Racing returns to Tyers Park on Friday afternoon and with a reasonable amount of rain falling on Thursday and more predicted to fall on race day, punters should expect a wet track.
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And for the first time in months, racing fans will be able to be in attendance at the track, a big boost for the club ahead of the eight-race meet.
There's been no lack of entries from Bathurst trainers, with the likes of Roy L McCabe, Gayna Williams, Wanda Ings, Ashlee Grives, Paul Theobald and Dean Mirfin all having runners scheduled to compete.
McCabe has a couple of chances to watch out for, with his four-year-old brown mare Too Spicy expected to jump from barrier three in the second, a Class 1 Handicap to be run over 1108 metres.
She hasn't raced for four weeks now, having not started since a fifth place finish in a Class 2 Handicap at Warren back in September, which in turn was Too Spicy's first start following a 14-week spell.
McCabe expects her to perform well.
"She's been going well. She missed a run two weeks ago, so she'll be looking for the run," he said.
"She's drawn ideal, she's got the leading jockey [Mathew Cahill] on board and it's all mapped out for her to have a nice run in transit somewhere, hopefully hitting the line.
McCabe said the 14-week spell was just for a rest, after Too Spicy came over from Western Australia.
"I bought her from Western Australia and we kept her racing straight away when she probably should've went for a spell," he said.
"I just thought she'd benefit from a spell, so I gave break."
McCabe's other chance at the meeting is Dreamdust, a three-year-old brown filly that is yet to win after four starts, who will run in a 15-horse field across 1108 metres in the last.
She actually hasn't raced since Bendigo back in June and has had a 19-week break from racing, which saw a training change from Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra, so it'll be her first run under McCabe.
"I briefly saw bits and pieces of her. I didn't mind what I saw in her races and I thought the racing out here would benefit her moving forward," he said.
"She's a very plain, little light sort of horse. Not very big. I think she'll need a run and I'll probably give her one or two starts before I give her a spell.
"I was quite happy with 15 starters in the field. Most trainers will go, 'Oh no, not 15' but I was sort of pleased because she's so small. She won't get bumped around early."
The eight race meeting gets underway at 1.04pm, the last at 5.25pm.
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