Announced on Tuesday by Turf Club president Geoff Harrison and Riverina MP Michael McCormack, the Face of the Carnival program engages the youth of Wagga by giving two young people - one man and one woman - the chance to become brand ambassadors for one of the region's largest events, the Wagga Gold Cup Carnival.

Mr McCormack said the program has been going for around 20 years now, and while the Turf Club attracts the owners, trainers and jockeys, the Face of the Carnival attracts the attention of the public.

"I certainly look forward to seeing who the new faces will be for what is the city's biggest event on the social calendar," he said.

"There is no better Gold Cup carnival, no better racing carnival, in all of country Australia and it has proven that since 1873."

Kell Stoll, owner of boutique retail store Ruby Tuesday who is sponsoring this year's search, said being the Face of the Carnival is a fantastic opportunity for the young people of Wagga to network with the leaders of racing.

"It's a really exciting time for young people at the moment, there's so much opportunity and I think the Face of the Carnival really is very unique in the sense of what they get to be able to do," she added.

Ms Stoll said the Face of the Carnival is someone "who's really willing to put themselves out there and gain some great skills and meet some amazing people along the way".

Current Face of the Carnival Sarah Vasey has been in the role for around two years, longer than the usual one-year term due to the pandemic.

She said anyone thinking about applying should "give it a go".

"Everybody gets an opportunity to go to a race day, but do you ever get the opportunity to see what happens behind those closed doors?" she said.

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Ms Vasey said that even applicants who aren't chosen as Face of the Carnival can gain new experiences and meet new people.

"I know I've made a couple of friends through that journey," she added.

Applications open today for men and women over 18 and are available to download from the MTC website. The judging dinner will take place in November, with winners announced at the Xmas Party Race Day on November 27.

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