Racing NSW announced last November that minimum prizemoney for country races would increase to $20,000 and that 33 percent rise came into effect on Friday.

The governing body also announced this week Dubbo would host one of the 15 new Country Showcase meetings, where the minimum prizemoney is $30,000, on September 18.

The majority of the Showcase meetings will be held on Cup or feature race days.

That is the case for Dubbo with it being Gold Cup day while other Showcases will be run at Narromine, Mudgee, Bathurst and Orange, leading Gordon to state western NSW has been well looked after.

“On top of the $20,000 per race now, to get five showcase meetings in an area where Dubbo horses race is excellent and to have two of them being basically local is really good,” he said.

“The general increase in prizemoney is excellent for everyone and the whole industry is well supported.”

Dubbo’s Gold Cup meeting is now shaping as a prestige event for the local area with the $50,000 Cup the feature.

“There will be an 1100m feature that day as well that would be worth $30,000 before it became a Showcase meeting so there is every chance it could increase too,” Gordon added.

With work to be done on things like a new inner track and the drainage system at Dubbo Turf Club in the coming months, Gordon said racing locally was enjoying a “positive period”.

The first club in this area to benefit from the increase is Mudgee, who will host a seven-race meeting on Sunday.