A nine-race harness racing program will be staged in Tamworth on Sunday evening, to make up for the meeting that was cancelled due to smoke haze earlier this month.
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Tamworth harness racing boss Julie Maughan said Harness Racing NSW "were great" in backing the club to stage Sunday's meeting.
"Our staff have all come back from holidays a little earlier to accommodate the meeting," she said. "All we have to do now is pick some winners."
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Maughan said it was important that there was continual harness racing in Tamworth due to the 60 horses stabled in the city.
Sunday's program has attracted stables from Queensland including sisters Julie and Lola Weidemann, who had intended to take part in the abandoned meeting. That meeting was supposed to occur on Thursday, December 19.
"The Weidemann girls are always a great support to racing in the North West," Maughan said.
The haze that led to the meeting's cancellation was caused by bushfires.
At the time, Maughan said the smoke would have posed a health hazard. It was the first time a Tamworth harness racing meeting had been abandoned due to smoke, she said.
"But it is the norm of late," she added, "with Goulburn and Young both losing a meeting over Christmas, while Menangle lost a meeting on Christmas Eve."
Another Queensland trainer, Ricky Gordon, will also take part in Sunday's meeting.
Maughan said: "Hunter Valley horses will be supporting the meeting as well. And considering the Maitland Inter City Pace Final is on Saturday night, it is good to see.
"This will be a good meeting leading into our January racing carnival," she said.
"We have The Pub Group Gold Nugget on Wednesday, January 15, the Hygain Starmaker three-year-old on Sunday, January 19, and the big Group 2 $50,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final on Thursday, January 23."
Maughan said there was also a January 5 meeting.
"The club is travelling really well, and we are looking forward to the January carnival," she said. "It is a good opportunity to showcase all the improvements around the ground as well."
