John Lundholm, the legendary trainer from Coonamble, once made a memorable statement about the Bedgerebong Picnic races held at a beautiful racecourse beside the Lachlan River west of Forbes.
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“If the Queen was visiting Australia and wanted to attend a race meeting you would take her to Bedgerebong,” he said.
Today, Queen Elizabeth II will be walking her corgi dogs in England while John Lundholm will saddle up Nampara Bullet, the best winning chance in the $5000 John Davis Motors Bedgerebong Picnic Cup (1400m).
Recently turned 80, Lundholm is a multiple premiership winner with a host of feature race wins to his credit including several in Sydney and Brisbane.
Until a couple of years ago he was still riding bucking broncos at rodeos and was regarded as one of the best rodeo riders in Australia.
A class galloper often wins the Bedgerebong Cup and Nampara Bullet fits the bill perfectly.
Over recent years Nampara Bullet has raced exclusively at TAB meetings and usually in feature races.
Before a spell, last winter, Nampara Bullet ran third in the Bathurst Cup (2000m) after beating a good horse Little Britain over 1600m at Orange.
John Langworthy was the long time trainer of Nampara Bullet, but suffered serious injuries in a track work accident at Orange last September and this campaign his respected friend John Lundholm has been the trainer.
Pleasingly, John Langworthy is now recovering and attended the Wellington races on Thursday.
Nampara Bullet has been unplaced at two runs since a spell, but although only seventh in the Satellite Handicap (1200 metres) at Parkes did finish strongly to be a shade over two lengths from the winner Boomerang.
Owned by Dr Robert Kirkby and Joy Kirkby from Narromine, Nampara Bullet has the good record of nine wins and eight placings from 35 starts and over $100,000 prizemoney.
With 68.5 kilograms he has 4.5kgs more to carry than the nearest rival in the handicap, but does not appear overly harshly treated due to the class factor.
The highly talented Clint Lundholm, grandson of John Lundholm, will ride Nampara Bullet.
Local jockey Stuart Brown and Ben Duggan from Gosford have dominated over recent years winning the last six Bedgerebong Cups between them.
Stuart Brown who was reared at Bedgerebong won the 2004, 2005 and 2008 Cups on Thuntastique, Emerald Park and Fujimota respectively, while Duggan’s wins have been on Muhaayas Image (2006), Filial Star (2007) and Gangleri (2009).
In the 2010 Cup, Brown will ride Murodane while Ben Duggan is booked for Sprintcar.
