Racing: Tamworth Jockey Club preparing to welcome big crowd for Melbourne Cup day meeting

Over 2000 racegoers are expected to don their finery and roll through the turnstiles to celebrate the race that stops the nation.

And this year the festivities won't stop when the on track action does with an after party featuring the Aussie Night Markets and Brother Hollow Band kicking off at 5pm and continuing through to 9pm.

Traditionally the club's biggest meeting of the year, TJC general manager Michael Buckley is looking forward to a bumper day. Pre-sale interest for the various hospitality options was "really strong", he said, with 750 tickets sold 10 days out.

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The only potential dampener is the weather.

Showers and storms were forecast overnight but they are looking to clear "sort of early morning".

"Hopefully the weather will entice racegoers to still get out and get trackside on the day," Buckley said.

He said the track itself could probably handle 15-20mls and still be right to race on.

"We'll make that call in the morning, around 6.30(am), once we've had a horse work on the track," he said.

"If the races aren't to go ahead here we'll still continue the meeting as a phantom race day so it'll be full operations as usual this side of the fence."

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"Obviously I guess on a day like tomorrow it's more about the social side."

"It's a good opportunity for people to get out and catch up with friends and family and put a line through their Tuesday afternoon to enjoy the festivities of Cup day."

He said idea of the night markets and after party was to give people who can't get to the races during the day the opportunity to still enjoy the festivities, and also racegoers somewhere "to continue enjoying themselves".

"It's just another opportunity for us to add to the race day experience for patrons on course," he said.

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"The food trucks will be in operation all day so anyone here trackside will be able to grab something to eat during the day and if we get that after five crowd roll in as well, we've got options there for them as well."

Also adding some interest will be The Big Dance and Little Dance at Royal Randwick, which will feature the locally-trained Beckford.

"We're obviously really excited to see Troy O'Neile represent Tamworth in the Big Dance or Little Dance depending on whether it gets a start in the feature race (Beckford is the second emergency). Either way a $2million race or a $500,000 race is huge money for a country trainer and we're confident that Beckford will go well," Buckley said.

Gates open at 11am with the first race jumping at 1.30pm.

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