MURWILLMBAH trainer Matt Dunn could have as many as three runners in Friday’s $38,000 Riverview Hotel Murwillumbah Cup (1530m) after the Tweed River Jockey Club accepted 19 nominations for its feature race today.
TRJC secretary Leanne Manning confirmed the leading country trainer has not only three nominated for his home town Cup but another 14 in the seven support races as well.
While he has nominated three horses including Mystical Renegade and Zamex for the Cup he also has runners nominated in the two main support races with Bancroft entered in the $28,000 TURSA Newmarket Handicap
(1200m) and Pegapus in the $22,000 Tygalgah Benchmark 66 Handicap (2020m).
He has also nominated five apiece in the 1200m Maiden and 1530m Maiden Plate.
In all the TRJC received 134 nominations for Friday’s eight-race Cup program, confirmed Leanne Manning.
“That’s a good outcome,” she said yesterday.
“There’s lots of interest here.”
“We have a number of other local trainers who have nominated horses, Darryl McCabe, Paul Nipperess and Angela Graham all have runners.
“Trainers such as Helen Page (Gold Coast) and Stephen Lee (Ballina/Gold Coast) have been great supporters of us also have nominated horses.”
She said the fact Murwillumbah is close to the border makes it even more enticing for the Queensland trainers to slip across and race in NSW.
While the club received 134 nominations it has extended nominations on three of its Cup day races until 11am Tuesday.
The Newmarket, Class 2 1530m and Class 1 1200m have all been extended until 11am tomorrow.
For Leanne Manning her first official Cup meeting will be an exciting day and she is hoping the forecast storms for Friday arrive late after the final race.
RIVERVIEW HOTEL MURWILLUMBAH CUP NOMINATIONS (benchmark ratings listed where available): Anne Bonny (Owen Glue) 68, Balius (Brad Witt) 70, Bel Burgess (David Murphy), Bodega Negra (Bruce Hill), Cashing Up (Barry Lockwood), Fasta Than Light (Patrick Duff), Future Event (John Zielke), Hotel Coste (Bruce Hill), Kincaple Chief (John Smerdon), Liberty Island (Bruce Hill) 72, Madam Shazam (Toby Edmonds), Mystical Renegade (Matt Dunn) 68, On Demand (Patrick Duff), Pegapus (Matthew Dunn), Red Letter Day (Ben Hull) 72, Secret Code (Darleen Duryea), Show Bender (Chris Anderson), Yaba Dabl Doya (Kenneth Deacon), Zamex (Matt Dunn) 79.
