All races will be named after the men-- Bob Marchmont, Mick Sullivan, Bob Woodlands, Ian Murphy, the Laurie family and Peter Ninness-- to celebrate their past deeds for the Wauchope Rugby League Club.

It is a family-orientated meeting, with anyone wearing a football jumper getting free entry, and if everything goes to plan local trainers and owners will be among the spoils on the five-race card.

Back in 2012 at the meeting,hometown trainers made an unprecedented clean sweep in winning all six races, Grant Prosser having three wins, his son, Colt, one, along with Michael O’Neill and Steven Flynn.

The riding honours went to Port Macquarie jockey Peter Graham, then apprentice jockey Belinda Hodder with winning doubles, other wins going to Allan Chau and Robert Agnew.

Local eight-year-old gelding Xerxes Dream,trained by O’Neill, made it three wins in the Old Boys Cup last year and the galloper could make it four wins in the coveted event on Saturday, all going well after racing at Port Macquarie on Sunday.

In fact, O’Neill, of Long Flat, had his first winning double last year as he also trained the Hankinator, it also providing a winning double for jockey Graham on the two.

“It was great to have a winning double in front of my home crowd,” said O’Neill who could emulate the feat as he is also likely to start five-year-old mare Cavalar.

The former Canberra galloper has only had a few starts for O’Neill but is capable on her home track.

The form of Xerxes Dream has been of a sufficient standard to again give the gelding a winning hope despite being beaten 7.2 lengths into ninth behind Port gelding Hippy High Ho over an unsuitable 1506m.

The step up to the 1800m of the Laurie Family Old Boys Cup, Peter Ninness Benchmark 45 Handicap is more to its liking.

Another 16 gallopers have nominated for the cup and only eight are eligible to start, so the field makeup won’t be known until Thursday.

Other hopes include Wauchope trainer Colt Prosser’s Rigamarole, the winner of multiple Woop Woop Cups at the track on Boxing Day.

The eight-year- old gelding has been knocking on the door for a win and only needs a reasonable track to be right in the mix.

Taree trainer Wayne Wilkes has two nominated, five-year-old gelding Melwood and seven-year-old gelding Valiant Charger, both capable over the distance, along with fellow trainer Matthew Robinson’s seven-year-old gelding Play And Wonder.

Prosser has nominated track winner Gone Romin for the Ian Murphy Benchmark 50 Handicap over 1000m and the Bob Marchant Class 1 Handicap over 1240m and the five-year-old mare will be hard to beat in either race.

The club has received 47 nominations but the number could be boosted with certain light-on races being left open for further nominations.

I will preview the meeting in Friday’s editions and on radio on Saturday.