Although high profile Sydney stables will supply several of the favoured runners in the $37,000 Bathurst RSL Club Soldier's Saddle (1,400 metres) on ANZAC Day, local trainers Dean Mirfin and Roy McCabe plus Alison Smith from nearby Orange have good winning chances in the prestigious race.
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Bathurst-based apprentice Ashleigh Stanley will ride Aquarius for McCabe while her brother, apprentice Will, is booked for the Smith-trained How's It Kev.
Recently transferred to McCabe, Aquarius won first up for the Bathurst trainer when ridden by Grant Buckley at Orange.
Aquarius raced wide on the heavy track and refused to yield when fighting off all challenges over the concluding stages.
McCabe has the chance with Aquarius to complete a feature race double at Bathurst following the win by $26 outsider Know Where To Look in the $110,000 The Panorama last spring.
Mirfin is also aiming for a feature race double with Whatsin, winner of the Cowra Japan Cup earlier this year.
Raced by the Condon family from O'Connell, near Bathurst, Whatsin has since twice finished second in Sydney and will have leading southern districts jockey Nick Heywood aboard in the Soldier's Saddle.
A surprise fifth placegetter when a rank outsider in the $500,000 Country Championship Final last year at Randwick, How's It Kev is currently in top form with successive wins at Orange when ridden by Will Stanley for trainer Smith.
At the most recent outing at Orange How's It Kev raced to the lead turning for home and cleared out to win by a big margin.
Other good chances from the Central West include last start Scone winner Osman (Grant Buckley) from the Mack Griffith stable at Mudgee and the Clint Lundholm Dubbo-trained Watch Me Rumble (Ronald Simpson), who was fifth in the $150,000 Country Championship Qualifier at Coonamble.
Leading the charge from the big Sydney stables is Richard and Will Freedman with the well performed Jumeirah Beach (Blake Spriggs), the Freedman's having won the recent Orange Gold Cup with Unamerican.
Adding an international flavour is jockey Heavelon Van Der Hoven, formerly from Namibia, who is booked to ride Champions League.
Trained at Boorawa by Andrew Bourke, Champions League two stars back won the Golden Spur at Wellington.
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