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By Geoff Newling

Tamworth Jockey Club’s Country Music Cup meeting has been swamped by nominations. Friday’s meeting captured some 191 nominations, TJC general manager Damon Sullivan advised today.

“It’s Cup-like,” Sullivan said. “Eight big races. One race (the Shelley Minson Rockabilly Man Country Maiden Showcase Plate) has 35 nominations. It’s a Showcase meeting too where all the races are $30,000 races with one race $40,000.

"Racing NSW allocates an extra $10,000 for one of the races at the Showcase meeting and that will be the 1200m Shelley Minson Rockabilly Man Country Maiden.”

The $40,000 prizemoney is a good reason why the maiden attracted 35 nominations to a meeting highlighted by the $30,000 Hurricane Fall Country Cup Class 3 Handicap (1400m) and the Brett Clarke Tamworth Summer Showcase Sprint (1000m). The open sprint has 20 nominations while the Class 3 Country Music Cup had 22 nominations.

That Country Music Cup will be run around 4.30pm Friday, Damon Sullivan reported: “Looks like being a a good race with the likes of Dan Roy (trained by Leon Davies at Tamworth) a last start winner here,” Sullivan said. “Fancy Nickers (Greg Bennett) is also a recent winner here and Kris Lees has nominated Star Reflection. Sue Grills has nominated Cool Prince and Jeremy Sylvester has nominated Snappy One.

“The open sprint also looks a very handy race with All Summer Long returning from a spell. Greg Bennett trains All Summer Long and was hoping to run him in the Country Championships last year.” Bennett might look at a similar path with him and Invienna, who set a track record winning the final race at Scone on Sunday.

Mark Mason’s Hot Hit, Inverell Shorts winner Capitano (Jacob Perrett) and Rod Northam’s Sargent Doakes are also nominated along with Hammoon Boy (sue Grills), Mapmaker (Craig Martin) and Run Cannon Run (Mark Schmetzer).

Friday’s Hurricane fall Country Music Cup meeting will be run on a track in extra good order too, said Sullivan.

“It’s a Good 4 at this stage and we expect it to be spot on by Friday,” he said. “We also race again Friday week too with a similar meeting.”

View nominations for Tamworth's Showcase program here