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Trainer Benjamin Smith will saddle up a strong hand on his home track at Kembla Grange this Saturday but admits one of those chances is lucky to be there at all.

Unraced filly Audenzia ($31 on TAB) is one of five runners for Smith’s yard across the card and lines up for her debut in the Woonona-Bulli RSL Sub-Branch Fillies and Mares Maiden Plate (1500m).

It’s taken a minor miracle to get the three-year-old filly to the races.

Wolves (Jean Van Overmeire) in a Kembla Grange win. Image by Bradley Photographers

Smith believes Audenzia is lucky to still be here after suffering a serious leg injury in a trackwork incident while she was still learning her craft.

“The lights went out at Kembla and she impaled herself on the fence,” Smith said. “It took three or four of us holding her leg together to get through.

“She made it but was touch and go there for a while. She is going to be a nice filly that can stay actually but this will be just a stepping stone for her with some raceday experience.”

Smith plans to give her Audenzia a freshen up whatever she does on Saturday. He also has talented mare Wolves ($14) in the City Of Wollongong RSL Sub-Branch Gallipolo Cup (1200m).

Wolves is on the seven-day back up and drops significantly in grade on her home track after failing to beat a runner home in last week’s Group 2-Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

“She's been consistent and really Wolves’ only unplaced runs were a Group 2 and a Benchmark 84 at Flemington but she only got beaten four lengths there and it was very leader bias that day,” Smith said.

“The Group 2 was a forget run but other than that she has been extremely honest this preparation. I know it’s a quick back up but she pulled up well and we thought we drop her back in grade and get her back in the winner’s circle.”

Stablemate Herb ($8.50) will get his chance to put a third win on the board in the Peter Poulton Memorial Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1300m). The son of Sizzling got the cobwebs out when finishing third in his first up assignment at the same track.

Smith plans to keep Herb over the sprint trips this time: “Herb has always been running on and seemed like he wanted further but the more work you put into him, the more he trained off,” Smith said.

“This time, we have elected to give him short sprint work and space his runs a little bit more to keep him on the fresh side. We will keep him in these shorter races.”

Smith’s other runners are Ask The Wife ($10) in the Dawn Campbell Memorial Provincial Maiden Handicap and Liangelo ($19) in the Axis Air Midway Class 1 Handicap.

View final fields with full form & race replays for Kembla Grange here