The annual feature race will include runners from the Georges Plains stables of father and daughter Bernie Hewitt (Im With Lexy) and Gemma Rue (Trilight Brigade, with the former to utilise the driving skills of her husband Mat Rue.

Im With Lexy will go from barrier one after winning her 2,100 metres heat for Hewitt, a man who has previously tasted success in the feature, while the Rue’s mare goes from barrier two.

The Lagoon’s Steve Turnbull, who won the most recent edition of the cup after 2016’s was washed-out, has his chances resting with Belligerence (barrier seven).

His daughter Amanda Turnbull, who runs her base from Shepparton, will steer heat winner Eliza Dushku from a tricky barrier 10 draw.

The other Bathurst link to the race comes in the form of Todd McCarthy, a former resident who will drive Miss Patriot in the $30,000 final.

The Kevin Pizzuto-trained mare has remained unbeaten in her two Australian starts.

Exported from New Zealand on September 15, the American Ideal mare made her Australian debut six days later at Penrith and won.

Just three days after this, Miss Patriot won her Canola Cup heat.

She produced the fastest of the five qualifiers in the process, leading throughout in a mile rate of 2:00.1.

“In the heat I didn’t want to push her too hard into the first turn, but once she found the top she won comfortably,” McCarthy said.

“She’s a pretty handy mare.

“I’ll talk to Kevin and go through the race but I’d like her to be up there nice and handy . . . Kevin’s horses usually race that way and it’s key to be close to the action on these smaller tracks.”

Miss Patriot will most likely start favourite in the lucrative feature after drawing barrier five, but may come out of barrier four with the removal of the first emergency.

The Canola Cup final will be the feature of the eight-race meeting on Monday and is set to be green lighted at 4.38pm.