The Chris Waller-trained veteran stayer Junoob leads a bumper list of Newcastle Gold Cup 2016 nominations for this Friday’s feature race at Beaumont Racecourse.

Junoob is the top-rated and weighted of the 2016 Newcastle Gold Cup nominations for this Friday at Beaumont. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A total of 17 hopefuls make up the nominations for the $175,000 Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2200m) this spring, including two from the star Sydney stables of Waller.

Waller has entered for Junoob who leads the Newcastle Gold Cup weights with 59kg as well as Wyong Cup runner-up from September 2 Sacred Master.

A nine-year-old son of Haafhd, Junoob is a veteran of 53 starts, but the warhorse import hasn’t won a race since the 2015 Ballarat Cup.

This time in he’s had two runs for a first-up third behind stablemate McCreery in the Listed Rowley Mile (1600m) and then his fifth last Saturday to the same horse in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).

Waller’s other Newcastle Gold Cup entry is five-year-old Sacred Master whose last run produced the brave second to Slow Pace on a Heavy (10) track in the Listed Wyong Cup (2100m).

The Kris Lees-trained Wyong Cup winner Slow Pace also features in the Newcastle Gold Cup nominations for the rematch on Friday, the nine-year-old going up from 54kg last start to only 54.5kg if he runs.

Local Newcastle horseman Lees has a total of four entries for the feature race of the Newcastle Gold Cup Carnival.

Slow Pace is joined by stablemates Singing, Sense Of Occasion and Olympic Academy.

In-form French import Singing comes off back-to-back seconds including in the Listed Premier’s Cup (1900m) from August 27, won by Sense Of Occasion.

Olympic Academy meanwhile won the Taree Cup two back under 59kg before his dead last when 10^th in the Wyong Cup in the wet.

He’ll be better on a firmer track and gets in on the Newcastle Gold Cup light-weight of 54kg.

Another highly-rated entry is the John Thompson-trained Orbec who finished runner-up to Beyond Thankful in the 2015 Newcastle Gold Cup result 12 months ago.

He backed-up from that run with a brave fourth to Magic Hurricane in Randwick’s Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m), but hasn’t finished in the money since.

Other noteworthy entries include Tony Gollan’s Caloundra Cup winner Amexed, the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Group 1 performer Dee I Cee and the in-form Dowdstown Charlie for Kim Waugh.

Dowdstown Charlie has finished in the money in his past four starts dating back to July, the six-year-old boasting a strong Newcastle track record of two wins and a second from three starts at the course.

His last run here was on August 6 over the two miles on a Heavy track when runner-up to Paragon under 61kg.

The other form runner and sole mare nominated for the race this season is the Joe Cleary-trained daughter of High Chaparral Chaquinta who comes off back-to-back Sydney wins over 2200m (Warwick Farm) and 2700m (Canterbury).

See below for the full Newcastle Gold Cup 2016 nominations, the field and latest odds from Ladbrokes.com.au set for release on Wednesday.

2016 Newcastle Gold Cup Nominations

Newcastle Racecourse – 16/09/2016