Wagga is set to explode next week when the Wagga Gold Cup Carnival kicks off with near capacity fields across the board.

In fact so big was the response from trainers and connections that it even caught the race club off guard.

In total there were 416 nominations received for the two day carnival meaning the quality of racing could be the best in the events history.

“The reponse from trainers has been staggering,” the club’s chief executive, Christine Williams, said.

“I can’t describe how excited we are.

“One of the surprising and pleasing aspects is the number of Victorian trainers who have nominated horses.

“This is by far the biggest representation of trainers from across the border and we have to hope that they accept with most if not all the horses they nominated.”

Thursday accounted for 199 of the nominations with 31 of them coming in for the $65,000 Town Plate over 1200m.

Friday has the remaining 217 nominations with a new record of 30 in the running for the Listed Wagga Gold Cup worth $140,000 over 2000m.

Top trainer Robert Hickmott has the most nominations for the Cup with four chances including I’m Imposing and Niblick while not to be outdone Chris Waller’s three entries include the barnstorming stayer My Kingdom Of Fife.

To highlight the interest from leading metropolitan trainers there are horses representing the stables of Gai wWaterhouse, Tony Vasil, Lee Freedman, Gerald Ryan, Guy Walter and Robert Smerdon.

The entries for the Town Plate are also of higher quality than any on record with Diplomatic Force and Kenny’s World the picks of the bunch.