MANNING Valley Race Club's decision to change the conditions of Sunday's $100,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Cup (2000m) appears to have been a masterstroke.
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Club chairman Greg Coleman said the MVRC board elected to change the cup from a quality to a handicap.
"We decided to run the cup under different conditions this year," Mr Coleman said.
"We changed it from a quality to a handicap and it's shown in the nominations. We got 25 nominations and should get a full field."
The MVRC can run a field of 16 and if it finishes with a full field it will have been a good decision.
That will be decided Thursday morning when acceptances for the cup close at 9am.
While Sunday's eight-race TAB meeting is highlighted by the $100,000 Taree Cup it is also a Showcase meeting with every race carrying a minimum of $30,000.
The MRVC disperses a gigantic $345,000 on the day and more than half a million in prizemoney over the two days carnival beginning with Friday's eight-race meeting.
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Friday's meeting has $186,000 in prizemoney with the feature being the $32,000 Hopkins Livermore Cup (1400m).
That has drawn a field of 11 where the top three are provincial-trained runners, two of them from Kim Waugh's stable - Manhattan Mist and Holy Reign - while Damien Lane has All But Gone.
Another provincial-based trainer, Kris Lees, has a strong grip on the cup with three of the top four handicapped horses.
Mawaany Machine (63.5kg), High Opinion (60.5kg) and Korcho (60kg) head the weights with Jeremy Gask's Lord Fandango (61kg) the second top weight.
South Grafton Cup winner Jazzland (Kristen Buchanan) has 59kg and the first of Bjorn Baker's trio of Cup nominees, Kiss The Bride has 58.5kg.
Just two others have received more than the 55kg minimum - Jason Deamer's Decroux (57kg) and John Sargent's Hone Ground (55.5kg).
Friday's Hopkins Livermore Cup meeting kicks off with the XXXX Gold Class 1 and Maiden Plate (1600m) at 12.45pm.
