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By Geoff Newling

Tamworth Jockey Club has taken steps to protect its track leading into this Friday’s meeting after storms swamped last week’s Country Music Cup meeting.

While the track went from a Good 4 to Heavy following the afternoon storms the club still managed to conduct a successful day.

“We had a very good meeting for the Hurricane Fall Country Music Cup day,” TJC General Manager Damon Sullivan said.

“I was surprised how many people we had and how many did hang on after the storms. The track is recovering but we have moved the rail out 3m for this Friday and we will leave it for the 6 February meeting as we head into the big meetings in April with the Cup Prelude meeting on 17 April and the Cup on 20 April.

“We have to protect it as much as we can. It did have a very good deep and thick cover.”

The TJC ended up with 130 nominations and have extended four of the eight races, including two of the feature races.

“We had 14 nominations for the Food Services Disposable Packaging Benchmark 70 Handicap (1200m). There were some nice horses in that. Greg Bennett’s Local Hero, Paul Perry has one in it and Scott Thompson has nominated So You Know, which ran second here the other day. Sue Grills has nominated Market Guru, which was also second here at his last start and Colin Dixon has Lucky Sky in as well. She was a good third at Muswellbrook at her last start. Ran home well behind Zero Cash and Local Hero,” Sullivan said.

“We’ve also extended the Corey’s Catering Fillies and Mares Benchmark 55 Handicap (1400m). It had 12 noms.

“The Thread Effects Colts and Geldings Benchmark 55 Handicap (1400m) had 23 nominations though while the Tamworth City Toyota Class 2 Handicap (1000m) also had 20.

“There are some nice young horses in that too. Mark Mason has De La Hoya (second at Gunnedah last time out) nominated and Sue Grills has nominated Fickle Folly. She’s first up from a spell after winning at Scone last time out.”

Grills also has talented Carmel resuming from a spell in the first race at Armidale on Tuesday. The filly is one of six starters the Tamworth trainer has running.

View the fields, form and race replays for Tamworth here.