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By Geoff Newling

Tamworth Jockey Club’s Ladies Day meeting has attracted a huge 136 nominations for just six $10,000 races at the track this Saturday.

Feature race on the rare Saturday program is the Noelene Martin Memorial Benchmark 55 Handicap (1400m) and it had 24 nominations alone, but was only the third biggest field. The Tradies Day Friday June 20 Benchmark 55 Handicap (1200m) had 27 nominations for a race promoting the Friday week TAB meeting.

TJC's acting general manager, Kay Jeffrey, was delighted with the numbers: “It’s great, really great noms, I couldn’t be happier with them,” she said and added the surface at Tamworth will be good too. It is currently rated a Good 5, a far cry from a lot of other tracks around the region.

Kay Jeffrey and new Events and Sponsorship manager, Amie Simpson, are part of a new look administration at the TJC and are preparing for a Ladies-Tradies double race meeting this Saturday and then the following Friday (June 30). First off they have the annual ladies day meeting.

It is a rare Saturday meeting, six races worth $10,000 apiece on a Sky 2-covered meeting highlighted by the Noelene Martin Memorial Benchmark 55 Handicap (1200m), a race named in honour of a wonderful lady who had been a TJC board member for a number of years.

The June 24 Ladies Day offers free entry, a complimentary champagne for every female attendee and a few other gifts as well.

“Unfortunately it was washed out last year,” Kay Jeffrey said. “This year we haven’t the same wet period as we had last year and the long term forecast is good, they are forecasting 18 degrees and fine weather.”

Six days after the June 24 Ladies Day the TJC stages the Tradies Day. The Friday, June 30 TAB meeting is also a Showcase meeting, where all seven races are worth $30,000: “We’ve also got a few giveaways for the tradies as well,” Kay Jeffery said.

Kay enjoyed her first meeting as the Acting GM a couple of Tuesdays ago. It was a good day of racing with Liam Martin’s birthday horse, Present Sense, winning and Rachel Murray riding her 100th winner of the NSW season.

“It was a special day,” Kay Jeffrey said. “Rachael is such a beautiful young girl. I am looking forward to both the Ladies and Tradies days.” She said her new position is a challenge but she’s stepping up and confident it will work out well especially with former general manager, Helen Sinclair, helping her out.

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