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By Geoff Newling

Rod Northam is chasing a Muswellbrook Cup as well as some Gunnedah ham this week. The Scone trainer will start After All That in Friday’s $100,000 Muswellbrook Gold Cup Showcase (1500m) and then duck up to Gunnedah’s picturesque Riverside Racecourse to try and win some Christmas hams with Born In Barcelona and Bring No More.

After All That has drawn poorly in Friday’s Muswellbrook Cup but will have Robert Thompson on board in the feature race.

“It’s a good raceday,” Rod Northam said at Tamworth’s Quast Turkey race meeting. “He should run well,” he said of the six-year-old gelding son of Time Thief.

After All That will be charging home at the end of the race looking for a sixth career win at his 23rd start. He was second to Free Standing in last April’s Country Championships Final at Randwick and has won $292,660 for Northam, who also races him under his R and R Racing banner.

While Muswellbrook Racing Club has a huge day with some $350,000 in prizemoney on offer Friday, Gunnedah Jockey Club also has a big day on Saturday with its Christmas Hams meeting.

“I’ll have two maybe three for Gunnedah,” Northam said. “Born In Barcelona is in a Class 1 and Dreamnomore in a Class 1 too.” All winning trainers take home a Christmas ham as well.

Tamworth Jockey Club provided a turkey to all winning trainers at Monday’s Quasts Turkey meeting and Northam went home empty-handed from that making the hams at Gunnedah even more inviting: “Don’t think I’ve ever won a Christmas ham there,” Northam smiled.

Feature race at Gunnedah is the $20,000 Mannion Drilling/Ultrafleet Christmas Hams Cup, a benchmark 65 handicap over 1600m. William Wain’s Latitat (61.5kg) is the topweight along with Gayna Williams’s Wild Cavalier and Dar Lunn’s Zoutenant while Northam has Hooge (58kg) nominated in the Power Control and Communications Santa’s Sprint B65 (1300m), Born In Barcelona (57.5kg) entered in the Gunnedah Taxi & Cabs Merry Christmas Class 1 Handicap (1000m) and Dreamnomore (56.5kg) running in the Rediguard.com.au Become a GJC Member Today Class 1 Handicap (1400m).

Acceptances for Gunnedah’s Saturday Christmas Hams meeting close at 9am on Thursday.

View the nominations with full form & race replays for Gunnedah here