Trainers from all corners of the state will be headed to Muswellbrook on Sunday for the Country Championships Wild Card.
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The race is the last chance for horses to qualify for the $400,000 Final being held at Royal Randwick on April 1.
Being run at 1280m, the Wild Card is the culmination of eight qualifiers of qualifiers leading up to the decider.
Run under set weight conditions, the Wild Card attracted 25 entries at nomination time, but the final field will feature 14, plus four emergencies.
Having had his chances in the Hunter North West qualifier scuppered by a wet track, Tamworth Tornado Art D’Amour is among those looking to qualify at the second attempt.
Unbeaten through his first four starts, Art D’Amour may have a 0 next to his form card, but was only beaten 2.4 lengths when 10th behind Caerless Choice.
Trainer Cody Morgan has a high opinion of the Excellent Art gelding, but also will be keeping an eye on the skies.
Muswellbrook’s track was last posted a Soft 6 and with wet weather forecast on Friday, and race day, the sting will certainly be out of the track.
Morgan also entered Pelerin, an emerging customer building a nice record.
Pelerin is 15th in the order of entry, meaning a wait for connections to see if he is declared a certain-starter come acceptance time on Thursday morning.
Morgan is far from the only Tamworth interest in the race.
Mark Mason’s Strictly Concert and Craig Martin’s Mapmaker are assured of a berth in the race, ranked fourth and seventh respectively on the ballot.
Troy O’Neile is waiting on a high attrition rate to ensure his in-form charge Try ‘N’ Run A Muck, fresh from a bold showing at Armidale on Monday, gets a start.
Scone horseman Greg Bennett is trying to qualify one of his horses for the final, which was always going to be his last hurrah.
Bennett is handing back his trainers licence the day after and moving to Queensland for a role with Aquis Farm.
Invienna, All Summer Long and Sassaby will carry his hopes.
"I am very determined to get at least one into the final," Bennett told Racing NSW.
“Derby Day is my last chance at training a winner anywhere, let alone a Country Championships winner. I want to finish on a high.”
Other trainers heading to Muswellbrook include Taree’s Cliff Bashford, Cameron Crockett from Mudgee, Bathurst’s Dean Mirfin, Quirindi-based Scott Thompson and Wellington’s Garry McCarney.
