OFF AND RACING: A strong field comes roaring down the Towac Park straight last season. Expect a bumper meeting on Monday following a massive round of nominations for Racing Orange's TAB meeting, the last before the $55,000 Orange Gold Cup. Photo: JUDE KEOGH 0921races1
WHEN Racing Orange chair Ellie Brown says “there’s a lot of interest in Racing Orange at the moment” it’s probably the understatement of the year, and we’re only in March.
A gargantuan 207 horses have nominated for Racing Orange’s seven race Monday TAB meeting at Towac Park.
A staggering 42 trainers expressed an interest in the 1280 metre maiden plate alone.
The Towac Park barrier can handle 14 starters at any one time.
Nominations this large, even when the club was fostering a huge amount of interest when it first hit the NSW Racing scene in October 2011, have never been seen and with the $55,000 Hartford’s Menswear Orange Gold Cup on next month Brown is buoyed by this week’s support.
The Racing Orange chair added last week’s downpour may have helped attract the large number of runners for next week’s meet.
“I think it has a lot to do with a couple of meetings forced to be cancelled last week with all the rain and we’re also building towards the Orange Cup,” she said.
“We’ve got some new starters too. It’s great to see some new faces.
“We’ve got seven races at the moment, but we’re probably going to have to split some. We’ll probably be looking at nine.”
In total, $175,000 will be up for grabs at the Gold Cup carnival, one of the richest on the Central Western Districts calendar, on Friday, April 12.
On Monday, Golden Slipper-winning trainer Clarry Connors has nominated while last year’s Gold Cup-winning trainer Mick Miladinovic is also back to have a look at Towac Park before a possible Cup defence with Micalong next month.
The region’s newest cult hero after winning four of its last five stars, Gilgandra’s Castlereagh Grey, has also been nominated by trainer Bruce Parker.
“It’s all pointing towards a strong Gold Cup,” Brown said.
She added the track at Towac Park has handled the record rainfall the region was hit with last week.
“It’s fine. We’re probably looking at a five. The track looks in really great shape. If anything, the rain has enhanced it,” she said.
Acceptances will be taken by 9am this morning.
The Towac Park gates open at 12pm on Monday.