & Electrical Provincial Maiden Plate (1350m) on the Beaumont Track (Newcastle) on Saturday.
The lightly raced gelding has been placed in six of his eight starts.
Cindy Alderson trained Edge of Reward in Victoria where he was placed at Cranborne and Pakenham.
He has started favourite in three of his Newcastle starts and he is second favourite in the other.
Last start at Wyong, Edge of Reward was run down late with 60kg on his back.
On October 29 it took the boom Irish import Wrathful the length of the long Newcastle straight to run Edge of Reward down in the shadows of the post.
He races well on firm tracks and has the rails barrier and regular rider Lee Magorrian has the mount.
Doyle trained more winners than any Newcastle trainer with the exception of Kris Lees last season and he has already prepared 23 winners in the current season.
Doyle has taken over the training of Lady Fraulein ($6.50) which resumes from a spell in the Tozer Air & Electrical Fillies & Mares Handicap (1200m) and the mare will be hard to beat.
Previously with the Maher-Eustace stable in which she has been placed in three of her five starts, Lady Fraulein was narrowly beaten in a recent Newcastle trial.
She can race on the speed, however, the mare came from well back when runner-up at Goulburn and Gosford in the Winter. Koby Jennings has the ride on Saturday.
Kris Lees 2022 $500,000 Provincial Midway Championships Final placegetter French Marine ($6) kicks off another campaign in the Tozer Air & Electrical Benchmark 68 Handicap (1150m).
He does face a difficult task with 61½kg and barrier 13 but he has sound credentials. French Marine was a $61 chance when beaten 0.36 of a length by stablemate Kinloch and Kiss Sum in the Provincial Midway Championships Final at Randwick in April.
On May 28 the 5yo was a close third at Randwick behind Cotehele. French Marine has a good fresh record and the in-form jockey Aaron Bullock has the mount.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou training partnership has two good chances in the final event the Tozer Air & Electrical Christmas Cup (1250m).
Banana Queen ($3 fav) and Mihocek ($7) will represent the Rosehill stable and both resume with impressive trials under their belt. Banana Queen looked good in coming from way back to win a Rosehill trial under a hold.
Mihocek has drawn wide but has blinkers for the first time and finished off nicely in a recent trial. The Beaumont Track will also host the annual Boxing Day raceday which always attracts a huge crowd.
