The TJC, also in line for one of country racing’s major awards in Sydney in late September, was the venue for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Tamworth Support Group’s “Tamworth Closet Cleanout” on Sunday.

The novel “closet cleanout” was a fundraising function for the WRHS’s Tamworth Support Group.

This Friday the TJC will race an eight-race TAB showcase meeting, seven $30,000 races plus a $40,000 Ranvet Country Showcase Maiden Handicap (1200m).

Nominations for that meeting close 11am Monday, TJC general manager Kay Jeffrey confirmed.

“It’s a fundraising meeting for the drought-stricken farmers,” Jeffrey said of the Furneys Friday Farmers Flanno Race Day.

Dispensing $250,000 in prizemoney makes it a big day for a club, which is also basking in the glow of its nomination for Country TAB Race Club of the Year.

Tamworth, along with Muswellbrook, Murrumbidgee (Wagga) and Sapphire Coast clubs, have been nominated for the major award which will be presented at the Country and Provincial Racing Awards at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney on Friday, September 28.

“It’s very exciting,” Jeffrey said.

“Couldn’t be happier to have been named. We were very excited when we were informed because we have been working really hard and we do have a lot of different things going on like the closet clean out.”

She said the new Country Racing CEO, Brian Sharman, has been “fantastic for us”.

“He loves us thinking outside the box,” she said.

“Racing NSW is looking at increasing participation at race days not only from owners and trainers but from other people coming in. You can see that from the Everest and now the Kosciuszko. That [Kosciuszko] is huge for country racing and can only snowball.”