THE good news continues to roll in for country trainers after an announcement from Racing NSW last week regarding a new initiative to incorporate the state’s two marquee tracks in Sydney.

Beginning on October 17, the TAB Highway meetings will commence at Royal Randwick and Rosehill Gardens as well as one meeting at Canterbury.

The basic premise of the initiative is to add one race to each of seven meetings through until November 28 which is exclusively for horses trained in country NSW.

Originally the first meeting was to be held in mid-December, but at the request of a number of trainers it was brought forward two months.

Bathurst trainer Peter Stanley said the idea was a good one, especially on the back of the hugely popular Country Championships which were held earlier this year for the first time.

That series allowed any country-based horse with less than five wins to enter one of a series of regional heats to qualify for the final at Royal Randwick. Stanley had mixed fortunes.

His stable star King Derota was at short odds to qualify through the $100,000 Bathurst heat, but was scratched just before the race. His mare Hollywood Nell ran third, but gained a start at Royal Randwick following a scratching leading into the final.

King Derota was forced to enter a wildcard race at Scone but was too far into his preparation by then, fading as Artlee picked up a win and in turn went on to take out the $375,000 final.

Stanley was a big fan of that concept, though he believes that Racing NSW needs to look at the class of race they are trying to foster.

“I think it is a good idea, but I would have liked to see them put up some Benchmark races rather than restricting them to Class 2 or 3 races, that’s the only query I’ve got about it,” he said.

“I’ve got a few horses like Hollywood Nell and King Derota that I’d like to see have a go down there in the city, but they can’t compete in those events, they’ve won too many races.

“For the better horses in the country, there aren’t a lot of races around and often they’re either too far apart or too close together and it interrupts their training cycle. 

“Any extra races they could try and open up for those stronger horses would be great.

“Look at something like Binalong Road. It qualified for the Championships, it’s come back and won another three or four races and now it can’t really go back to Sydney in a race its suited to and battles to find good races out here as well.”

Regardless of the circumstances, Stanley said the idea of getting to race on tracks that host events like the Doncaster Handicap and the Golden Slipper, are once in a lifetime opportunities.

“Getting a runner at Randwick for the Championships Final ... I was as proud as punch and the owners had a ball down there, had a three-course meal and just a great day out,” he said.

“If you can get the owners to be looked after like that, they will always enjoy the experience.

“For my part I’ve got a few runners that I can look at to compete in these types of races, and I have got one or two that I am going to try and aim at the championships next year as well.”