By Garry Dell
Mount Garnet Amateur Turf Club officials are expecting a record crowd for the three-day festivities in North Queensland this week.
The annual Mount Garnet races include five non-TAB events on Friday and six on Saturday followed by the rodeo on Sunday.
"All three-day camping and entry tickets were sold out some weeks ago and the one-day ticket sales have been going quickly online. No passes will be sold at the gate," club president Mark Alekna said.
"We had a drop of rain on Sunday, which should have been of benefit to the track, and helped settle a bit of dust around the camping and parking areas."
Larrikin Atherton Tablelands trainer Ricky Ludwig has high hopes for emerging versatile galloper Lord Of Light in the $20,000 Mount Garnet Cup on Saturday.
The four-year-old gelding has already won the Mareeba and Cooktown Cups this season and the Mount Garnet feature appears his for the taking.
"Look at his record and anyone can see he has the ability," Ludwig said.
"He won at Cairns last Friday with a leg in the air.
"Jockey Frank Edwards said he felt as if there was plenty left in the tank and he went to the line virtually untouched.
"He hasn't left an oat all week and has been as bright as a button in his work."
Lord Of Light's main dangers on Saturday again appear to be the Krystin Allender-trained Peter The Piper and Gaelic from the Tolga stable of Janel Ryan.
Ronnie Ryan - Janel's partner - said Gaelic, although the winner of only two races, hasn't been far from the money in most of his North Queensland runs and has been targeted at the local area Cups.
"We haven't won the Cup there yet at Mount Garnet but our bloke has certainly worked well this week so we're in there with a big chance," Ronnie said.