No matter which way you look at Sunday’s Picnic Championship Final, it was an amazing achievement for Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was memorable because it marked back-to-back victories in the picnic feature for Robb, while it also came with Austin, a horse the popular trainer describes as the toughest he’s ever had.
Austin is an incredible story in himself, having almost died roughly nine months ago from an abdominal issue.
RELATED:
On top of that, the six-year-old gelding has travelled thousands of kilometres in recent weeks after racing at Birdsville, Bedourie and Betoota in outback Queensland.
Then there’s winning jockey Mollie Partridge. She rode 57 winners as an apprentice, her final ride in the professional ranks was at Taree on Christmas Eve, 2017.
She had ridden at two picnic meetings Moree and Wean prior to Dubbo and Austin was her first winner since switching to the picnic circuit.
Robb had made the tough decision to give her the ride ahead of Maddison Wright, who rode Security Code to victory in the event last year.
Put all that together and combine it with the bumper crowd at Dubbo Turf Club and it made for an unforgettable $50,000 feature event.
“It’s been run and won now and I’m lucky to have won it two years in a row. It’s a great day at the races,” Robb said, before speaking about Austin.
“Eight months ago he looked like dying and we got him on a truck at midnight and got him to the vet and I’ve got to give all respects to ‘Robbo’ (Dr Andrew Robertson) at Warren, he slept with him and protected him and we cared for him then and I didn’t think he’d reach these heights.
“He just likes a free roll and I don’t think I’ve ever trained a tougher horse. I’ve trained better horses but tough, last Sunday he spent 11 and a half hours on the truck coming home from Bedourie.
Then the next morning we had a feed and put him on the truck for another eight-and-a-half hours so he’s a good tough one.”
There was plenty of praise for Robb, wife Wendy, and the team at Nyngan at the post-race presentation.
Rodney and Wendy were even described as “legends without being old enough to be legends”.
It all came after Austin’s victory, which was the most convincing of the day.
Robb had three hopes in the race and it was his mare Lulu’s Destiny (Maddison Wright, $7.50) who led from Track Flash (Ricky Blewitt, $3.80) early on.
Partridge had got away well from wide out in gate 12 with Austin ($2.60 favourite) and soon rounded up the leaders and took control.
Austin kicked clear and led by more than three lengths heading towards the bend for home.
The chasing pack made some ground at the top of the straight but Partridge gave the order and the six-year-old responded, powering forward and winning by a convincing four-and-three-quarter lengths from Spinning Dawn (Wesley Boyd, $14) and Zaphod (Alan Boyd, $51).
”This is a great thing. Seventy-five percent of people here today would be picnic people. I’m really pleased,” Robb said.
“But whenever there’s someone happy there’s someone sad. I tossed and turned and really thought about it (jockey appointments) and was nearly going to go the other girl (Wright), we elected to go with Mollie. They can’t ride them all.”
Austin now has seven wins from 26 career starts, however all but one of those wins have come in his 21 starts for Robb.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
