IT is Carnival of Cups time for the Armidale Harness Racing Club this Sunday afternoon with an eight-race program. The first race is set to go at 12.12pm.
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The meeting has attracted runners from Queensland, the Hunter Valley and Sydney to compete against quality local contenders. Three of the feature races are offering $10,000 in prizemoney.
Let's have a look at some of the potential winners in the features.
Queensland trainer Peter Greig is heading to the meeting with 2019 Tamworth Golden Guitar winner I'm Norma Jean in the Missile Sulkies Bill Barraclough and Kevin Ward Memorial from the six barrier.
The race is named in honour of two late stalwarts of the Armidale Club, with Kevin Ward holding the position of treasurer at the Armidale HRC until his untimely passing back in January.
I'm Norma Jean had a win two starts prior at Albion Park and clocked 1.52.8 for 1660m.
The Geoff Harding-trained Rocknlachlan at Bobs Creek near Newcastle will start from the four barrier with Harding no stranger to the winner's circle at Armidale after training Strathlachlan Andy to take out the Armidale Cup in March 2016.
Former Tamworth reinsman Tom Ison will also make the trip north from his Hunter Valley base to take the drive behind Rocknlachlan and, with 81 winning drives to his credit, Tom will most certainly be aiming for another win.
Another Queensland trainer, Darrel Graham, has two runners in the memorial race with Tell The Linesmen and Invite Only.
Singleton trainer Aaron Goadsby will have the pressure on him after training last year's winner Last Party and is returning for another chance this year with Barrett from the one position.
You can take your choice as to who you would like to make favourite in the memorial race which is offering a Missile Gig as the winning trophy.
THE $10,000 Roberts & Morrow Chartered Accountants Armidale Golden Horse Shoe Pace for three-year-old runners is another tough race to keep your eyes on.
The form in this race is impeccable, with three last-start winners in Kanye Crusader from the Richard Williams stables in Tamworth having a last start win at Armidale on March 21 in a mile rate of 2.00.2 for 1609m and has drawn the 10 barrier.
Overthemoon from the Jarred Hetherington stables at Narrabri also comes in off a last start win at Armidale in 1.58.9 for 1609m.
Geoff Harding has The Choreographer who won last start at Newcastle travelling 1.55.8 for 1609m.
Also, in the field of 10 are three last-start second placings in Little Bolt (Andrew Millard), Our Ultimate Julie from the Sydney stables of Jarrod Alchin, and My Ultimate Romeo from the Darrel Graham stables.
Tough race and a close finish are forecast from this quality field.
THE $10,000 Tattersalls Hotel Armidale Cup sees Queensland trainer Richard March having three runners engaged including Clintal Do who is looking to make it back-to-back wins after taking out the 2018 Armidale Cup. The horse will start from the eight barrier.
Stablemate Our Major Day will start from the six and Might And Main the inside from the five barrier.
The winner could very well be in the hands of former New Zealander trainer and reinsman Jacob Wallace who had a "trial run" of the paceway last meeting in driving Invite Only to a win.
Wallace works for the Darrel Graham stables and has his own runner engaged in the cup, with last-start winner at Albion Park, Spring Campaign from the four barrier.
Spring Campaign had a win at Albion Park on March 27, and covered the 2138m in 1.56.2.
THE final $10,000 event on the program - the TABCORP Thanks For The Memories Ultimate Art Club Menangle Country Series Heat will give local pacers the chance to head to Menangle to contest a $20,000 final.
THE World Driving Championship was established in 1970 and is held every two years with the last series conducted in Canada back in 2017.
Thirty-two years later, McDowell won the Tiara on a two-year-old pacer which is named after his daughter Michelle Lee...
NSW reinsman Todd McCarthy has been chosen to represent Australia in the 2019 series and will join other reinsmen from Sweden, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Malta, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway and United States of America.
The 2019 championship runs from May 24-31 and consists of 24 heats across six race meetings at five different racetracks. The series begins at Solvalla, Stockholm, before moving to Lindesberg and Eskilstuna. The fourth leg is at Rättvik before the finale at Gävle.
Todd McCarthy will attempt to emulate the feats of two Australian drivers who have won the World Driving Championship - Queenslander Keith Addison in 1975 and Ted Demmler of Victoria in 1987.
THE Bathurst Gold Crown Carnival finals held last Friday night certainly brought about some sentiment when 72-year-old reinsman Colin McDowell won the $100,000 Gold Tiara final with two-year-old filly Michelle Lee Mac.
McDowell won the inaugural running of the Gold Tiara back in 1987 when successful with Loves A Dance on the old Bathurst Showground Paceway.
Thirty-two years later, McDowell won the Tiara on a two-year-old pacer which is named after his daughter Michelle Lee, who works with her father at his company, Allied Express couriers.
Michelle Lee Mac clocked 1.56.9 for 1730m.
No Win No Feed was another popular winner on the night, if only for the name, from the Craig Cross stables in taking out the $100,000 Yirribee Stud Gold Bracelet Final (3yo Fillies) with a winning margin of 12.5m over Our Ultimate Julie (Jarrod Alchin) who won a heat of the Pit Express Starmaker at Tamworth in January before a third in the final and is heading to the Armidale meeting.
No Win No Feed had an all-the-way win with reinsman Todd McCarthy taking the reins with a mile rate of 1.55.5 for 2260m.
Is Lochinvar Art won the Bathurst Gold Chalice for three-year-old colts with a mile rate of 1.54.5.
The standout of the night was the win of Victorian Pacer Jilliby Nitro in taking out the Toohey's New Gold Crown Final with a mile rate of 1.53.8 for 1730m with Jilliby Nitro trained by Margaret Lee with her son Jason handling the reins.
The Victorian duo had another significant NSW win after Jilliby Kung Fu won the Chariots of Fire at Menangle back in February 2018 before finishing second in the Miracle Mile to My Field Marshall.
