Bushfire victim and Tuncurry trainer Terry Evans said his five-year-old gelding Scorching could be a "topical tip" for the feature race at Manning Valley Race Club's TAB meeting at Taree on Tuesday where race names are in praise of those battling the infernos.
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He hasn't lost his sense of humour despite coming perilously close to losing his house, 11 horses and a foal at his Rainbow Flat home and 19 gallopers stabled trackside at Tuncurry-Forster Jockey Club's racetrack.
Fences were lost to paddocks at home after he dialled triple-zero and said he was escaping the ravages of the blaze, later finding that firefighters saved his home and the horses stayed put.
His racehorses at Tuncurry took refuge in the middle of the track.
"It is a miracle at what has been saved despite the horror blaze...the house is still standing...we are blessed."
Evans has nominated five horses for the meeting and said any prizemoney would be handy "to wash the smoke down" with a few beers.
"We were insured but there is a lot of rebuilding of fences and stalls to be done."
The Taree meeting has been swamped with nominations following the early cancellation of the Kempsey Cup meeting last Friday due to fires and with Port Macquarie Race Club abandoning its TAB meeting due to the fires and having regard for the safety of the horses and participants.
The Taree meeting is special as all races are named after the services involved in battling the bushfires in the past week especially.
Scorching finds itself up against a very strong field in the Thank You Rural Fire Service Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1000m.
Evans hopes that the addition of a tongue-tie will stop his gelding choking down after finishing ninth when resuming over 1000m at Taree on October 18.
Last campaign Scorching won three races in a row before its form tapered off and it was sent for a spell.
Last start winners, gallopers with good form from provincial and country venues have been nominated, Evans also having five-year-old gelding Too Easy Bro enlisted with Scorching.
Hardest to beat could be four-year-old gelding Fair Dinkum, trained on the track by Ross Stitt and to be ridden by Matt McGuren.
The gelding scored nicely at Kempsey when resuming, was then a close second in a Randwick Highway over 1000m, before a fourth over 1200m in a Rosehill Gardens Highway.
Unfortunately, the gap between its last two runs was too much for the company over 1200m but the gelding's work since has been much improved.
Stitt said he was taking the home race option as the next suitable Highway race wasn't until the middle of next month.
Three last start winners in the race are Bullseye Score from the Inverell stable of Nathanial Scott, Salad Dodger, a winner of two of its last three races for Wauchope trainer Colt Prosser, and Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan's Upper East Side which has won three of its past five starts.
Scott had a win with Bullseye Score at Taree on a visit about a year ago and since resuming it has won two of its three starts.
Other speedsters in the noms are Taree mare Lobban Hood which has won four of its five races at this track for trainer Robert Barnes and winner before a spell, Muswellbrook gelding Victory Vibes, trained by Terry Vidler.
In other races Evans has also nominated recent Tuncurry winner Up The Stairs, maidens Desert Island and Listen Mate whereas Stitt has chances with I'll Take Money, Natural Image, Natural Predator and Pinnacle Power.
It is likely extra races will be added to the card with the likelihood of an avalanche of noms with them being held open until yesterday and acceptances taken on Friday.
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