ARMIDALE Greyhound Club president Garry Carson has been overwhelmed by nominations in all three meetings of the Armidale Cup Carnival as the main event gets underway this afternoon.
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The three other feature finals will start with the race two 365m Tex Munford Maiden, followed by the hotly-contested 365m race four AGRC 1-4 Wins Stakes, followed by the 440m race six Mitchell Family Sprint Final before the 520m Armidale Cup gets underway for race eight of the ten-race program.
“The other six races on the day are all quality fields as well and have extra prizemoney,” Carson said.
In fact this year has seen more than 400 nominations over the three weeks, with over 40 trainers heading to the New England for the carnival.
“We had another 140 nominations for this week,” Carson said.
“We are very happy with that.
“To see full fields every week is good for the club and good for racing.”
While Albert Zarb’s Specs Valley will go into the Cup at very short odds after impressing in the heats, the other finals are shaping up to be much harder for the punters to pick.
Carson likes the locals’ chances in the AGRC 1-4 Win Final, specifically Denis Nixon’s Orrara Bell who drew the inside box after winning one of five full heats for the final.
“I am pretty confident it will go well but it is a tough race,” Carson said.
Fellow local trainer Arthur Wright has two shots at the final after Gamblers Note and Kitty Note both won their heats in blistering times a fortnight ago.
The dark horse could be Barry Hobson’s China Hofman.
The red and brindle dog led clearly in the heat before Gamblers Note ran him down in the straight, although that was his first start back from a spell.
“That was his first run here and first for a while so with a few more runs now he could be the big improver,” Carson said.
In the Mitchell Family Sprint, Robert Alchin’s Cosmic Taleya will be hard to beat after two wins in two weeks at the track.
Cosmic Taleya won the heat, and then won another grade five race last week in preparation for the final, where she will line in box three up alongside full sister Taleyawho has drawn the inside box.
Duri trainer Valerie Cleghorn has the fastest qualifier, with Chalk drawing box six, while Nixon’s Kickem Keeping will jump from seven and Werris Creek trainer Peter Midson’s Shaylor Binny will try to back up an impressive heat win jumping from the four.
“The noms have been very good so the fields are also very good,” Carson said.
“The standard of racing has been very good.”
Gates will open at 10am with the first race to jump at 1pm.
