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By Gary Harley

The $200,000 Tamworth City Toyota Tamworth Cup has attracted a crack field to the Country Music Capital for the Club's feature race meeting of the year on Friday.

It is a race with many chances and Group 1-winning jockeys Rachel King, Brenton Avdulla and Willie Pike will fly to the North-West for the meeting.

Kris Lees has accepted with four of his team, however, Rustic Steel will not run after coming up with the barrier 18.

Kris Lees [pictured left] was bullish about the prospects of his recent Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner Kinloch ($3.70 favourite on TAB) when contacted following the release of acceptances.

“Rustic Steel won’t run due to the barrier and Kinloch is clearly my best chance. He is well in on the limit and he has a soft draw.

"Kinloch is a very good fresh horse and he has won two from two this trip. This horse has a good turn of foot and Dylan has been rewarded with the mount."

Dylan won the Provincial-Midway qualifier on Kinloch at Gosford.

"The Cup is a very good race as you would expect of a race worth $200,000,” Lees said.

Wren’s Day ($8.50) had not raced for 11 months when three lengths from the winner in the Scone Wild Card and he has since had a trial at Tamworth.

Regal Stage ($12) led all the way to win the Muswellbrook Cup on April 1 and he will give them something to chase. Edit ($10) can improve at good odds if he gains a start.

Bandersnatch ($9) has 62kg but is quality in a race like this and he races well second-up.

Four of the support races carry prizemoney of $50,000 and they are the Carlton Dry Mornington Handicap (2100m), the Courthouse Hotel Jardel Cup (1200m), the Australian Bloodstock John Clift Memorial (1000m) and the Shay Brennan Constructions Country Classic (1400m).

Warwick Farm stayer Dr Evil ($3.40 fav) is flying and will be hard to beat in the Mornington, while local mare Auntie Monnie ($4.20 fav) has a great chance in the Jardel Cup.

Dignitaries attending the Cup meeting include Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce and local member of Parliament and the NSW Racing Minister, Kevin Anderson.

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