This Sunday as part of the Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing Bathurst Cup meeting, a Racing NSW Saddle Up Sunday event, the Bill Aspros Cup will provide one of the highlights of a stacked program.

The race is intended to remember the career of one of, if not the best jockey to come from the area, before two serious falls in 1996 and 1998 bought an end to 'King Billy's' celebrated career in the saddle.

He had a crack at the training game, but the ever-increasing costs of running a stable forced him out of the game altogether 10 years ago, and he finished his professional career when Fairy Penguin ran second at the Bathurst track in June 2005.

A winner of more than 1500 races as a jockey, 12 Western Districts jockeys premierships, Group 1 races and one of the main riders of former Cox Plate winner Rising Prince, Aspros' name is forever linked to the sport in this part of the world.

"I don't go out to the races as much as I used to, it is just too hard for me to watch it knowing that I would probably still be riding if I hadn't had those falls," he said.

"This race has been around for a while now, though, and it is always a tremendous honour to know that there is a race named after you. I need to thank the people that have put this on, it is nice that my deeds on the track still get remembered."

There will be a sense of nostalgia about the meeting this weekend, with Aspros set to be joined by one of his premier rivals from his heyday, Ron Quinton.

Aspros locked horns with Quinton - now a trainer - many times, and the mere presence of a hoop who rode the mighty Kingston Town to a Cox Plate win as well as an Irish St Leger victory among his 2000-plus wins illustrates the regard in which he is held.

One of Aspros' oldest rivals from the bush also has a major role to play.

Bathurst trainer Peter Stanley has two runners nominated for the race, and the man after whom the event is named said he would love to see the local trainer succeed.