Tamworth chairman Terry Browne reckoned the Golden Guitar Carnival was a great carnival, with staff and volunteers working tirelessly to ensure it went as smoothly as possible.

“We had huge noms, especially for the Sunday meeting (Golden Guitar heats),” he said.

“We tried to ensure that every horse nominated got a run if possible.

“We will be developing a strategy to make sure that happens next year if possible.

“If we keep doing the traditional things, then we will get the traditional results.”

The Tamworth club  would have been able to run 13 races and not the 10 it did on the Sunday Golden Guitar heats meeting if allowed.

Coming up with a plan to ensure that happens next year is top of the list for the club,  Browne said.

The only disappointing point was betting turnover.

“It was reasonable, nothing sensational,” he said although results on Golden Guitar night were brilliant, with both the Tamworth City Cup (Yaya’s Hotspot) and Golden Guitar winner (Strathlachlan Andy) running new track records.

He’s also resigned to the fact the 2016 Golden Guitar Carnival will be held at the old Tamworth Paceway and not the new proposed complex on the southern outskirts.

“We’d love to have the new track open but it looks like the development application won’t be ready until August,” Browne said. “We’re ready to go whenever we get the green light from the Harness Racing Authority.”

 Browne said the hard work from all of the staff and volunteers of the Tamworth club was immense.

“They all did a sensational job,” he said.

“Laurie (James), Karen (Fox), Mark (Lowe) and everyone were outstanding. I don’t know of a group of individuals anywhere who could have done a better job. 

“We only had one hitch – that was a punctured tyre.”

Tamworth now prepares for two meetings in February while the North West Carnival of Cups rolls around to Narrabri and Armidale.

“It means we have pacing every weekend,” Browne said.

“And for good money as well.”