One of the highlights of the Parkes Harness Racing Club calendar is here, with the Australia Day twilight meeting to be run this evening.
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The meeting features the Keith Thompson and Joe Dumesny Memorial Races, honouring two fine servants of the Parkes harness fraternity.
The seven race meeting will have a distinct 'bush trainer' feeling, with smaller stables and hobby trainers featuring - something Keith Thompson was a big champion of.
There are four runners from Alectown, one from Trundle, 11 Parkes based runners, two each from Cowra and Canowindra, three from Grenfell, four from Young and a big contingent of eight Forbes runners will be making the short trip up the Newell Highway.
From a punting and supporter perspective, the meeting features a number of very open races, and it is not hard to imagine there will be some very generously priced exotics and roughie winners.
In the Keith Thompson Memorial, a maiden event for small bush stables, we may finally see Poppy Franco ($4), trained by Parkes' Andrew Cassell, breakthrough for her first win in what will be start 44.
The mare has secured the gun draw on the pegs on the front row, and has been running decently at big odds without winning of late; though exciting gelding Jessejames Shannon ($8) and Amelia Regal ($2.50) will be threatening.
In the Joe Dumesny Memorial, for three-year-old horses with no more than two lifetime wins, you can make a case for every runner getting the chocolates.
Terror To Rock ($8) hasn't been far off the pace in his last two starts, with a 1.9 metre second here on New Years Eve followed by a 3.1m third in Bathurst.
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He'll be one to watch while on his outside La Peregrina ($5) can challenge if the filly is back to her best form for Forbes trainer Phillip Thurston.
She prepared with a trial win in Parkes on January 19.
Stan Townsend gelding Good Cop ($15) will be an intriguing runner to watch in the James Pittar Ambassador Pace after an impressive second placing in a swiftly run race in Bathurst on January 13.
Since joining the Alectown stable in November from Victoria Good Cop has registered two seconds and a win from six runs, and you get the feeling he's building a lovely block of form for a very open 1660m race like this one.
The danger will come from the well placed Cambo Blaster ($1.65) who has been racing in much better company in Bathurst - though the gelding hasn't won since June 10.
The first race will begin at 6.38pm and visitors must sign in at the Mitchell Street gates using the Service NSW app.
Full bar, TAB and canteen facilities will be available.
