OFF TO THE RACES: Forbes friends Nadika Skinner, Shania Wakeman, Natalie Robb, Karli Noakes, Krystal Hanley
and Simone Holmes were elated to be able to go to the Bedgerabong Picnic Race Cup meeting after the last two years
of COVID lockdowns.
You could be forgiven for thinking it was 2018 again but the 2022 edition of the Total Wear Solutions Australia Bedgerabong Picnic Cup will be as remembered for teenager William Stanley’s back-to-back victories as it will be for the swell of numbers who turned up.
Sold out well before, the latest Bedgerabong Picnic Cup race meeting was the first of any kind held since October last year when the most recent Omicron variant swept through NSW and Victoria causing a raft of cancellations to the picnic racing calendar.
Under new COVID restrictions, the well-behaved 2000 strong crowd were treated to some spectacular local and TAB racing, glittering fashions in the field, fine local food, ice cold beverages, lively band Foxy Cleopatra and the chance to catch up after two years of unprecedented challenges.
“It’s a great day out and a chance to see some friends,” said Forbes local Karli Noakes. “Especially given the last two years,” she said.
This year’s event was roughly double the capacity from 2021 when 17-year-old William Stanley from Bathurst won the Bedgerabong Cup on Bryan Dixon’s Song One from Gilgandra. This year, Stanley repeated the dose on Valydium enroute to a perfect two from two return at the track for the youngster.
Yet for the ladies, it was all about fashion more than the field and the opportunity to socialise again.
From all reports it was worth the wait and another great event!