Tamworth received 213 nominations yesterday, made up of just over 140 individual pacers, for the TAB afternoon meeting.

Racing manager Laurie James was rapt with the 10-race program.

“It’s a fantastic response,”’ James said yesterday.

“We don’t know where they’ve all come from but it does show something must be working.”

Heading the 10-race meeting is the $8000 The Pub Group Gold Nugget (2360m).

It has a field of 10, with last- start Tamworth winner Live To Laugh (Warwick Harper) joined on the second row by Comet Prince (Allan Harmey), Dash Of Class (Robin Hosking) and Enjays Cam.

Moonbi trainer Dean Chapple has engaged Tamworth teenager Anthony Varga to drive Franco Whiz (3) while the Rod Pike-trained Harry Truestar goes from the mobile five barrier.

Former Tamworth trainer Pike, now at Sawyers Gully in the Hunter Valley, trains Harry Truestar for a Tamworth and Manilla syndicate including former leading trainer-driver Norm Moran.

Bithramere trainer-driver Allan Beresford has drawn the one with talented mare Take A Hint.

“It’s a solid Gold Nugget field,” James said.

“But all the fields are enormous. we’ve got 12 in the Standing Start (race 10) and five of the races have

emergencies.”

The huge 10-race meeting kicks off at 12.23pm with the Southgate Inn Pace (1980m) with the last, the Avro Glass & Tamworth Building Supplies Standing Start Handicap (2360m) at 5.52pm.

Friday’s meeting is the first of four big meetings in January for Tamworth, with the Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Carnival starting next Thursday (January 21), continuing Friday and finishing Sunday, January 24 with the $25,000 Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Final.