Part 2 | Forbes Cup Eve 2026
The Bankstown Sports Forbes Cup Preview 2026
Race day always begins long before the starter presses the button.
As the gates swing open at Forbes Race Club, the crowds begin to drift through the turnstiles. Owners, trainers, stable hands, families and racing fans all arrive with the same quiet hope that today might be their day.
Some head straight for the mounting yard.
Others make for the grandstand.
And then there are those who wander towards the bookmakers’ board, where every opinion is about to find a price.
Tommy and Kenny are already waiting.
The gates are open and the crowd begins to pour into Forbes Race Club. By day’s end, one horse will etch its name into Bankstown Sports Forbes Cup history, but for now the excitement belongs to everyone walking through the turnstiles.
The Board Starts Talking
The old bookmakers’ board had just been wheeled into place.
Fresh chalk. Fresh prices. Fresh opinions.
Racegoers wandered over one by one, studying the market as though the answer to tomorrows Forbes Cup was already written in white chalk. Some nodded confidently. Others quietly shook their heads.
Tommy arrived with a mug of tea in one hand and a smile on his face.
“Looks like everyone’s got an opinion already.”
Kenny never took his eyes off the board.
“They always do.”
An old-fashioned timber bookmakers’ board displaying the Forbes Cup field and fractional odds. Tommy and Kenny stand studying the market while an old bookmaker, thick marker in hand and betting tickets at the ready, waits for the next customer.
The Board Starts Talking
Tommy stepped alongside Kenny and studied the names climbing down the board.
“So… who are they talking about?”
Kenny raised a finger towards the top of the market.
“Most of the smart judges seem to agree on one thing,” he said. “Zouna deserves to be favourite.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“Good stable. Progressive form. If you’re looking for the horse they’ll all have to beat, that’s probably where you’d start.”
Tommy nodded thoughtfully before smiling.
“But favourites don’t always win Country Cups.”
Kenny let out a quiet laugh.
“No… and that’s why we keep coming back.”
Kenny quietly points towards Acheson as Tommy studies the market. Sometimes the best Country Cup conversations begin with nothing more than a finger on a bookmakers’ board.
More Than One Chance
Kenny’s finger drifted further down the board.
“Walking Painting is interesting.”
“He’s been around long enough to know exactly what these races are about. He’s won his share over the mile, and if he turns up at his very best, nobody will be surprised to see him fighting out the finish.”
Tommy continued scanning the field.
“What about Voracious?”
Kenny smiled.
“That’s the sort of horse plenty of people won’t forget. He’ll probably settle back again, but if they run along early and make it a genuine staying test, don’t be surprised if he’s charging home when the others are starting to feel the pinch.”
Tommy chuckled.
“Every Country Cup seems to have one like that.”
“It certainly does,” Kenny replied.
“And then there’s Acheson.”
“I like honest horses, and he’s one of them. Tough, genuine and coming off a terrific run in the Narrandera Cup. If the race unfolds his way, he’ll give them plenty to think about.”
Tommy folded his arms and looked across at Kenny.
“So…”
“Who wins?”
Kenny adjusted his Akubra with a grin.
“You’ve known me too long.”
“I come for the stories.”
“The horses write their own.”
A Message from 17,000 Kilometres Away
Just then Tommy’s phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen and smiled.
“It’s Finn.”
Kenny laughed.
“Where’s he hiding this week?”
Tommy opened the message.
Tommy and Kenny sharing a laugh reading Finn's text message all the way from Dublin Airport.
Finn standing inside Dublin Airport, smiling as he sends a text, while Tommy shows the message to Kenny back home.
That’s the Beauty of a Country Cup
Tommy slipped the phone back into his pocket and looked once more at the bookmakers’ board.
Around them, people were still studying the prices, quietly convincing themselves they had found tomorrow’s winner.
Kenny simply smiled beneath his Akubra.
“By this time tomorrow afternoon,” he said, “someone standing right here will be telling everyone they knew all along.”
Tommy laughed.
That’s country racing.
Everyone arrives with an opinion.
Only one horse gets its name engraved on the trophy.
And somehow…
We all come back next year.
As We Go To Print . .with the BIG day having arrived
The final field has now been confirmed.
The markets have settled. The experts have had their say, the barriers have been drawn, and every trainer believes their horse has earned the right to be there.
Reading through Sunday’s form guides, it’s clear the same handful of horses continue to dominate the conversation. Zouna heads the market, Walking Painting has plenty of admirers, Voracious remains the strong finisher everyone respects, and Acheson continues to attract support from those who appreciate an honest Country Cup horse.
And then there’s Flying From Above.
Perhaps Finn wasn’t wandering around too many Irish racecourses after all.
With the final field now locked away, all that’s left is for the barriers to open.
By this afternoon, every opinion will become history… and one horse will become part of Forbes Cup history.
The official Bankstown Sports Forbes Cup field is now confirmed. Good luck to every owner, trainer, jockey and stable that has earned their place in one of country racing’s great traditions.