Young products Emily Harrison and Debbie Prest will look to win the Harden Picnic Cup today with Blinkin Nomore. Image – Racing Photography.
A born and bred product of Young, Debbie Prest had always wanted to win a Burrangong Cup.
Always the bridesmaid, Prest had gone close in the past, but that all changed earlier this month as another local product, Emily Harrison rode Blinkin Nomore to victory in the $8,000 Burrangong Young Picnic Cup (1400m).
“I’d never won it previously but had finished second a lot of times,” Prest laughed. “It’s my hometown Picnic Cup and a race I’d been in a lot of times, so yes, it was nice to finally win it.”
In a race that suited the back markers, Aerobatic Warrior was clearly the first away from the gates, with Ricky Blewitt leading easily on the John Rolfe-trained galloper. The pair led into the home straight from the Darryl Rolfe-trained Final Showdown (Leandro Ribeiro, $6.40). Harrison peeled out on Blinkin Nomore in a thrilling finish and led the charge to the finishing line.
The pair held off a game California August (Maddison Wright, $2.70) by a long head, while in third and two lengths back was the David Blundell-trained Magpie (Sebastian Galea, $7).
Making the win all the more special was the fact that Harrison was in the saddle. Prest and her partner Peter Kirby introduced the amateur jockey to the sport, and delivering the young hoop her first Picnic Cup victory is a memory that will live with the trio for the rest of their days. “As Peter said, ‘You couldn’t have written a better script’; her family was there, and they were so thrilled,” Prest said. “Up until that win, her family had thought she and us were plain crazy, and one thing her Mum and Dad said after the win is that they now understand why we do what we do.”
While Blinkin Nomore has his vices, with Prest describing him as a ‘cunning little thing’ that can catch a jockey ‘off guard’, she believes he is the perfect horse for Harrison to learn her craft on. “Pete bought the horse for Emily to go to the picnics,” Prest said.
“We bought four from Bryan Dixon for that reason; we want her to learn on the right type of horse and protect her a bit. “She is improving, and he is a good horse for her to learn on, and he only does what she asks of him.”
It’s been a good year for Prest and Kirby, with stable stalwart Broo Boss also claiming the Tullibigeal Cup, and they are setting their sights on the Harden Picnic Cup (1400m), which will be run and won on Saturday.
“We’ve had a good run; we’ve won the Tullibigeal Cup and Bligh Cup with Broo Boss, and now Blinky has won the Burrangong Cup,” Prest said. “We usually have Class B horses but have struck a couple of good ones lately, and we’ll keep Blinky fresh and head to the Harden Cup. “We’ll enjoy a week off from racing this weekend, and he has had several weeks of racing in a row, so it gives him a bit of a gap, and he should be fresh and ready to go at Harden.”
Trainers have supported the Harden and District Picnic Race Club program, with 53 gallopers nominated for the six-race program.
The $10,000 Harden Picnic Cup (1400m) headlines the program, while the sprinters will contest the 1100m Open Trophy Sprint.
2023 Harden Cup nominations: Aerobatic Warrior (John Rolfe), All Business (Darryl Rolfe), All Too Creedy, (Don Dwyer), Blinkin Nomore (Debbie Prest), Borsalina (David Kelley), California August (Natalie Jarvis), Dishy’s (Don Dwyer), Fire And Gemstone, (Todd Smart), Georgian Court (John Heath), Magpie (David Blundell), Native Rock (Dan Mccarthy), Shiny Agent (Bryan Dixon Jnr), Smart Charge (John Heath), Wonder Brahma (Rex Cole).
Harden Cup Honour Board (since 2000)
2020, 2021, and 2022: No meetings
2019: Cryfowl (Scott Spackman, Brent Evans)
2018: Cryfowl (Scott Spackman, Max Keenan)
2017: The Real McCoy (Kylie Kennedy, Ricky Blewitt)
2016: On Our Selection (Tony Sergi, Michael Gray)
2015: Fourtenbob (Aaron Clarke, Annelise King)
2014: Pointing To Gold (Brad Witt, Samara Johnson)
2013: Central Gold (Graeme Spackman, Blake Ryan)
2012: Three Buddies (Richard Freyer, Tim Phillips)
2011: Strike Me Happy (Rado Boljun, Ben Duggan)
2010: Tha’ Hab (Tricia Anderson, Ashley Boyd)
2009: Pass It On (Bernie Connell, John Mills)
2008: Spirited Choice (Chris Heywood, Robert Anderson)
2007: No race due to EI
2006: Spanish Beggar (Debbie Byrne, John Mills)
2005: Geemtee (John McGregor, Mathew Scorse)
2004: Breakaway (Scott Wade, Tim Phillips)
2003: Real Flyer (Ron Johnson, Tim Phillips)
2002: Big Agent (Rodger Waters, Robert Anderson)
2001: Abbadab (L. Vrieling, Mark Coleman)
2000: Count Bobby (Brian Cornish, John Wilson)
