Mudgee Race Club will host their annual $75,000 Cup just weeks after floods hit their track

The annual Mudgee Cup Day will be held on Friday with the $75,000 Big Dance qualifier headlining the massive program.

Like many tracks around the region, Mudgee was hit by floods in late October and CEO Damien Toose said it is strange to see the condition of the facility now after what they witnessed just a few weeks ago.

"You can sort of have a grin about it now, a few weeks ago we were flooding but now we've gone the other way and we are irrigating," he said.

"With spring and the warmth, the track has improved as you would expect, it's funny that we now have to irrigate it a couple of times a day.

"It's a good outlook to have now compared to what it was."

Friday's Mudgee Cup will be one of the first qualifying races for the 2023 Big Dance after the event was successfully launched just 12 months ago.

Toose is confident the whole town will get behind the meeting and hopes the work behind the scenes over late will pay off.

"I think any country town is very excited to hold the cup that they put on, especially for us this year after the troubles we've had and we are no different to anyone else," he said.

"The floods that we've had in October, there were certain stages here where we thought were very unlikely to get away with it.

"Everything has sort of come together over the last six to eight weeks with the track, running rail and the surface itself.

"We had a non-TAB meeting here a few weeks ago which was unfortunately moved here from Cowra, they lost it because they were flooding."

Race meetings around the Western region have been rare over the last two months especially and Toose said Mudgee's last race day actually has put the track in good stead for Friday.

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"That particular meeting was a blessing because we hadn't raced for the best part of two or three months, even though you like to protect your track it actually benefited it," he said.

"It opened the track up, on top, it was pretty dry and crusty but below it was very wet. The track has improved, and everything is heading in the right direction for a great day of racing on Friday.

"The level of horses that have been named are really quality."

Several Sydney-based trainers have nominated horses for the Cup as have a few Dubbo trainers in Brett Robb and Dar Lunn while reigning champion Peter Stanley could have two chances in the race.

After Not Negotiating won for Stanley in 2021, the trainer opted to send the horse into the Little Dance on Melbourne Cup Day at Royal Randwick.

Looking ahead to Friday, Toose is confident races like the Mudgee Cup will only get bigger if city trainers continue to head west in search of a Big Dance spot.

"I think the most important thing about these country cups and the eligibility for The Big Dance is that it brings the city horses out (here)," he said.

"It's a bit like the old City v Country rugby league games, it builds a bit of competition between the two.

"The city people want to come out and win the country cups now more than ever before, there would be no prouder person in the country if they were to win their hometown cup or one from the neighbouring area."

The final fields for Friday's racing will be confirmed later in the week.

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