Wauchope Jockey Club entertains good nominations for its community meeting dedicated to raising funds for charity Beyond Blue at the club's track at Wauchope on Saturday, May 22.
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More than 50 nominations from Cessnock, Grafton, Armidale, Wyong, Muswellbrook, Kempsey, Casino, Coffs Harbour, Tuncurry, Taree, Port Macquarie and Wauchope have been received for one of the best charity sponsored race meetings.
Businesses and the race club have banded together to inject some joy into the country social calendar in an area which has been rocked by bushfires, Covid 19, drought and floods.
Secretary of the race club, Debbie Prosser, said the mental health charity was chosen as many people from business, farmers to footballers have had tragedies.
The meeting has a minimum of two sponsors for each of five races and every winner will receive a special embroidered rug along with the prizemoney.
Entry is $5 but patrons are urged to donate much needed funds above this to help the success of the fund-raising.
Plenty of food, refreshments, bookies and a tote will ensure the occasion along with the races will take their minds away from any worries.
It will be an ideal venue for locals and visitors to catch up with friends under the trees in the splendid country environment.
Members of the club have spent many hours preparing for the comfort of patrons and a track which is drying out under the warming sun.
The club is blessed to have the backing of normal visiting trainers along with a band of them from the Mid North Coast Racing Association.
Trainers Luke Thomas and Jeremy Sylvester have a string of nominations but it is former "Wauchope boy", retired hurt jockey Peter Graham, who will attract plenty of attention as a trainer in having three-year-old gelding Arlizar trying to win the Williams Family and Wauchope Country Club Maiden Handicap over 1000m.
Wauchope's most successful trainer Colt Prosser not only has some handy hopes for the meeting but no doubt he will catch up with friends to celebrate the birth of daughter Whitney to his wife Tarsha at Port Macquarie Hospital last Saturday.
He has a top hope of winning the feature M & S Print and Sundial Dental Benchmark 50 Handicap over 1000m with seven-year-old gelding Mosh Vain.
It was second over 1006m at Port before finishing just over four lengths behind Adamdeeant when fourth at Tuncurry over 1000m at Tuncurry last Saturday.
Mosh Vain will be against some worthy gallopers such as Cessnock's eight-year-old mare Dark Elixir which has won over the distance at the track for trainer Luke Thomas who has also nominated Leica Kite, Neanderthal and Paperscissorsrock for other races.
Moss Vain also has to deal with De Goey fr0m the Jeremy Sylvester stable at Cessnock, Port trainer Neil Godbolt's Nombuso, last start winner over 1000m at Kempsey on May 1, Port trainer Margaret De Gonneville's Gold Serenade and Grafton trainer Shane Everson's last start runner-up Old Timing Man.
Wyong trainer John Cooper had a winner at Taree's last meeting and has an interesting nomination in nine-year-old gelding Coolaminyah Kid which in 59 starts has had eight wins and seven placings, it being a hope in the Kew Hotel and Turner Thoroughbreds Benchmark 50 Handicap over 1650m.
Old Timing Man has also been nominated for the Jack Daniels and Wauchope Rugby League Club Class 1 Handicap over 1240m.
The Wauchope Real Estate and Hastings Hotel-Lewis Meats Maiden Plate over 1650m has drawn 12 nominations for the eight-horse field with Colt Prosser with You'll Think Of Me and Port's Tom Higgins with The Lockdown hoping for a win for the locals.
Buses should be running from the Hastings Hotel and Beechwood.
The meeting is important in assessing some hopes in races at the club's biggest meeting of the year-the eight race TAB meeting featuring the $32,000 Wauchope Cup over 1500m at Port Macquarie Racecourse on June 20.