Record fields will take to the Forbes Jockey Club track on Saturday as trainers from across the state head to contest the Australia Day weekend meeting.
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The meeting was initially set down for Parkes but the drought-affected nature of that track made racing unsuitable so the switch to Forbes was made.
The Forbes club has benefited in a big way, as 168 nominations resulted in 121 acceptors and the majority of races on Saturday feature full 14-horse fields plus emergencies.
The day's main event is the $22,000 Australia Day Handicap (1400m) and Molasses is the lone hometown hope.
Trained by Dennis Bush and to be ridden by champion jockey Greg Ryan, experienced campaigner Molasses heads to his local event after winning the Crystal Sprint at Coonamble and the Cup Day Sprint at Coonabarabran during the spring.
At Cowra last Sunday, Molasses settled well back before making late ground to finish seventh over 1200 metres in the Cowra Japan Cup.
Cowra trainer Andrew Molloy had a winning double at that meeting last weekend, and went within inches of another historic win with veteran Zarhron, and he'll head to Forbes as well on Saturday.
Molloy will contest the main event at Forbes with Welcome Art, who is first-up from a 10-week spell.
Welcome Art won the Cowra Cup (1700m) in 2019 and also finished third in the Orange Cup and fourth in the Bathurst Cup.
Intueri from the Canberra stables of Doug Gorrel is a former well performed galloper in Melbourne with over $270,000 prizemoney and has been allocated the 63.5kg top weight.
At the other end of the Handicap scale is the noted frontrunner The Long Run to be ridden by apprentice Ashleigh Stanley for her father, Bathurst trainer Peter.W.Stanley.
From the last six starts The Long Run has recorded four wins, at Mudgee, Warren, Bathurst and Dubbo.
The Dubbo hope in the race is the Allan Gibson-trained Podium Bound.
Kacie Chater takes the ride on the seven-year-old gelding, which is second up from a 25-week spell.
Podium Bound returned to the track at Dubbo earlier this month and ran 13th when carrying 62.5kg in a benchmark 58 event.
He's down to 54kg on Saturday.
Racing starts 12.51pm.