The meeting and free entertainment is open to all with people holding tickets in the Holy Trinity Art Union admitted to the course free of charge.

The Jockey Club and Art Union committees will be jointly praying that the rain predicted today holds off so the meeting can proceed on a track expected to be soft following last week’s rain.

In addition to the fun of the Art Union and the entertainment, the meeting will be tinged with a touch of sadness as it will be the first race meeting held since the sudden death of the IJC President Don Bartlett in September and the death last week of former Inverell committeeman, trainer and stud master Stan Smith.

Smith died a few hours short of his 80th birthday last week after a lifetime involvement in racing and rugby league where he was a referee, coach and even organised his own team “Smith’s Tigers” to play in the local competition.

Stan’s son and Inverell trainer, Dean Smith, will saddle up two runners on Saturday with Devlann likely to be a sentimental favourite as it was bred by his parents from the mare Excellent Ann.

It was also raced by Dean’s mother Patti to win the 2006 Inverell Cup.

Devlann will meet some strong opposition in the Stewart’s Grain Trading Handicap where Tamworth trained Bowie’s Boy is likely to start favourite after consistent form with a win and two seconds in TAB and showcase races in August prior to a short let up.

Also contesting the race will be locally owned Herecum Da Drums to be ridden by leading northern jockey Jodi Worley.

Herecum Da Drums has had more trips to the vet than to the winners circle but has won on soft and placed at Inverell on heavy tracks so may find conditions to suit.

Inverell Jockey Club is conducting a trainer’s premiership for Inverell based trainers this year and the current leader Todd Payne has two runners on the day with the Josie’s Saga and the interestingly named Franky Cold Medina, but both have been struggling for form.

Payne will no doubt be planning for New Year’s Day with his good mare Victory Lass following news that Racing NSW has allowed Inverell Cup Day to have an additional $20,000 Battler’s Cup restricted to horses that have competed at the “once a year meetings” at towns in the surrounding area.

The race which was proposed by Don Bartlett to Racing NSW will be over 1400 metres for horses that have started at the meetings held by Glen Innes, Deepwater, Bundarra, Barraba, Bingara, Narrabri, Mungindi, Warialda and Tabulam in 2017.

Bartlett’s idea was to help the smaller clubs and give the battling type of horse and trainer a realistic chance to win a feature race for much more prize money than is available at the one-day meetings.