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By Graeme White

Should in-form sprinter Katie Express add another win to her record at Queanbeyan on Friday it would become a dream start for new owner Myles Carroll.

Katie Express won her latest appearance at Wagga collecting $15,000 which was way above her purchase price of a couple of thousand dollars.

Carroll’s father Wayne prepares Katie Express who has a win and a second from her past two starts and is in the market ($5 on TAB) for the Allbids Benchmark 58 (1000m) at Queanbeyan on Friday.

Wagga-based trainer Wayne Carroll prepares Katie Express. Image by Bradley Photographers

Katie Express was put up for sale and Myles felt she was worth a try and she has quickly paid back his faith.

“She has stayed in the same stable and Myles just took over as the owner and it has been good for him so far,” Carroll said.

“In the right company, she is always competitive because she can race right on the speed and that gives her the best chance of winning."

Jockey Brandan Ward will again be on Katie Express after guiding her to a second and win at her past two runs.

She put the writing on the wall with a narrow second at Wagga at odds of $51 then went one place better saluting at $5.

Katie Express is a daughter of Sleigh which Carroll also raced and she has left a couple of other winners. Myles thought Katie Express was worth a try when she was put up for sale.

“She has been great so far. It will get harder for her but in the right race she is always thereabouts,” he said.

Katie Express will take on the likes of Soho Sushi ($4.60), Kiss The Colours ($4.40 favourite) and You Wish ($6) who are always competitive in these type of races.

Meanwhile, Canberra conditioner Gratz Vella feels all of his four starters will be competitive with Crucial Witness ($5) his best hope in the TAB Takeover Benchmark 58 (1200m). He will also start Beau Rock ($11), Region Time ($18) and Ideelic ($10).

“Crucial Witness has run some of her best races at Queanbeyan ,” he said.

The mare has had her past five starts at Queanbeyan which have resulted in a win, second two fourths and a sixth. The seven-year-old will be having her 50th start on Friday and has earnings of $160,000.

Vella also has Vella Fox ($23) listed as an emergency at Randwick on Saturday and has Chasing A Quid running at Wagga’s Australia Day meeting on Sunday.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Queanbeyan here