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By Neil Evans

Fresh from a successful Community Chest meeting at home, Canberra racing is ready to celebrate an achievement of a different kind ahead of Monday’s action at the Sapphire Coast.

A staggering 35 of the original 88 accepted runners on the program are from Canberra, a record haul of 40% from the one training base for an away meeting in NSW.

It’s a day when punters could easily be mistaken for watching a meeting at Thoroughbred Park rather than on the far South Coast.

Trainer Barbara Joseph is flanked by sons Matt (left) and Paul

Naturally, many of those visitors from the capital dominate betting across a wide open meeting.

And it's no surprise heading the raid is the evergreen and longtime “Baroness of Bombala” who has long called Canberra home.

Barbara Joseph, along with Paul & Matt Jones, aren’t about to finish the year with a whimper, eyeing off a string of strong chances.

With Barbara celebrating 50 years as a licensed trainer, the team accepted with a very healthy eight runners across the seven-race card.

Certainly, there’ll be a ton of confidence around resuming four-year-old Bombelleistic who hasn’t raced since mid-June, but finds a very winnable Pizza Holic Eden Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1400m.

Drawn well, Bombelleistic is the $3 TAB favourite ahead of rival Canberra mare Cosmic Ride ($4.40) from the Luke Pepper yard which has a team of six heading south.

Earlier the Joseph-Jones team debuts Dawn On Me ($6.50), a filly by Brutal, in a very competitive Bega Cup Carnival Jan 31 & Feb 1 Maiden over 1000m to open the card.

Canberra stables have a big hand in the race with well-touted filly Voltage Lass ($3.60 fav) for trainer Danielle Seib and gelding Chillero ($5) from the Todd Smart yard also having their first start.

They’re at it again in the second race, with five of the eight runners in the SERA Country Championship March 1 BM 66 Handicap over 1000m from Canberra.

The Seib camp unleashes consistent five-year-old Hellinda ($3 fav) who is shooting for a third win from his last four starts.

While the Joseph-Jones stable saddles up six-year old mare Princess Halo ($6) fourth-up and Natalie Jarvis presents improving mare Noctua ($5) also well into her prep.

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