Last year’s winner, nine-year-old Cessnock gelding Ality, is also among 16 gallopers from many districts in what could be the strongest cup over 1650 metres for a long time.

Rigamarole’s trainer Colt Prosser has nominated more than a quarter of the nominations for the five-race card and another three of them – Ambert Alert, From The Valley and Three Lucky Eights – are in the cup.

Six-year-old gelding Rigamarole won its second Woop Woop Cup at the club’s Beechwood Road track on Boxing Day, then won again at Kempsey and has been thereabouts in TAB company since, running second at its last start to stamp its credentials as the one to beat.

The galloper loves the track and the distance.

Six-year-old mare Three Lucky Eights has won at the track and distance and was unplaced in the Woop Woop Cup when favoured.

It showed a glimpse of a return to form with a head second to stablemate Queen Of The Grange, also trained by Prosser, over 1370m at Bowraville on Saturday.

Club secretary Debbie Prosser owns the mare and said any sting out of the ground will help its chances.

A win would give the trainer’s mother some much needed spending money for her next overseas trip.

Amber Alert has been consistent, just behind and in the placegetters since winning eight starts ago and From The Valley has had some nice conditioning runs over shorter distances to be a chance of being competitive again at its sixth start from a spell.

Port Macquarie trainer Neil Godbolt, fresh from a winning treble on his home track last Friday, has nominated Kenian and Xena for the cup, the latter also nominated for a 1240m race.

Apache Brave could continue its good form in the maiden plate over 1650m.

Racing is also at Bushland Drive Racecourse at Taree for a seven-race matinee TAB meeting on Easter Saturday.

This meeting coincides with the big The Championships meeting at Royal Randwick where Taree’s Sheza Gypsy and Port’s Explosive Scene 

run in the $300,000 Country Championships Final over 1400m.