Bligh Amateur Racing Club celebrates 144 years of picnic racing

Glorious weather conditions prevailed for trackside patrons which saw Narromine-based hoop Ricky Blewitt win the Bligh Amateur Racing Club Cup aboard Broo Boss, a Street Boss gelding trained by Peter Kirby at Forbes.

Kirby's partner is Cootamundra-based conditioner Debbie Prest who also gained success preparing a double - both ridden by Leandro Ribeiro.

Prest's two winners - Direct To Space and Watermelon Wine, are by Wilful Default, a privately used stallion and a Dubawi half-brother to globe-trotting Group 1 winner Takeover Target.

Prest purchased Wilful Default via an online auction in 2017, the chestnut horse is now stabled at the couple's Canowindra property, Noonbarra.

"I wanted a horse to breed stock horses as well as racehorses," Prest said.

While Prest's winners were also purchases, it may pay for her to breed more Wilful Default gallopers to race judging the stallion's winning tally, which includes the Keith Dryden stakes-placed Dream Runner.

Read more: Godolphin's Exceed and Excel sires Magic Millions sale topper

Canberra trainer Doug Gorrel and his local jockey Anaelle Gangotena made a worthwhile trip to the Bligh Picnics with a successful double, Georgian Court (by Turffontein) and Sestina.

By former Godolphin shuttler Poet's Voice (and another by Dubawi), Sestina won the Bligh Picnic's time-honoured Collaroy Cup Trophy.

Bathurst-based conditioner Dean Mirfin and Wayne Wheatley combined to win the Inglis Rural Property Havilah Handicap.

There are 30 picnic race clubs around the state, Bligh is one of eight in the Central Districts Racing Association.

Via a points-score system, winners (except maidens) of races on NSW Picnic Racing Association programs are eligible for the $50,000 Picnic Championship Series Final, this year scheduled for Coonamble on October 9.

Meanwhile at Moree on Saturday, Ricky Blewitt combined with local conditioner Peter Sinclair to win three of the six races including the feature Talmoi Picnic Cup aboard Fiocchi (Top Echelon).

Who is Satono Aladdin? I noted that this Japanese-bred stallion - which shuttles to New Zealand, sired his first Australian-bred winner Koshu when the two-year-old won over 1100 metres at Randwick last month.

Trained at Randwick by John O'Shea, the filly carries high hopes for her sire - a Japanese G1 winner by Deep Impact. His first yearlings sold to a high of $NZ360,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sales last year.

The southern hemisphere home for Satono Aladdin is Rich Hill Stud at Matamata, NZ. He stands alongside Ace High (by High Chaparral), French-bred Vadamos (Monsun), and Australian-bred stallions Shocking (Street Cry) and Proisir (Choisir).

Former Tamworth Jockey Club (TJC) administrator, Bob Scherf well-remembered for his passion for the betterment of country racing in the region, passed away recently.

For 14 years from the mid-1980s, Mr Scherf was secretary manager of the TJC which was followed by the acting secretary of the Hunter and North West Racing Association until January last year.

During the 1990s, Mr Scherf was also a major contributor to the success of the TJC's Stallion Tender Scheme, now defunct, which was thanks to his dedication, and the many donated stallion nominations from studs and stallion owners that he sought over several seasons.

While possessing an impressive and vast "world passport", US-bred Americain is best recalled as the winner of the 2010 VRC Melbourne Cup.

The stallion lost his life recently in a paddock accident in Victoria.

The son of Roberto's champion US sire son Dynaformer, Americain was a four times stakes winner in France, as well as winning the Geelong Cup-G3 prior to his Melbourne Cup victory, and two Melbourne G2 races.

While never creating huge headlines when at stud in three different countries, Americain finished his duties in Australia, where he sired stakes winner Eperdument, a mare which won the SAJC Lord Reims Stakes-G3 in Adelaide in 2020.

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