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Gai Waterhouse will have her first starter at Australia’s most famous picnic race meeting on Friday when she runs last start provincial winner Rochallor in the Bong Bong Cup.
Waterhouse has booked John Nisbet, the former leading Canberra-based jockey who has made a return to riding after a successful 10-year stint as a trainer, in the $13,500 feature race.
Nisbet, the father of successful apprentice Kayla Nisbet, returned to riding at the picnics last month and landed a winner at the Fernhill meeting on October 18. The Bong Bong meeting will be only the fourth for Nisbet since his comeback.Rochallor has raced three times at provincial meetings for two placings at Kembla Grange and Wyong before he broke through for his maiden win over 1600m at Gosford on October 19.
The Bong Bong Cup field has also drawn accomplished runners Scottish Border, Attitude Pays, Late Starter and Tradtri along with a previous winner Central Act, trained at Goulburn by Graeme Spackman and lining up in the race for the fourth time.Central Act, now a 10-year-old, won the Bong Bong Cup in 2010 and has been back to the southern highlands track near Bowral twice for a third in 2012 and a second in 2013.
Spackman’s small team is on a roll with the trainer winning last Friday’s $55,000 Snake Gully Cup at Gundagai with Via Facile.The Bong Bong meeting also features a number of former successful jockeys who are now restricted to the picnics due to their weight. They include Tim Phillips, Billy Owen and Mitchell Korn.
Phillips is a clear leader of the NSW picnic riding premiership with 11 wins ahead of Ricky Blewett, Roy McCabe, Rebeka Prest, Samara Johnson and Nyssa Burrells. They will all be riding at Bong Bong on Friday.