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By Mark Brassel

Scone will celebrate 30 years of its new racetrack during their Hunter Valley Studs-sponsored raceday on Tuesday.

Scone is renowned as the capital of the Australian Thoroughbred Breeding Industry with the modern Scone course located 4km west of the town’s centre.

The course was opened in November 1994 to replace the old White Park track that had served Scone Race Club since 1944.

Scone Race Club will be celebrating this Tuesday. Image by Bradley Photographers

“We will have a function in the Noel Leckie Room to celebrate the 30-year milestone with invited guests including some surviving members,” said Craig Byrne, SRC’s Facilities Supervisor.

“Bill Howey – a veterinarian, historian and writer – will be speaking and we’ll also have plenty of memorabilia on display.”

Scone Racecourse, around 300km from Sydney, hosts one of the biggest two-day racing carnivals in country racing each May featuring the Scone Cup, Dark Jewel Classic, Scone Guineas and several other black type races.

The track is a major training centre featuring a barrier trial grass track, fast work track and a sand track.

On Tuesday one of the feature races is the $27,000 Emirates Park Benchmark 58 Handicap (1100m) with the clash of last start winners Nights Inferno (to be ridden by Aaron Bullock) and Circle of Love (Robbie Downey).

Nights Inferno was heavily backed first-up when the gelding powered home to score at Muswellbrook after firming from $2 to $1.65.

Likewise, Circle of Love was a solid $1.95 favourite when the Exceed and Excel filly finished strongly to land the major prize at Canberra in only her second start.

Meanwhile, Ballina Jockey Club will stage an eight-race TAB program on Tuesday after the meeting was washed out on Friday.

The course received 80mls of rain during the week but was hit with 26mls on Thursday which made the track unsuitable for racing.

The forecast is looking much better in the lead-up to Tuesday with the odd shower predicted for today and Monday.

The main event is the $27,000 ZZZFM Benchmark 82 Handicap (1410m) where an interesting runner is the topweight Bellaciaociao to be ridden by apprentice Claire Ramsbotham.

A seven-year-old mare, Bellaciaociao had her first 11 starts in France where she won four races up to 2400m and was twice runner-up in Stakes company.

She is now prepared at Ballina by Stephen Lee and will be first-up, not having raced since July when fourth at Grafton over 2200m.

Lee will also be starting Byron Eyes (Jake Bayliss) in the same race with the 6yo mare having finished third to My Mum’s Toyboy at Grafton (1410m) in her most recent outing.

She has a liking for her home course with two of the mare’s five victories being around the Ballina circuit.

It is a late start with the first event timed for 1:35pm and final race at 5:55pm.

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Armidale, Goulburn
Tuesday: Scone, Ballina
Thursday: Albury
Friday: Grafton, Orange, Bong Bong picnics (non-TAB)
Saturday: Inverell, Bowraville (non-TAB), Adaminaby (non-TAB), Hay (non-TAB)
Sunday: Narromine