Much was made of the training effort achieved by Danny Williams last year when he saddled up nine of the 16 starters in the Country Championships Qualifier at Goulburn.
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Williams has again put forward seven nominations for Saturday's South East Racing Association heat but Cameron Crockett has outdone that after nominating 10 chances for the Central Districts heat at Mudgee on Sunday.
Crockett dominates the 22 nominations for Sunday's $150,000 race, the feature event of what shapes as a massive showcase meeting at Mudgee Race Club.
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The first two past the post in Sunday's race advance to the $500,000 final at Royal Randwick on April 6.
Ori On Fire, to be ridden by champion jockey and Dunedoo product Hugh Bowman, headlines the group as he looks to go one better than a third-placed finish in last year's rain-soaked qualifier.
Also among Crockett's contingent is former Group 1 runner Barbass, as well as the in-form duo Andy's A Star and Meraki Miss.
Rounding out his group is Prince Of Thebes, Caprera, Crim, Kingsbridge, Soul Secrets, and The Frick.
The nominations, which were released on Tuesday, also feature last year's runner-up Noel's Gift as well as a strong contingent from the stables of Dean Mirfin.
Mirfin won last year's event with Cosmologist, while the Gayna Williams-trained Noel's Gift emerged from the sheets of rain to finish second.
Cosmologist has moved up and changed to a Sydney stable since then but Mirfin has a new crop of promising gallopers primed to attack the Mudgee heat.
I Am Capitan and I Am Magnificent ran one-two in the recent Banjo Paterson Cup feature at Orange while Worldly Pleasure heads to Mudgee after back-to-back wins at Orange and Bathurst.
Alcatran rounds out Mirfin's quartet.
Williams ruled out both of I Am A Cool Kid and Healing Hands last week but still has three hopes in the shape of Noel's Gift, El Mo, and Kookabaa.
Despite the talent on offer, Bowman is certain to be the main event and that's something Mudgee Race Club secretary Colleen Walker is thrilled about.
“We are honoured to have a fine ambassador supporting country racing and riding at the meeting,’’ she told Racing NSW.
“He sees it as an opportunity to give back to country racing and he’ll be out there doing his best like all the other riders.’’
The showcase meeting attracted 143 nominations in total, with a number of Dubbo trainers targeting the riches on offer.
Among those in Clint Lundholm, who already has a ticket booked to Randwick.
Sons Of Bourke ran second to Westlink in the Western Districts heat at Dubbo earlier this month and he will make his return to the track on Sunday.
Lundholm has nominated Sons Of Bourke for the Lawson Park Hotel Class 2 Showcase Handicap (1200m) as he continues building towards the $500,000 final.
Final fields are released on Thursday.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
