For three race dates the Carrathool races have come so close to getting off the ground, but through rain and a scalding heat wave in 2009, the meeting has not experienced a fully supported race day in three years.

And while some storms have had jockey club officials watching the skies this week, Armstrong said it was all systems go for the iconic race meeting.

“Coming back from Carrathool last night there was a red sunset, but when I woke up this morning there was rain outside,” Armstrong said yesterday.

“But I think we’re going to be pretty safe really, because I don’t think a lot of rain fell.

“It’s just great to be putting the finishing touches on the day in the lead-up, we’re expecting a pretty big crowd.

“It’s going to be a bit of a hard one though because we haven’t raced for a couple of years and you don’t really know who’s going to run up, but we’re confident that we’re going to get a good crowd.”

With a top of 32 degrees predicted, Armstrong said the conditions will be ideal for action on and of the track, with six well-supported races set to be offset by the first running of the ever-popular Jackaroo and Jillaroo sprint since 2008.

The event, which sees spectators dash down the home straight towards the finishing post was called off in 2009 as temperatures hit a scalding 50 degrees.

“We’ll have a look at the track before Saturday, I don’t think it’ll be a really heavy track because it was good the other day when we looked at,” Armstrong said.

“If need be we’ll give it a light harrow and then let it dry out on the top a bit and it should be right to go.”

There will be a Griffith element to the racing action with local trainer Gino D’Altorio having three runners on the day with Lightning Bobby in the Carrathool Family Hotel Maiden Plate (1000m), Noire Belle in the Grainlink Benchmark 50 Handicap (1200m) and Magnum Force in the last of the day the Class Two Handicap (1400m).