Peter Sinclair and Ricky Blewitt have proven time and time again to be the punter’s best friend.
The duo have combined to win countless races over the years, often dominating the Golden Triangle, comprised of the three picnic meetings across Moree, Mallawa, and Talmoi.
On Saturday, Blewitt won his ‘sixth or seventh’ Boolooroo Moree Picnic Cup (1400m) when guiding the Sinclair-trained Fiocchi to back-to-back wins in the historic North West feature race.
The enigmatic gelding, which is by Top Echelon and out of Fragrant Fire, can be hard to find at times, but he loves racing on his home track, having started at Moree on eight occasions, registering four wins and three minor placings.
“Honestly, mate, if the horse wanted to try, he could win a lot more,” Blewitt said.
“He is a bit of a thinker, and he’s got a lot of ability, but Pete will tell you; one day, he will come out and win by as far as you want, and then one day, he’ll tag in behind them.
“When he gets in behind them, he gets on the bit a little bit.”
That wasn’t the case at Moree on Saturday, with the locally-owned four-year-old starting the $1.60 favourite before jumping smartly from gate five.
Turning for home, the beautiful grey gelding had enough in the tank to hold off the Connie Greig-trained Cheeky Nugget (Leandro Ribeiro, $2.80) by 0.33 of a length, while in third and 0.4 of a length off the pace was the Jane Clement-trained Hardyo (Sally Faulks, $5).
“With how he jumped, he just loped along in front, and he didn’t really go until they got to him at the 600m,” Blewitt said.
“When he was there in front and loping along, I wanted something to come up next to him, and when they eventually did, he picked up the bridle, and once we straightened, he was always going to be hard to beat.”
Blewitt, who is considered one of the best picnic jockeys in NSW history, has much time for Sinclair, and he was just happy to ride another winner for his good friend.
“There is no better bloke in racing than Pete, and I’ve ridden for him for many years, and he’s just one in a million,” Blewitt said.
“He’s a loyal bloke, a great trainer, and a good person.”
Fiocchi is owned by a stack of local thoroughbred enthusiasts, ensuring it was a very popular result, and Blewitt touched on what the win meant to those there on the day.
“When you ride Pete’s horse, they are TAB (class) horses, and when he takes good horses there, they are always around the money,” Blewitt said.
“Plus, the owners of these horses are happy to go there, and when you win a race for them, it’s like winning the Melbourne Cup; it might only be a $4000 race, but to them, it’s everything.”
Fiocchi, which won the 2022 Boolooroo Moree Picnic Cup and Talmoi Picnic Cup, missed out on the Golden Triangle, finishing fourth in the Mallawa Picnic Cup.
Blewitt is not 100% sure if the Moree galloper will handle the dirt at Mallawa on June 10 and again at Talmoi on June 24.
Still, he believes, on ability, Fiocchi can get the three wins and claim the Golden Triangle for his loyal connections.
“He’s got the ability to win them,” Blewitt said.
“Last year, he only beat one or two home on the dirt (at Mallawa), and he got back, and dirt started getting kicked back, and he didn’t like it.
“He won at Moree, and Talmoi was held at Moree, and he’s just a different horse there; he’s a chance, and we’ll just have to see how he goes.”
For Moree results, click here.
For the NSW picnic calendar, click here.
