The film’s website www.stakesthemovie.com.au describes the plot as following the journey of a young aspiring thoroughbred trainer in a fictional town seeking to film the shoes of her recently-deceased father while battling a corrupt establishment.

The lead character of the movie also has to cope with unethical competitors and criminal elements within the horse racing industry.

One of the stars of the movie, former Wagga man Bill Turner now living and working as an actor in Brisbane, said Forum 6 Cinemas in Wagga would be one of more than 50 independent theatres to begin screening Stakes from October 29.

Mr Turner plays the role of Shylock, a criminal character.

“I deal with the problems, I clean up the loose ends,” Mr Turner said.

The movie also stars former Wagga police local area commander Frank Goodyer as a detective and Backyard Ashes star Adam Drummond as a mob boss.

Scenes were shot at a Wagga race meeting, and Mr Turner said film-goers should keep an eye out to see if they are in any of the wide shots.

“All the wide shots are Wagga people at the races,” he said.

Mr Turner said the filming of Stakes in Wagga, Junee and Albury after Backyard Ashes was shot in Wagga again proved the Riverina was capable of hosting movie production.

“Now it has been done twice, it shows it is not only possible, but it can be successful,” Mr Turner said.

He said scenes could be shot in regional centres for a fraction of what it cost in Sydney because of the co-operation and goodwill of the communities.

“Success does not equate to budget anymore,” Mr Turner said.

The film’s associate producer, Ken Hammond, said Stakes was inspired by true events and peeled back the seedy underbelly of Australian crime.

Mr Turner said there scenes in Stakes drawn on from the Fine Cotton racehorse ring-in scandal and importation of illicit drugs in tins labelled processed tomatoes.