The Carnival of Cups will get underway just after 6pm on Saturday with the Cappello Rowe Lawyers Club Menangle Where Horese Fly Heat with the last race getting underway at 9.19pm
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It follows an action-packed Tuesday night at Griffith, when Coleambally reinsman Blake Jones brought up his 450th win as part of a special night.
Jones drove a career best five winners on the card.
The 28-year-old has been in hot form, with trebles at Wagga and Junee in the last fortnight, but was surprised by how well his night panned out.
“It has been good,” Jones said.
“Griffith has been good to me and I’ve had a bit of luck there over the years.
“I don’t mind going there and to get five was pretty good.
“I didn’t really expect to do that going in.
“I thought I had a fair few good chances, but didn’t expect to drive that many.”
The five winners were for four different trainers.
First he made it a hat-trick with Everything Happens for Shane Hillier before Star Brutus won later in the night.
He then combined with Our Dandy with Kim Hillier.
Jones then finished the card with a win aboard Quick Reflection for David Kennedy and with Ollie And Brock for Ellen Bartley.
Jones was most impressed by how Star Brutus backed up after a second at Junee on Friday.
“It was a pretty strong run and to do it after backing up from the other day when he had a pretty strong run,” he said.
“I thought he was a good chance but didn’t know how we would go backing up after a real tough run on Friday night.
“(And) Everything Happens went good again and keeps sticking his head out.
“He has done a pretty good job since he come down here.”
Our Dandy was first up in the region while Quick Reflection made it three wins in his last five starts with a dominant performance after a slow first half.
Jones also scored a narrow win with Ollie and Brock.
It was the four-year-old’s first win at start 11, but his first for his new stable.
“I was pretty happy with him,” Jones said.
“He has a fair few problems and I don’t think he is best driven tough when they backed off and got around him he just kept poking his head out up the straight.”
Leeton trainer-driver Phil Maguire claimed a double in his first night back following a fall.
He took out the first race with Simply Clever before backing up with Lucky Artist.
Jones would have had a strong hand at Griffith’s Carnival Of Cups meeting on Saturday but will miss the meeting due to a trip away.
