The Hay Cup promises excellent racing this Saturday with strong fields across all events, and racing veteran Michael Bailey has some expert advice for those wanting to make the most of their day at the track.

Bailey, who has been involved in country racing for nearly four decades and currently serves on the Hay Racing Committee, is pleased with how the nominations have translated into quality fields.

The cup itself will feature seven runners, each with a genuine chance of taking out the feature race.

Among them is local interest Mega Flight, trained by John Cooper, whose family donated both the trainer’s trophy and the jockey's trophy for the event.

If Mega Flight could claim victory, it would be a particularly historic moment given the Cooper family's long association with the Hay races.

The racing will be competitive throughout the day, with strong representation from leading stables across the region. Craig Wheedy from Wangaratta, who was the leading trainer in the southern area last year, is bringing five horses to the meeting.

Nathan Hobson from Swan Hill has entered eight horses across the program, while trainers from across western New South Wales including from Broken Hill round out what promises to be quality racing from first to last.

One interesting trend Bailey notes is the increasing presence of female jockeys in country racing.

Many of Wheedy’s horses will be ridden by young apprentice jockeys, predominantly young women who are doing their hard yards and learning their craft on tracks like Hay.

The shift reflects broader changes in the industry, where female jockeys now make up around 60 percent of riders across the board.

While the top echelon of racing still skews heavily male, perhaps 80 to 85 percent, the changing demographic at country level is striking.

The reason is practical rather than philosophical.

The minimum riding weight is 54 kilograms, which for many young women is easily manageable.

Male jockeys, who might naturally sit around 65 kilograms, face a constant battle with weight management. In the old days they would waste, subjecting themselves to saunas, severe food restriction and other harmful practices to make weight.

These days pony clubs and youth riding programs provide pathways for both boys and girls to develop their skills, but the weight requirements mean young women have a natural advantage in building careers as jockeys.

Jamie Mellon, who recently won the Melbourne Cup, is just one example of female jockeys now competing at the highest levels.

For those new to betting or wanting to maximise their chances on Saturday, Bailey offers straightforward guidance.

The key is understanding that with relatively small fields and horses of similar ability, the betting landscape differs significantly from major carnival races.

Each way betting, where you bet on a horse to win or place, makes little sense at Hay because many races will only pay first and second.

You end up losing money even if your horse runs second once you factor in the stake required for the place component of the bet.

Instead, Bailey recommends simple win betting.

Pick your horse, put your money on it to win, and be happy if it salutes.

The odds board at the bookmakers shows win odds on the left-hand side.

If you see four dollars, that means you put one dollar on and collect four dollars if you win, made up of your original dollar stake plus three dollars from the bookmaker.

Anything under two dollars, particularly figures shown in red, means you're betting on a short-priced favourite where you risk more than you stand to gain.

For example, odds of one dollar ninety means you put a dollar on and only collect one dollar ninety if successful.

 Don't expect to see horses at ten or twenty to one at Hay.

The fields are too small and the horses too evenly matched for bookmakers to offer those kinds of odds.

This is handicap racing designed to bring all runners back to roughly equal chances through the weight allocation system.

There won't be horses the bookies dismiss as having absolutely no hope, nor will there be horses considered unbeatable. It becomes a question of which horse is best prepared and has the luck in running on the day. The contrast with something like the Melbourne Cup is instructive.

Bailey recalls last year putting ten dollars each way on a horse for each of his four grandchildren, aged between four and ten, who picked their selections with no input from him whatsoever.

The horse that won paid seven dollars, netting each grandchild 250 dollars from the combined winnings split four ways. He freely admits he wouldn't have backed that horse with somebody else's money, but that's the nature of big carnival racing where long odds are common.

Saturday at Hay will be different, with horses unlikely to pay more than ten dollars given the size and quality of the fields.

Weather conditions look ideal for racing, with temperatures forecast around 31 degrees. For those in the west, that's comfortable summer racing weather.

Bailey has been at Hay when temperatures hit 40 degrees, which tests both horses and humans, but Saturday should provide perfect conditions for quality racing throughout the afternoon.

The track is in excellent condition, and with entertainment planned at the Hay Services Club after racing including live bands, the day promises to be one of the highlights of the local calendar.

Bailey's advice is simple: study the form if you're that way inclined, watch the horses in the mounting yard to see which ones look alert and ready to perform, pick your horses based on trainers and jockeys you trust, and most importantly, enjoy a great day of country racing.