He’s ridden and trained a Yass Picnic Cup winner, and on Saturday, Darryl Rolfe will be out to add another trophy to the cabinet.
Sending a big team to Yass, the Canberra trainer will team up with leading NSW amateur jockey Leandro Ribeiro, and the stable is full of confidence.
“I always support the program; it’s one of our favourite race days,” Rolfe told NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“I target Yass, Lockhart, Crookwell, and Cootamundra every year, and now I’ve got Leandro on board, it’s good.
“We get on well and stick together, and he’ll ride all mine at Yass, and I’ve already got him locked in for a full book of rides at Crookwell.
“Plus, we go to win, and we don’t go around running last at the TAB meetings and then go to the picnics, and most of the horses we’ll take to Yass have a bit of TAB form or good form around them.”
Final Showdown will headline the stable’s chances in the $8000 Yass Picnic Cup, and the seven-year-old is racing well.
Three starts back, she finished second to the in-form Pink Panther in a 1600m Benchmark 58 Handicap at Queanbeyan on January 6.
Last time out, the Stratum mare finished third and was beaten two and a half lengths by the John Rolfe-trained Off Shaw in the Braidwood Cup on February 10.
Heading to Yass, Rolfe believes she is the one to beat.
“She was at the end of her tether last year, but she’s been racing well in some good lead-up races,” Rolfe said.
“She ran second to Pink Panther three starts back and third to Off Shaw and Ronny Rocky Art in the Braidwood Cup, and you’ve got to figure that form will hold up in a race like the Yass Picnic Cup.”
Still, Rolfe didn’t want to take anything away from his mare’s rivals, suggesting Saturday’s feature could be the strongest in years.
Victorian visitors Dan McCarthy and Andrew Dale are set to boast a strong hand, and recent Tumbarumba winner Force Awakens will be thereabouts.
Add in there the Mont Waters-trained Namarari, which was only just beaten in the Bedgerabong Cup and the John Rolfe-trained Captain Corelli, and it will be a good betting race if everyone accepts with their chances.
“It’s probably the strongest Yass Cup I’ve seen in years, especially with the numbers entered and the quality of the horse,” Rolfe said.
“That’s why I like to have that bit of TAB form and then go to the picnics, and I think you’ll need it on Saturday.”
Rolfe said he would take any win on Saturday and couldn’t wait to be on course with the big crowd of local and visiting racegoers.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a three-horse maiden at Yass or a big race; it’s all about the thrill, and if I didn’t have that feeling, I’d throw the game away; that’s why I get up at 3 am every morning,” Rolfe said.
On a busy day for the stable, Rolfe will also start Wandjina Girl in the 1100m Open Trophy Handicap, Litvyak in the 900m Class Three Trophy Handicap, Luscious in the 1200m Class B Handicap, and Lake Hume in the 1350m Maiden Plate.
“I reckon Luscious is a chance,” Rolfe said.
“At Braidwood, the 1000m was too short, and she drew wide and couldn’t get a run, but she’s pulled up a treat and has been bucking around the box.
“If Litvyak can get around the track, she’ll go close.
“They are all front runners, all Sound, and they will all have a good jockey on them, so the whole team has a lot going for them.”
It’s set to be a massive day at Yass, with 66 horses nominated to race on the six-race program.
One of the oldest picnic clubs in NSW, Yass Picnic Race Club was established in 1901, and it holds its annual meeting on the Marchmont Racecourse, located just 6km south of town.
Buses will courier people to and from the races, and off-track, it’s set to be a huge celebration headlined by the Marchmont Marquee and a bumper fashions on the field competition.
The Marchmont Marquee ticket includes course admission and racebook, exclusive access to the marquee, and a gourmet luncheon, including beer, wine, champagne, and soft drinks throughout the day.
It is a private fenced-off area with outdoor seating and umbrellas, and it’s set to elevate any racegoer’s experience.
For more on the meeting and to get your tickets, click here.
For more on the Picnic Champion Series, click here.
For the 2024 NSW Picnic Racing calendar, click here.
