Strong nominations have added to the excitement in the build-up to the inaugural Queen of the West feature at Dubbo Turf Club on Saturday.
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Headlining the 17 nominations for the $40,000 event include a host of prime-time country feature sprint race fillies and mares, multiple metropolitan and provincial winners, and a former New Zealand Group-1 performer.
The club has been hard at work promoting the event for a number of weeks, and with good reason.
As well as being a new race with an attractive prize purse, the winning connections of the Queen of the West receive a nomination to Castelvecchio, the dual Group 1 winner and third year stallion standing at Arrowfield Stud.
"Arrowfield have generously provided a nomination to Champagne Stakes, Rosehill Guineas and Inglis Millennium winner Castelvecchio, which provides a high-level attraction beyond the $40,000 prizemoney," Dubbo Turf Club general manager Sam Fitzgerald said.
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Among the nominations for Saturday's race are exciting Dubbo galloper Majority, from the stables of Brett Robb, and her stablemate D'Arpano as well as fellow local hopes Praline and Transplant, trained by Dar Lunn and Clint Lundholm respectively.
Bedtime Stories, Dollar Magic and Tidal Impact are all city winners in the mix while there's also interest in a number of other possible runners.
"Auntie Monnie has won some handy sprint features in the hunter and in the Northern Rivers," Fitzgerald said.
"The horse that adds a level of intrigue is Irish Red, which joins the Luke Pepper stable from New Zealand, having performed in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and a handful of other black-type races."
The Ladies Day meeting attracted 153 nominations in total and it will be the club's first meeting in nine weeks.
As well as the first running of the Queen of the West - a benchmark 74 event over 1200m - Saturday's meeting will feature a Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m) and a Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1300m).
Derby Day and Gold Cup Day are two of the biggest events the club holds each year and it is Fitzgerald's hope the newest meeting can create a legacy of its own.
As well as the action on the track, Saturday will also feature the Queen of the West marquee, fashions on the field, entertainment, live music, and pop-ups from high-end fashion and beverage brands.
"We had a busy autumn, winter and spring in 2022 and with a few race date changes earlier this year, we have had a spell from racing, which has allowed us to undertake our winter track renovations," Fitzgerald added.
"We received just under 40mm of rain over the weekend however the favourable week ahead and our high-performing drainage will have us racing on a Good track on Saturday."
Final fields for the Queen of the West and the other six races set down for the meeting will be 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.
