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By Mark Brassel

NSW Picnic Champion Series Leader Board (as at 13th May 2025)

The highly successful The Championships theme spread to the NSW picnic racing arena in September 2016 with the inaugural NSW Picnic Champion Series first kicking off at Harden picnics, providing first points for the series.

History
The first Picnic Champion Series Final was held on Dubbo Gold Cup Day (September 2017) with Racing NSW providing $50,000 in prizemoney; the race being won by Security Code ridden by Maddison Wright and trained by Rodney Robb.

2018 - Rodney Robb made it the perfect score when his galloper Austin (Mollie Partridge) bolted in with the Final, scoring by a widening margin of just under five lengths.

2019 - It was trainer Mark Ward's Gadfly scoring with Brent Evans aboard - the horse having won three picnics races during the year including the Noorama Cup (Qld) and the Duck Creek Picnic Cup, as well as the NSW Picnic Champion Series Final.

2020 - Military Bay and Ashley Boyd raced away with the Final for Scone-based trainer Mark Schmetzer, scoring by nearly three lengths from Another Plan and the favourite, Rogue Runner.

2021 - Dubbo trainer Brett Robb combined with jockey Brent Evans when On A Promise outclassed the opposition to win by nearly four lengths.

2022 - Hemsted took out the '22 edition when he powered home to score for Leandro Ribeiro and trainer Connie Greig.

2023 - Leandro Ribeiro was successful for the second successive time when Inzaghi raced away, again for the Greig stable, to score at Coonamble.

2024 - Sebastian Galea and Bush Warrior repelled an eight-horse team from Connie Greig to take out the Final in a gripping finish.

"We are pleased to be ing this concept and by staging a $50,000 event on a big day such as the Dubbo Gold Cup program will give these riders and horses plenty of exposure," said Racing NSW CEO, Peter V'landys AM.

The idea of the NSW Picnic Champion Series was hatched by Deidre Adam, secretary of the NSW Picnic Racing Association, and Craig Tyack, president of Tullibigeal Picnic Race Club.

“The Series offers something worthwhile to picnic jockeys and trainers and is the first picnic TAB race in New South Wales,” Deidre Adam said. “The first couple of Series generated plenty of interest and has already helped improve horse attendance at our picnic race meetings.

"Instead of the qualifying heats in the Country and Provincial Championships, picnic horses will gain points at every picnic race meeting in which they compete."

To qualify for the NSW Picnic Champion Series Final, horses acquire points for every picnic race meeting they attend in NSW and the highest-ranked horses at the end of the 12 months are then eligible to nominate for the NSW Picnic Champion Series Final. All horses except Maidens are eligible to qualify (Clubs must be d with the NSW Picnic Racing Association and use Approved Riders).

NSW Picnic Champion Series Leader Board (as at 13th May 2025)

LATEST NSW PICNIC CHAMPION SERIES NEWS

• Julia Presits Trains Tomingley Cup Winner Avoid Me (7 April 2025)

• Dean And Dale Enjoy A Feast At Ardlethan Picnics (24 March 2025)

• Real Salty Tastes A Sweet Victory At Harden Picnics (29 October 2024)

• Warrior fights off all challengers in Picnics Final (15 October 2024)

• Local Cobar Hero Completes A Double On Home Soil (20 August 2024)

HONOUR ROLL

Year	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Runner-up	Third
2024	BUSH WARRIOR	Sebastian Galea	Daniel Stanley	Blackhill Kitty	Have Mercy
2023	INZAGHI	Leandro Ribeiro	Connie Greig	Sons Of Bourke	Madison Point
2022	HEMSTED	Leandro Ribeiro	Connie Greig	Danspur	Brooklyn Star
2021	ON A PROMISE	Brent Evans	Brett Robb	Malibu Stacy	Opera Tickets
2020	MILTARY BAY	Ashley Boyd	Mark Schmetzer	Another Plan	Rogue Runner
2019	GADFLY	Brent Evans	Mark Ward	Free Billy	Cooee March
2018	AUSTIN	Mollie Partridge	Rodney Robb	Spinning Dawn	Zaphod
2017	SECURITY CODE	Maddison Wright	Rodney Robb	Black Fusion	Kinda Tangy