After having to cancel last year’s fixture due to rain, the NRJC committee headed by new chairman Owen ‘Chalky’ Donnelly has already decided that Monday’s meeting will go ahead as a ‘phantom’ race day if necessary, so that the traditional reunions can take place.

The five races to be contested at Bowraville on Monday are the Moran Valuations Macksville Cup, Nambucca RSL Nambucca Heads Cup, Laverty Funerals Nambucca Valley Cup, Macksville Beaurepaires Scotts Head Cup and the Macksville Conveyancing Valla Beach Cup, so all parts of the Valley are represented.

Local mare Inthegarden, trained at Bowraville by Shannon Fry, will be having a last chance to break her maiden status on Monday. Raced by a local syndicate of sporting identities, Inthegarden has

tested the patience of both trainer and owners but Fry has persisted with the pony-sized mare and hopefully she can behave and give her rivals some cheek on her home track.

At time of going to print other nominations were not available, but the NRJC is expecting strong fields in all races and another bumper crowd enjoying getting together at what has become one of the Valley’s biggest days.