Last year's Glen Innes Cup winner Carry Me Gee Gee trained by Glen Innes's own Paddy Cunningham will be back to defend his Cup title.
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Cunningham, who relocated his permanent base from Grafton back to his home town about 18 months ago, has a total of 10 horses nominated for Saturday's race program - including three for the Hec’s Small Motor Klinic Glen Innes Cup.
"I used to come up and stop for four or five months every year. I was in Grafton for eight years and I didn't really like the synthetic training track they have got at Grafton.
"When I came here I stopped longer and longer each year until I didn't go back."
He is quietly confident he has a chance at a third straight Glen Innes Cup win.
"In the Cup Carry Me Gee Gee's form is good - he is coming right at the right time," Cunningham said.
"Our Minaan's form is very good. She's just racing without luck. She's had three seconds and finished just behind them last start.
"Hula Girl's in it too. She is good on the day, but she has been a little bit out of form."
Last start for Carry Me Gee Gee was a fourth in the 1400m XXXX Gold 2017 Inverell Cup.
Meanwhile, Our Minaan - a six-year-old grey mare finished fifth in the 1400m Freight Specialists Hcp (C3) in Tamworth on January 6, and had three seconds in Armidale and Tamworth over 1300m and two 1600m races.
If successful, it would be a hat trick for Cunningham, whose horse Miss Caitlyn won the 2015 Cup with apprentice jockey Jodi Worley.
Other horses trained by Cunningham that have been nominated for the race meeting include Duchilli and Dabamirak for the Attenborough Fertilizers / Parsons General Carriers BM 70 Handicap (1000m); Vivid Imagination and Dabamirak in race 3 Glen Innes Services Club BM 55 Handicap (1200m); Redraw and Super Cooper in race 5 the Lockyer Family / Glencoe Graziers Maiden Plate (1000m); and in race 5, the Professionals Maiden Handicap (1400m) Tan Tat Nova.
In Race 6, the Maiden Handicap, Tan Tat Nova - a locally-owned horse, should also race well, Cunningham said.
"Many of the horses are locally owned and being on their home track, they should all race really well," he said.
He said the race meeting drew big nominations - with 108 horses nominated for the six race card.
"The track is looking really good at this stage," Cunningham said.
"But it's probably going to dry out in the next couple of days, but it's in very good order at the moment, with good grass cover."
Unfortunately, acceptances for the race meeting were not available before the Glen Innes Examiner went to print, however the noms can be found in the sport section.