ARMIDALE Jockey Club has been inundated with nominations for Saturday’s Guyra Cup meeting.
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The event is the first leg of a double-header for the Hunter North West Racing Association, culminating with Scone hosting the Country Championship Qualifier on Sunday.
Armidale is gearing up for a bumper seven-race TAB card, highlighted by the $30,000 Guyra Cup (1400m) and a $20,000 Armidale Cup Prelude (1900m).
Armidale Jockey Club secretary Jim Dedes said all five support races are worth $20,000 as well making it a $150,000 day.
“The winner of the Armidale Cup Prelude also gains direct entry into the Armidale Cup on Monday, March 20,” Jim Dedes said.
“Going to be a big (Armidale) Cup day after the local council granted us a half day holiday for it on March 20.
“We haven’t had it for three or four years, used to get great crowds of around 3000 before, but when they cut the holiday we were getting less than 1000.
“Great to have it back.”
Nominations for Saturday’s Guyra Cup closed 11am today with 141, including 27 for the Guyra Cup.
“The noms are huge, unbelievable really with Scone racing on Sunday as well. It’s going to be a massive weekend for racing up here (HNWRA).”
Heading the Guyra Cup list is 2014 winner Single Spirit for trainer Ross Stitt, who returned to win last year’s Cup with Shazza’s Bubbles.
Single Spirit has now won 12 of his 53 starts for $256,625 in prizemoney and boasts wins in country cups such as Sawtell, Casino, Kempsey and Wellington but hasn’t started since finishing 13th in December’s Coffs Harbour Cup.
Also in the entry list is Moree gelding Free Billy.
The Peter Sinclair-trained six-year-old son of Bel Esprit won his ninth start in 29 goes when he won at Goondiwindi over the Guyra Cup distance (1400m). It took his prizemoney to just under $90,000 for his Boar Boar Moree syndicate.
He has won his only two starts at Armidale as well.
Ian Cook, also has Our Blevic nominated. The owner/trainer has had some good fun with the six-year-old son of Blevic who has won five of 38 starts with 13 placings.
He has won just over $81,000 in prizemoney and comes off two fourths at Grafton after a good spell.
“Be nice for a Guyra horse to win a Guyra Cup,” Ian Cook said from the Guyra Hotel where he has been the publican for the last nine years or so.
Fellow trainers Terry Vidler, who has Monday’s Expert for the Guyra Cup, and Paul Grills, who has Kingston Time nominated in the Armidale Cup Prelude, also drop in from time to time to discuss Guyra racing tactics.
