And Talking Sport is champing at the bit not only for the rugby league to take centre stage but also for the autumn thoroughbred racing carnival.

Right in our sporting backyard the Australian Jockey Club's autumn carnival bursts into action on Saturday, March 6, at Warwick Farm.

And the two feature ecents on the program are the timie-honored Chipping Norton Stakes (1600 metres) and Liverpool City Cup (1200 metres).

It is fitting in Liverpool's Bicentenary celebrations the historic cup race is back where it belongs on home soil.

Last year it was moved by the AJC and wrongly to Royal Randwick, so was the Chipping Norton Stakes.

To me it was like shifting the Melbourne Cup from its home, Flemington Racecourse to Moonee Valley.

The Liverpool City Cup and Chipping Norton Stakes races are Warwick Farm events. Simple as that.

The AJC got it right for 2010 to return the heralded events to the course and venue where it should be.

Warwick Farm has undergone signifcant facilities improvements over the past two years with the erection of new on-course stables, a new all-weather training track and underneath track tunnel so horses can be moved safely from stables in nearby Warwick Farm streets to and from the course.

Further plans include William Inglis and Son moving their bloodstock sales operation from Randwick to Warwick Farm. As well as there are further facilities' improvements for the race goers at the course in the future. Racing began at the farm in the early 1900s.

Local trainer such as prominent mentor Guy Walter, who has won a stack of big races including four Chipping Norton Stakes' with former super gelding Tie The Knot, said he's excited about the approaching March 6 meeting.

Marc Conners, a third generation trainer at the farm, has long been an advocate of the big meetings being held there and for the profile of the rural and picturesque course to be restored to its former glory.

Many of the turf's greatest gallopers raced and triumphed at Warwick Farm, including the greatest of them all, Phar Lap, who won a Chipping Norton Stakes at the track.

Long live racing at Warwick Farm.

More Talking Sport next week.