![Local entertainer Jason Owen set to perform at the Dubbo Country Classic on March 18. Picture by Ross Schultz Local entertainer Jason Owen set to perform at the Dubbo Country Classic on March 18. Picture by Ross Schultz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/cpAaGjgJrzMeprrmmenK9y/607a8d07-0252-4271-93d7-82893cd57750.jpg/r0_0_5433_3622_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Greyhound Racing NSW and the Dubbo Greyhound Club have managed a major coup by securing Australian country music superstar Jason Owen to perform at this year's Country Classic race meeting at the Central West racetrack.
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Not only has the Dubbo club been able to attract another headline musical act again this year, but in Owen they also have a local star to perform at the March 18 event.
"I grew up in Albert, a town about 140kms west of Dubbo," Owen said.
"There were only 12 people in the town - a very small village - and home of the Rabbit Trap Hotel, the local pub," he explained.
"My dad actually bought the hotel back in 1998 to keep the pub alive, and he also owned the fuel service station in the town."
Owen is excited to be performing in his home region for one of their biggest racing events of the year.
"I jumped at the chance to play at the Dubbo track that night," he said.
"It will be packed for the running of the Country Classic which I have been told is the richest middle-distance race in the world, and the atmosphere will be amazing.
"I'm putting together a collection of some great Aussie classics, as well as some country music, and it will be a great evening of up-tempo party songs.
"I've been to the dogs a few times when I was younger and like many people have had a bet on them sitting at the pub and watching the races.
"But what I'm looking forward to most is going back and playing at home. I love performing back in the Central West, in my home area, and particularly supporting local events at home, because I received so much support from home right back to X Factor all those years ago."
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Owen appeared on the fourth season of the TV show X Factor back in 2012. He finished runner-up to Samantha Jade, and that was the kick-start of a career in music.
"I've always loved music, loved to perform, loved to sing, and I have a lot of talented musicians in my family," he said.
"I left school at the start of year 11 and started working for the old man and started to learn the ropes of the office and admin, and was working towards taking over the management position of the fuel service station. That was going to be me.
"Then X factor came to Dubbo in 2012 and I went to the auditions and gave it a shot and bugger me, I placed second and I've made a career out of it.
"It's been an incredible journey the last 10 or 11 years, five albums, a lot of touring, TV performances, just doing what I love to do, and I'm going to love playing in front of the people of Dubbo on March 18."
The Dubbo track was full to capacity in March last year for the inaugural running of the Country Classic.
The highlight on the track was Zipping Kyrgios winning the $125,000 first prize.
Meanwhile, off the track the main attraction was another performer who got his start through a television show; 2003 Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll who put on a show to remember long after the last race.
Heats of the Country Classic begin at Nowra on February 27 with Gosford, Grafton, Temora, Dapto, The Gardens, Richmond and Dubbo to then stage heats.
The semi-finals of the Country Classic will be held at Dubbo on March 11, with the final a week later.
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
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