The Canberra Racing Club concedes it could be forced to stop holding higher-quality races unless the industry's governing body assigns more to regional areas.

Just five runners took to the start gate for yesterday's open handicap (1400 metres) as part of an eight-race card at Thoroughbred Park, Ramsays Curse ($7.00) taking the win by three-quarters of a length in front of Our Brightest Star and Natch Catch.

While his preference is to maintain races of benchmark 70 standard and higher on the calendar, CRC chief executive Peter Stubbs said the low turnout and its impact on revenue would need to be considered.

''It comes to a point where clubs can't continue to support five-horse fields,'' Stubbs said.

''It's hard to get horses anywhere about benchmark 70. We've always had a policy of providing a spread of races for all classes of horses.

''The predicament the club has got [is] we're not getting enough horses.

''Revenue is driven by turnover, and when you've got five runners, you can't get a lot of turnover.''

Stubbs said trainers in the Canberra region had horses who probably couldn't win at a midweek Sydney meeting, but were too strong for the maidens and low benchmark-class races offered at provincial meetings.

Ramsays Curse trainer Robert Price believed it was up to Racing NSW to hold more higher benchmark races in order to increase the number of horses who could race at that standard.

''I can understand their [Racing NSW's] argument, but if they consistently have these races on you'd find they'd be a bigger pool of horses,'' Price said.

''I applaud clubs who put on open handicaps, you don't see them any more. These are great races for country trainers.''

Price had reason to smile when Ramsays Curse performed strongly on the dead track to collect the seventh win of his career.

Natch Catch missed the start, allowing jockey Mathew Cahill to guide Ramsays Curse to his preferred position close to the rail, before mowing down Our Brightest Star on the back straight.

''He's the sort of horse that needs a dead set good track, so we were sort of worried when it was raining pretty heavy,'' Price said.

''I thought the fence was the best place to be and Mathew summed that up.''

Canberra trainer Nick Olive rebounded from Natch Catch's disappointing run to collect a double, odds-on favourite Nat King Cu ($1.80) getting home in a benchmark 55 hcp (1200m) and Corsa Rosa ($8.00) taking out a maiden plate (1200m).