For the third year, the Western Districts Country Championships Qualifier is to be raced at the track.

The event is worth $150,000 and the first two past the post advance to the $400,000 Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick on April 1.

Gates open at 12pm today and entry is free, with Turf Club general manager Vince Gordon delighted with the fields and also the off-track attractions at the renovated facility.

The Championships Qualifier is the eighth race of nine on the card, but there is plenty of interest in the other events as the day is also a Racing NSW showcase meeting.

The showcase meeting means the minimum prizemoney for each race is $30,000, rather than the normal $20,000.

There will also be much focus on champion jockey Greg Ryan, who needs just one more winner tor each the incredible milestone of 3,500 career victories in the saddle.

There is also a $40,000 Maiden Plate event, where local trainer Frank Hayes will be hopeful Bow Tie Benny can finally break through for a win.

The Showcase Handicap (1000m) is arguably the best race of the day.

Leading central west sprinter Zarhron has plenty of weight to carry as he chases three straight wins, but there is a lot of talent elsewhere in the race in the form of Kylie Kennedy’s Shadow Force, the Dar Lunn-trained Playing Game, Peter Nestor’s Danish Lace, Lake Lugarno from the Barry Molloy stables at Forbes, and Hayes’ In Ernest.

But all eyes will be on the Country Championships Qualifier at 4.40pm and much of the attention is on Nestor’s La La Loopsy.

The mare has made a fine start to her career, winning four of six starts, and Nestor said she has had the “ideal preparation” heading in.

“...all the early money has been for the $3 favourite La La Loopsy, with the lightly raced five-year-old winning her last two races with big weights.” TAB’s Glen Munsie said when the odds were released on Thursday.

La La Loopsy was into a hot $2.05 by Sunday morning.

While she is the raging favourite, there is plenty of talent elsewhere, with A Magic Zariz, Tibidabo and Coming In Hot also popular among punters.

If Coming In Hot was to win, it would mark back-to-back Western Qualifier wins for Dubbo trainer Justin Stanley after Something Borrowed won last year.

Something Borrowed then finished midfield in the final but Stanley said the chance to race at The Championships was something he will never forget.

“It would be brilliant (to win again) because it was great to experience and was probably the best day at the races I’ve had,” he said of last year’s final.

“It’s something every trainer would like to experience. It’s wonderful.”