Meetings in Dalby and Mt Isa are packed with horses and prizemoney

Appropriately enough the eight events in Dalby will honour the Anzac memory.

The opening race, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps Maiden Plate (1100m) has attracted 13 acceptors, including three emergencies.

Thee kilogram claiming apprentice Dan McGillivray will be a new rider for the Craig Smith-trained Dirty Ditty (Red Dazzler-That Kind Of Girl).

The Light Up The Dawn Maiden (1100m) also has a capacity field of 12, including two emergencies and the Roma-based Disco Dougie (Tycoon Ruler-Silver Flute) is given a hope of a breakthrough win at start number four.

Disco Dougie finished third at Roma on debut in mid-November before running sixth there on December 7 and then spelling, He resumed on March 28 when placed over 1000m on his home track.

Last start winner Spirit's First is the likely favourite for the Dawn Service Benchmark 45 Handicap (1100m).

Trainer Matt Kropp has retained Hannah Richardson for the ride after she and Spirit's First combined to win a similar Benchmark 45 race on April 11 in Charleville.

Jockey Shane McGovern will be a new rider for Geissler in the Ode Of Remembrance Benchmark 50 (1400m).

Four-year-old Geissler (Medaglia D'Oro-La Fluorescent) scored at Charleville after finishing midfield in a similar race behind Spirit's First on March 14.

The Oakey stable of Bradley Hudson has two runners in the Ottoman Empire Benchmark 50 Handicap (1400m) - Henry's On Course (Gemma Steele) and Stormborn Angel (Hannah Phillips).

But topweight Foxleigh (Animal Kingdom-Revidere) should be the favourite. With three wins and 13 placings in 33 outings, Foxleigh is closing in on $70,000 in racetrack earnings. The five-year-old captured her most recent victory at Warwick on March 28 when a skinny winner of a 1350 metres Benchmark 55.

Gympie jockey Robert Faehr will try for another winning weekend with New Alliance in the The Knights of Gallipoli Open (800m). Faehr takes over from Corey Bayliss on New Alliance (Swift Alliance-Reformed) and the gelding is dropping back from a city grade Benchmark 70 at Eagle Farm on March 21.

Topweight Scrabble and bottomweight Resonare are early withdrawls from the Gunfire Breakfast Handicap (1400m) in which seven-year-old Mishana Istana will be running for the 86th time.

Mishani Istana (Oratorio-Tycoon Stella) has earnings of more than $154,000 amassed from eight wins and 19 minor placings.

Form students are tipping Wait A Minute in the Light Horse Brigade Handicap (1100m).

Wait A Minute (Tycoon Ruler-I'll Wait) has managed successive second place finishes at his most recent appointments - at Dalby on March 7 and Charleville on April 11.

King of the west Dan Ballard will be busy on the eight race card in Mt Isa. He rides Dark Archer (0-55 Handicap, 1450m), Bacchur (Class B, 1000m), Missed Out (0-65 Handicap, 1000m), Le Drama (QTIS Open, 1200m) and Grand Symphony (Benchmark 50, 1200m).

But his dad Keith will be busier with seven mounts - Prince Of Baroda, Last Side, Alotafox, Brave Jewel, Shanahan, Moora Alpha and Imapoet.

Le Drama (Excelebration-Satirical Lady) and Moore Alpha (Blevic-Ma'Haba) will be interesting rivals in the Open Handicap.

Moore Alpha is trained by Denise Ballard, wife of Keith and mother of Dan, and boasts a solid record of 10 wins and 27 placings in 77 starts. His only test this year was on April 11 when fifth under similar conditions.

Le Drama, on the other hand, has raced four times this year - once at the Gold Coast on January 4 when down the track in the Magic Millions Country Cup and then at the Sunshine Coast on January 19 when fifth.

Since then he has won at Mt Isa (February 29) and Cloncurry (March 21) with Dan Ballard in the saddle.

The Emerald race meeting scheduled for April 25 has been cancelled. A replacement program will be staged on May 2.