The Rolfe family name is synonymous with the Braidwood Cup, with Cyril, Darryl, and John Rolfe all winning the race at different stages.
Despite their success over the years, there hadn’t been a Rolfe engraved on the trophy since Darryl last won the race with Raise The Bat in 1992.
That all changed on Saturday, with John back in the winner’s circle as Off Shaw scored a three-quarters-of-a-length win.
The 2023 Griffith Cup winner had Pierre Boudvillain in the saddle, and the in-form Frenchman gave the Canberra galloper every chance as they sat behind the early leading pair of London Gal and Ronny Rock Art.
The eight-year-old, which started the $5 third favourite, hit the line hard to claim a popular win in the $22,000 feature, defeating a game Ronny Rock Art (Richard Bensley, $7), while two-and-a-half-lengths away in third was the Darryl Rolfe-trained Final Showdown (Damon Budler, $11)
“It’s been a long time since I won one,” Rolfe laughed when interviewed by NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“It was a long time ago, back when they used to race four or five times a year.”
Rolfe was quick to praise Boudvillain, who’s been riding in good form for the stable since late last year.
“We wanted the lead but didn’t want to go stupid, and I said to him, ‘If they go hard, take the sit’, and that’s what they did, and he got the run of the race and got home strong,” Rolfe said.
A seven-time winner, the Tobique gelding is into his fourth preparation with Rolfe, but he’s been a different horse since undergoing a successful wind operation last year.
Following the surgery, he won the Griffith Cup in September, and he’s come back in good order this preparation,
“He’s been going well,” Rolfe said.
“He had a couple of runs at Canberra, and it was a good run at Parkes, and only fitness got him that last little bit, plus he drew wide there and didn’t have much luck.
“We went to Braidwood confident, and he had 60.5kg, but he is a good horse and used to carrying the weight.
“He was at his peak for it. Plus, he loves a soft track, so it worked out well.”
With a rising Benchmark and a lack of suitable races in the country, Rolfe could be forced to send his Country Cup winner to town.
“There’s not much on for him at the moment,” Rolfe said.
“We might take him to Canterbury for a 1550m on a Friday night, and he’ll get in there with 54kg, making it a bit easier on him.”
The Canberra stable are off to Goulburn on Thursday, with two horses entered to race.
Rhineland is in without a jockey in the 1200m Class One Handicap, and Boudvillain will ride Ten Feathers in the 1500m Maiden Handicap.
