Final field and barriers are now out for Wednesday’s feature race at Beaumont Racecourse in Newcastle, the Newcastle Newmarket Handicap 2016.

Famous Seamus carries the 59kg top weight in Wednesday’s 2016 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Due to run as Race 6 at 4:15pm (AEDT), this season’s $125,000 Group 3 Strathayr Newcastle Newmarket Handicap (1350m) field features 14 hopefuls.

The Newcastle Newmarket Handicap weights are led by the Noel Mayfield-Smith-trained Famous Seamus and River Lad for local horseman Kris Lees who both carry 59kg in the midweek clash.

Kerrin McEvoy rides Elusive City seven-year-old Famous Seamus who ran a disappointing 11^th of 12 runners behind Charlie Boy at Randwick last start on February 27 in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m).

That was his first-up run since winning the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) at Sandown-Hillside back in mid-November last year, and his record second-up is a strong three wins and three thirds from nine runs to date.

River Lad has Christian Reith in the saddle in barrier 11, one wider than Famous Seamus (10), the rising nine-year-old looking to keep the Group 3 trophy at home.

He is also a Liverpool City Cup graduate having crossed under two and a half lengths away seventh and on Wednesday the 44-start veteran shoots for his first win since the 2014 Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane nearly two years ago in Group 1 company.

It is shaping up as an open Newcastle Newmarket Handicap betting market this year with one of the top fancies likely to be Bull Point from the Sydney stables of David Vandyke who won last Saturday’s Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) with his 2016 Sydney Cup hope Sir John Hawkwood.

Drawn wide in barrier 12 of 14, Fastnet Rock six-year-old Bull Point won over the Randwick mile last time out carrying 58kg on February 6 and after a nice freshen-up, a four length Rosehill trial win and dropping to 55kg he shapes up as a big hope in the Group 3.

Also well-weighted and well-fancied in early markets is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained duo of Nancy and Artistry drawn barriers three and nine respectively.

Nancy is a four-year-old daughter of Big Brown who ran a brave third beaten under half a length by Meursault over 1200m at Randwick last time out, while stablemate Artistry is another four-year-old mare coming off a nice lead-up.

The daughter of Shamardal won three on the trot in Sydney during the spring before returning on March 5 at Randwick to cross just over a length away fourth behind Savoureux in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m).

Along with Bull Point the only other last start winner in the field is the Chris Waller-trained Religify who saluted over 1350m at Rosehill on February 20.

The Choisir five-year-old overcame barrier 12 of 12 for his win with 59.5kg and is wide again on Wednesday in barrier 14 of 14, but drops notably in the weights to the 54kg minimum.

Sydney’s leading trainer Waller has also accepted for Group 1 performed Amovatio (56.5kg) who Hugh Bowman rides and the rails-drawn Sadler’s Lake (55.5kg) who is first-up since a Melbourne Cup Day run at Flemington in November.

Other notable hopes include Gai Waterhouse’s Epsom Handicap runner-up from the spring Ecuador who is down in class off a first-up sixth to Holler in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) as a $51 roughie, and Lees’ other runner Goldstream who is an Italian import debuting down under.

A four-year-old son of Martino Alonso, the stallion is five from seven overseas including a Group 2 Italian Derby (2200m) win in May last year with his only losses to date being in Group 1 class over 2012m and 2400m.

He trialled at the Beaumont track ahead of his run on Wednesday and caught the eye crossing second to Group 1 winner Lucia Valentina over 1000m on March 1.

Check out the full Newcastle Newmarket Handicap 2016 field, barriers, jockeys and weights below with markets open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost!

2016 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw

Beaumont Race 6 (4:15pm) – 16/03/2016