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Great Lakes punters can expect to see Robert Thompson, Grant Buckley and Josh Parr.

The race will run on December 1, just months after Tuncurry hosted a Sky 2 TAB meet. 

Tuncurry Forster Jockey Club (TFJC) president Garry McQuillan said the Sky 1 status would attract more visitors to the race and the town.

“We have stepped up to the top echelon of country racing,” he said.

“You could say Forster Tuncurry has come of age with all the infrastructure and work going into it.”

Last year Racing NSW spent $900,000 on the Tuncurry Race Course to bring it up to TAB standard.

McQuillan said having a quality track at Tuncurry would take pressure off other racing centres like Taree, Port Macquarie and Kempsey and improve the quality of racing in the region.

“One of the biggest things about our track is you can see every barrier start from the hill.  Our track is equivalent to the 1600m start at Randwick. When the horses jump out, you’ve got a 600m run to first corner which gives them plenty of time to position themselves.”

TFJC committee member and recently retired jockey Dale Spriggs said they hoped to attract more group-one jockeys.

“Tuncurry will be the only NSW race on on December 1, which means anyone watching racing that day will see our area,” Spriggs said.  

“People will be tuning in overseas, which will be great for the club and town.  They will want to look up Tuncurry and see what a beautiful place it is.”

McQuillan invited everyone to come and celebrate TFJC’s success.  He thanked the jockey club’s volunteers who put in a tremendous effort on race days.

“We only have one employee, the curator of the track. Everything else is run by volunteers.  People are happy to come and help because they want to see the best for the town.”

McQuillan also thanked the club’s sponsors, who he said deserved the exposure they would receive on the day.