This is the club’s first meeting since April last year while the track was re-built and owners and trainers have responded with massive acceptances, forcing the club to divide one race and extend it to a nine race program.

The track had its first test last month with the Wauchope cup meeting run by Wauchope Jockey Club and it was then given a little more than five weeks to recover for this meeting.

Mossman’s Gold is the class horse of this field with strong city form around him at this distance but Bennett and connections decided to try him over more ground. The experiment did not work.

He over raced before finishing second last over 1600 metres at Scone two weeks ago and the decision was made to shelve that plan.

Syndicate manager Duane Dowell said the trainer was confident about Mossman’s Gold’s chances.

“Greg has no qualms about dropping him back so sharply,” he said.

“It looks there will be plenty of speed on and his plan is for Adam (Sewell) to sit back and then let him charge home.

“On his best city form he looks like the class runner.”

The horse won successive races over 1000 metres at Muswellbrook before finishing fifth in a 1000 metre Highway Hcp at Randwick and fourth in a similar race over 1200 metres, also at Randwick before his attempt at 1600 metres.

The interesting runner is the Angela Davies trained Single And Free which resumes with Josh Parr to ride the filly.

Parr resumed riding at Gosford on Thursday after a seventh month lay off while he recovered from hip surgery.

He has taken four rides at Port Macquarie.

Single And Free has only raced twice for a Taree maiden win and a fifth at Scone before being spelled but she was prepared for this return with an impressive second in a barrier trial at Wyong last week.

Local trainer Jenny Graham has accepted with a strong team with She’s Invincible (Melinda Graham) appealing as the stand out.

The mare also has strong form around Highway Handicaps including a last start second over 1400 metres at Randwick despite over racing mid race.

SELECTIONS:

1-11.40, COLLINS SPORTS TURF 3YO MAIDEN, 1000m: NIGHT THIEF 1, Nakadoo Express 2, Jemily 3, Son D’amour 4.

2-12.15, GRUNDFOS PUMPS CLASS ONE AND MAIDEN, 2000m: BACKHOUSE BILLY 1, Roethlisberger 2, Sirius Spy 3, Mystic Skies 4.

3-12.50, GOSFORD IRRIGATION AND WATER SOLUTIONS MAIDEN, 1200m: SNITZEL’S IMAGE 1, Maayiirr 2, Adobe Most 3, The Weald 4.

4-1.25, TORO AUSTRALIA MAIDEN, 1500m: SENSATIONAL SONG 1, Explosive Prince 2, Arjen 3, Urban Prince 4.

5-2.05, MATERIALS IN THE RAW BENCHMARK 55, 1000m: MOSSMAN’S GOLD 1, Single And Free 2, Art’s Got A Gun 3, Aimalac Bobby 4.

6-2.40, COLLINS GROUP BENCHMARK 55, 1500m: STAR REFLECTION 1, Ice Storm 2, Mosgiel Ruby 3, Like My Brother 4.

7-3.15, COLLINS GROUP BENCHMARK 55, 1500m: SHE’S INVINCIBLE 1, Lippy And Pearls 2, Rangiora Gold 3, Metung Penny 4.

8-3.50, M COLLINS AND SONS CONTRACTORS CLASSS TWO, 1100m: GO THE GANTRY 1, Scratch Me Lucky 2, Darbies Blugirl 3, Laurentian 4.

9-4.25, COLLINS CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS BENCHMARK 65, 1200m: NARANJA 1, Blue Phantom 2, Poet’s Trick 3, New Divide 4.

Best Bets: Mossman’s Gold, She’s Invincible.