NOMINATIONS for Friday’s Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing meeting at Tyers Park were extended until this morning in a handful of the eight events.

Two Benchmark 55 races, a Class 2 and Class 1 handicap and a maiden race all had an extra 24 hours added for trainers to get their entries in, though it looked like they would still have reasonably sized fields regardless.

There are plenty of local horses among those listed to race, including four in one of the two Benchmark 55s. 

Peter Stanley’s Run Bullett Run is joined by Dashexpresss from the Dean Mirfin stable, consistent Shane Cunynghame runner Grey Pariz and Kevin Higgins’ Supreme Laird.

All four have reasonable recent form on the board and, with only three other nominations for that race as at midday yesterday, it 

looks like an ideal opportunity for a Bathurst win at home.

“The good thing is that there are a lot of local trainers involved, there are plenty of Bathurst horses set to race which is great,” BTC general manager Michelle Tarpenning said.

“The second of the two Benchmark 55 races is a bit light on, with just the seven nominees, but a few of the others look like having very strong fields.

“There are a few Orange trainers who have been doing quite well of late who have also got a handful nominated so far.”

After a turbulent 12 months at the club with a brief suspension of racing due to track condition and a watering malfunction, things have been smoother of late and they are set to celebrate the opening of the new female jockeys room on Friday.

Tarpenning is hoping that the current interest in the ongoing spring carnival will add to spectator numbers this week.

She also said that after their battles in recent times, she felt for the Bathurst Harness Racing Club after track issues forced them to cancel their planned meeting last week.

“I really felt for them when that happened, it can throw your whole world upside-down as a club when that sort of thing affects you,” she said.

“It has a ripple effect on everyone involved and it was tough on them to see the trouble they had with the track.

“From our point of view, the big races in Melbourne at the moment have piqued people’s interest in racing with the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup and it would be great to see that borne out a little bit with some extra spectators