TAMWORTH Jockey Club might have extended nominations on five of its seven Tamworth Rush meeting races on Wednesday but it is confident it will finish with good fields when it races next Tuesday.
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Acting chief operations officer Helen Sinclair was disappointed with the 79 nominations but was hopeful and confident more trainers would add horses to the five lightly supported events.
“It is disappointing but the weather conditions have had a lot to do with it,” she said.
“We raced on a heavy track here last week too (August 12). It is a heavy 10 at the moment but the rail will be out 3m on Tuesday.
“Hopefully we will have some clearing weather and receive more nominations [on Thursday].
Nominations on all bar the 1000m and 1200m maiden races have been extended until 11am on Thursday.
All seven races carry $20,000 in prizemoney with the feature being the $20,000 Tamworth Rush, a 1000m sprint.
That had nine nominations on Wednesday headed by last start Narromine winner, Opera Blu, who is trained at Walcha by George Woodward, and a pair of thoroughbreds form the Sue Grills and James Berry stables.
Berry, based at Muswellbrook, has nominated Michelle’s Gift, who is a winner on the Tamworth track, as well as Texan Lad.
Michelle’s Gift has won two of her three Tamworth starts. The six-year-old bay mare has won five of her 15 starts and returned to racing after a four-week freshener to finish 12th of 13 to Lion Couchant at Gosford on August 11.
Sue Grills has nominated Hammoon Boy and Polskie Prince for their home track.
Hammoon Boy was to have raced at Dubbo earlier this week but scratched due to the heavy conditions after finishing second to Chilli Zaim at Coffs Harbour on July 24.
He has also had three starts at Tamworth for a win and a second in a 35-start career that has realised eight wins.
TAMWORTH RUSH NOMS: Bulls ‘n’Bears (Cody Morgan), Hammoon Boy (Sue Grills), Ice Chiller (Les Roberts), Michelle’s Gift (James Berry), Ms Wicked Wanda (Bob Milligan), Opera Blu (George Woodward), Poet’s Trick (Stephen Dixon), Polskie Prince (Sue Grills), Texan Lad (James Berry).
* Meanwhile in Sydney the world’s best thoroughbred continues to draw huge crowds. Winx is box office gold and if she keeps putting a show on like she did in Saturday's Warwick Stakes, punters should turn out in record numbers at Randwick next month.
The Australian Turf Club took a crowd figure at 3pm on Saturday but by 3.40pm when Winx jumped into action it went up by more than 700 as people arrived late to see the star attraction.
