MITCH Shaw believes his first day in charge of the Shay Brennan Constructions Melbourne Cup Day meeting at Tamworth will be an exciting one.
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The Tamworth Jockey Club general manager has been to Melbourne Cup Day meetings at both Tamworth and Armidale and knows what they are like as a patron.
"My first big meeting in charge. Going to be a great day," Shaw said on Monday morning.
"It's all ready to go. We'll have everything finished and in place this afternoon."
The TJC is expecting a bumper crowd with its trackside marquee and members luncheon both sold out.
They have three more bars around the track open as well and will have a big Fashions in the Field with 20 local businesses all part of some amazing prizes.
Courtesy buses will also operate with pickups at the Tamworth PCYC, Railway Station and Family Hotel at 11am and 11.45am. They also return twice after the races.
That makes it easy for racegoers to jump aboard.
Racing wise the TJC has five non-TAB races, the first of which (JT Fossey Maiden Plate) jumps at 12.45pm.
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Track manager, Lindsay Bowne, said the track is in great shape after Sunday night's rain dropped 22mm.
All five races are held on the B Grass (the inside track) with a break of over an hour between the second and third races for the running of the 3200m $7.75million Melbourne Cup.
Muswellbrook Race Club also stages a seven-race TAB meeting highlighted by its $25,000 Muswellbrook Shire Council Mayors Cup (1750m) and the $25,000 Muswellbrook Coal Company Bowman Sprint (900m).
Tamworth trainer Sue Grills has The Real Boss, a last Gold Coast winner over 900m, having his first run for her in the Bowman Sprint.
She also has Untamed Princess and Rockatoo running at Tamworth.
Muswellbrook prepared for Tuesday's meeting by staging a seven-race TAB program on Sunday.
The feature was the Sandy Hollow Cup, which was won by the Jenny Graham-trained Let's Rebelle courtesy of a patient ride from Aaron Bullock.
He had led on the five-year-old mare but stayed patient as first Robert Thompson (Life O'Brien) and then Serg Lisnyy (Calabasas) attacked him and took the lead approaching the turn.
Once into the straight Bullock unleashed the talented mare and she sprinted to a great win.
Stephen Jones is meanwhile hoping Sunday's win with Moshway is replicated at the same track on Tuesday.
The Scone-based trainer has two runners - More Than A Samba (R2) and Magnarock (R7) - and hopes they run with the same authority as Moshway.
A six-year-old gelding, the son of Moshe raced away from his opposition to score an easy and impressive win in the Hunter Belle Dairy Co Benchmark 58 Handicap (1280m).
"He was a class above them," Jones told Sky Thoroughbred Central's Gary Harley after the success.
"He's a very nice horse. Travelled so well (Grant Buckley) was always in control".
Buckley was impressed.
"He's a real strong horse," he said.
"Very impressive."
