The Tamworth Jockey Club’s feature race is being sponsored by the unique Sunshine Coast trio who, “using instruments such as the bush bass, mandolin, stomp box, bass and acoustic guitars, deliver their own hillbilly thumping versions of all the well known party songs we love”.

“They are unique,” TJC general manager Kay Jeffrey said.

“They also have a big following in Tamworth. They start every morning at the Court House Hotel and will have a big crowd for every show. They will kick off after the last race here on Thursday. The Country Music buses will also run here as well dropping off and picking up.”

The Whiskey Mountain Boys follow in the footsteps of Hurricane Falls and Amber Lawrence who have also headed the Country Music Cup program.

The Whisky Mountain Boys Country Music Cup will also be a “quality” sprint, added Jeffrey.

Three late nominations – aptly named Drummed Out, Dylan’s Luck and Medal Afrique – have been received swelling the Cup noms to 15.

Drummed Out is a six-year-old gelding son of Commands trainer at Dubbo by Peter Reynolds. He has six wins from 54 starts and more than $94.000 in prizemoney.

Dylan’s Luck is trained by Luke Berger at Inverell and also a six-year-old gelding. The son of Easy Rocking has $137.071 in prizemoney and gunning for a 10th win at his 33rd start for his Inverell stable which had its first win of the Hunter and North west Racing Association season at Deepwater on Saturday with Shiver Me Timbers.

Medal Afrique is trained in Tamworth by Luke Morgan, the eight-year-old gelding son of Botswana has also won nine times in 35 starts.

“Great that we picked up a few late nominations,” Jeffrey added.

“We have got some good quality horses in the Cup.”

That includes Italian Derby winner Goldstream, who is trained by Cody Morgan, Luke Morgan’s older brother.

Jeffrey is also hoping the cooler weather “hangs around until Thursday”.

“We didn’t get any of the rain,” she said of the showers that had formed Sunday.

“It would be welcome. It’s a full time job keeping the water up to the track. We’re lucky we have a dam and bore water supply. The boys are working very hard to keep it all alive.”

2018-19 HUNTER & NORTH WESTERN RACING ASSOCIATION PREMIERSHIPS

Unofficial as at Tuesday, January 22. Compiled by Geoff Newling.

TRAINERS: 19 Kris Lees, 18 Sue Grills, 12 Stirling Osland, 11 Brett Cavanough, Cody Morgan, 10 Paul Perry, 9 Peter Sinclair, 8 Angela Davies, Allan Denham, Melanie O’Gorman, 6 Stephen Gleeson, Gayna Williams, 5 Craig Clegg, Paddy Cunningham, Shane Edmonds, Gavin Groth, Todd Payne, 4 Jan Bowen, Melissa Dennett, Colin Dixon, Allan Kehoe, Greg McFarlane, Craig Martin, Geoff O’Brien, Troy O’Neile, William Wain.

JOCKEYS:  36 Greg Ryan, 20 Josh Oliver, 18 Andrew Gibbons, 16 Grant Buckley, Ben Looker, 10 Chad Lever, 9 Rachael Murray, 8 Peter Graham, Darryl McLellan, Geoff Snowden, 7 Josh Adams, Vad Bolozhinskyi, Matthew Paget, 6 Michael Squires, 5 Brooke Stower, 4 Luke Cumberland, Leanne Henry, Jake Hull, Jeff Kehoe, Serg Lisnyy, Matthew McGuren, Ashley Morgan, Jeff Penza, Travis Wolfgram, Jodi Worley, 3 Skye Boganhuber, Aaron Bullock, Jay Ford, Belinda Hodder, Adrian Layt, Daniel Northey, Chris O’Brien, Adam Sewell, Blake Spriggs, Robert Thompson.

APPRENTICES: 19 Wendy Peel, 10 Louise Day, Reece Jones: 9 Mikayla Weir, 7 Cejay Graham, 6 Leah Kilner, 5 Grace Willoughby, 3 Simone Vella, Sophie Wilcock, Kyle Wilson-Taylor, 2 Jenny Duggan, 1 Melea Castle, Clayton Gallagher, Brandon Griffiths, Rebeka Prest, Alena Skerritt, Sophie Thatcher, Qin Yong.