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By Mark Brassel

Time is rapidly running out for horses to gain qualification into this year’s Big Dance with just a handful of races remaining before the $3 million feature is run at Royal Randwick in a little over six weeks.

Friday’s $75,000 Rodney Lees Cabinetmaking Lismore Cup (1516m) has attracted a capacity field of 14 runners with three emergencies including topweight and 11-time winner Stuck with You (trained by Matthew Dunn & to be ridden by Jake Bayliss) and last start winners Frappes (Apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald) and Genetic Freak (Anthony Allen).

Full Press (Adin Thompson) races away with last year's Lismore Cup. Image by Trackside Photography

The only other Big Dance qualifiers left are the Dubbo Cup (next Sunday), Port Macquarie Cup (11 October), Coonamble Cup (13 October) and the Big Dance Wild Card (Randwick 26 October).

“There’s been big changes for this year's Cup Day as it has been moved from Thursday to Friday for the first time,” said Scott Jones, Secretary/Manager of Lismore Turf Club.

“Also, the Cup distance has changed from 2100m to 1516m allowing for greater horse numbers and continuity in the lead-up to our Cup after the Murwillumbah Cup was run last month.

“Our new Calcutta Golf Day is on Thursday with a $200,000 hole-in-one offer and spots sold out in just five days.

“Each team gets $200 in Calcutta tickets, so we’ll have a starting pool of $7200 before we’ve even sold a ticket!

“It also means the 144 players will stick around for the Calcutta afterwards and guarantees our best Calcutta Pool in over 15 years.

“It’s going to be a huge day with the hospitality area already sold out indicating the change to a Friday has been popular, and we’ll also hold an ‘after the last party’ featuring the Billy Gudgeon Band.”

Sunday’s Dubbo City Toyota & Gilgandra Toyota Dubbo Gold Cup Day is also a Big Dance event, and marks eight years of Toyota sponsorship.

“Supporting the Cup is the [$75,000] XXXX Gold Vincent Gordon Flying Handicap with Kosciuszko slot holder Gallant Star expected to start,” said Sam Fitzgerald, GM-Dubbo Turf Club.

“We will have a Fashions on the Field contest and there’ll be a Dubbo Cup Calcutta at Castlereagh Hotel on the Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Leeton Jockey Club will stage its Leeton Soldiers Club race meeting on Tuesday with $195,000 in prizemoney and free entry.

LJC’s President, Grant Fitzsimon said the track is looking a picture: “This meeting will be well supported by trainers, owners and jockeys from throughout southern NSW and Victoria.

“The new female jockey’s change rooms were completed for our 80th anniversary meeting and received plenty of positive feedback.

“We’ve themed the day as ‘Tradies Tuesday’ offering the opportunity for all our tradespeople in town to plan their day off and have an afternoon at the race with their mates.

“There will be the opportunity to bring a platter for a picnic on the lawns in the spring weather, with a full bar and canteen in operation.”

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Grafton, Narromine
Tuesday: Leeton, Taree
Thursday: Goulburn
Friday: Lismore, Scone
Saturday: Gunnedah, Grenfell (non-TAB), Jerilderie (non-TAB), Come-by-Chance picnics (non-TAB)
Sunday: Dubbo, Port Macquarie