Uralla trainer and reinsman Mitch Faulkner and his pacer Onedin Highlander are the only local contenders in The Pub Group Gold Nugget to be contested at the Tamworth Paceway on Wednesday night.
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The $10,000 race is the feature on the nine-event program.
“I think I was fortunate being the only local that got in,” Faulkner, who has drawn the nine barrier with Onedin Highlander, said.
With 31 nominations for the feature Faulkner was in a positive frame of mind as to the field.
“The handicappers did a good job to get a good even field. It is a pretty good field and it was always going to be a tough race – it’s a scorching field so we will have to be on our A game,” he said.
Not only does Onedin Highlander have the pressure of being the only local in the 10 horse field but he is resuming from a spell.
“I think he has come back from the break pretty good,” Faulkner said.
“He has had two trials including one at Menangle where he went 1.53.7(MR). I think he is better than when he went for the spell.”
“There will be a couple of dangers in the race and I think Captain Rockey from Maitland will be one of them. He was in the race last year and just got done on the line and he has had a recent win. He will be hard to beat.”
“Mark Callaghan has also drawn well in barrier seven with Lovin Miss Daisy so he will get a nice run into the race if the one horse (Shadow Runner) goes away well.”
Callaghan will be returning to see if he can make it back to back Gold Nugget wins after taking out last years race with Culinary Delight.
Before Onedin Highlander was spelled, the geldings form was pretty impressive.
He has recorded seven wins at the Tamworth Paceway with three of those being on the trot back in August.
Faulkner also headed to Queensland with Onedin Highlander in September to record success at Albion Park, going 1.55.6 for the 2138m – a personal best mile rate for the Changeover gelding.
“I would feel ecstatic if I won the race,” Faulkner said.
“It would be my first major win at Tamworth and it would be good to keep the trophy local.”
Narissa McMullen meanwhile has already won a Tamworth Cup but is making another jaunt from just outside of Ipswich to make a bid for a Gold Nugget win.
That’s the first mission for the 23-year- old. Following that McMullen is hoping to aim up for a start in the $25,000 Prydes Easifeed Golden Guitar Final as well as the TAB 3-year- old Starmaker Final after contesting the heats next Sunday.
“I love coming to the Carnival,” McMullen said.
“I love the atmosphere and it’s a great crowd”
Arrokeefe will start from barrier eleven and is relatively new to the McMullen stables.
“I have only had him for a few starts – he came across from South Australia,” she said.
“I thought he would be a good prospect for Tamworth.”
“This is the first time that I have had one in the Nugget – I normally come down for the ten days and try and have a bit of a holiday.”