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By Graeme White

It’s the entrée to the main course for racing on the South Coast with three feature meetings in the space of six days commencing with the Sapphire Coast today.

Nowra will also race on Sunday with seven races highlighted by the Greenwell Point Cup and Town Plate then Moruya will hold its popular Melbourne Cup Day fixture on Tuesday. Nowra was recently announced as the South East track to conduct the Country Championships next year.

They're racing at Sapphire Coast this afternoon

Sapphire Coast Turf Club is also on the countdown to its 150th carnival which will be held on February 1 & 2. SCTC president Mike Walcott said a lot planning was already activated for one of the most popular country carnivals.

“It’s our big time of the year and being 150 years of racing here is something to celebrate,” he said.

It’s a lower class race meeting at the Sapphire Coast on Thursday with seven races where Serial Offender will start the shortest priced favourite on the program in the opening race, Bega District News Maiden Plate (1000m).

Serial Offender ($1.40 on TAB) has been close-up in recent starts with placings at her past three appearances.

Jockey Louise Day will ride the galloper and also has a strong winning hope with Sebastian’s Flyer ($5) in the feature race, the Butterfield Property Bermagui Cup (1600m).

Encompass is the $3.50 TAB favourite and trainer Rob Potter is hopeful the consistent performer can break through after placings at his past three starts.

“He has the inside draw so he should get the ideal run and have every hope,” he said.

Apprentice jockey Glenn Cahill has started to gain more opportunities with his 3kg claim and will reduce the weight of Encompass to 58kg.

Cahill has ridden several winners since relocating to near Canberra from northern New South Wales. He recently landed a double including the Bombala Cup with Look Only and has ridden four winners this month.

Ken’Ker ($5) has hardly missed a placing in several starts and will again be fancied to break through, while Pretty Eyed ($6) drops back in grade and is well placed on her best form.

Her wins have both been over 1600m and is coming back from Benchmark 75 company to a far inferior Benchmark 58.

Meanwhile, the racing action continues with Wagga racing on Friday where there are a few feature races including the Stan Sadleir Stakes. The Mountaineer Cup will also be held over the Melbourne Cup distance of 3200m.

Tumut will conduct Derby Day racing on Saturday where jockey Carly Frater will be having her first race rides for almost three years.

She has worked her way back for her return with months of trackwork and trials ride following the birth of her two children. Frater could make a winning return with rides on Kerna Art and Ima Dubawi.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Sapphire Coast here