The former Wingatui jockey has a busy card — including rides in each of the four major races — at Otago Classics Day.
Winners would be nice but even getting a rare opportunity to go around at her old track, nearly four years after relocating to the Waikato, is enough to get her excited.
"I haven’t been down in a while because I’ve been pretty busy up here," Barnes told the Otago Daily Times.
"But I definitely enjoy coming home and riding.
"I’ve ridden a lot of winners at Wingatui, and spent a lot of time there, so I’d like to think I know the track pretty well."
Her parents would be at Classics Day "with bells on" to both watch their daughter ride and to track ownership interests in some of the early races.
Barnes, 30, was aware of the buzz surrounding a day with $995,000 in stakes that had brought together the $220,000 group 3 White Robe Lodge, the $170,000 listed Dunedin Gold Cup, the $170,000 listed Dunedin Guineas and the $200,000 Otago Daily Times Southern Mile final.
"It’s a little bit different from previous years, and obviously the stake money going up is a huge thing as well."
Barnes rides Belardo Ace in the Guineas, Family Ties in the Gold Cup, Steal My Thunder in the White Robe, and Missoni in the ODT Southern Mile.
Barnes said Steal My Thunder was in really good form and she was looking forward riding her.
"Family Ties is going really well.
"Back to some winning form at Riccarton last start, so should be a good ride in the Cup."
Barnes, who has 48 wins at Wingatui, posted her 300th career win aboard Tokyo Hot Knight at Trentham last month.
"I sort of knew I was thereabouts, but I try not to think about that sort of thing too much."
Barnes, the granddaughter of late southern trainer Mick Didham, rode her first winner at Wingatui in 2012 when she was aged 17 and apprenticed to Brian and Shane Anderton.
