Bong Bong Cup on Radar for Trainer Brett Cavanough with MIAMI DADE

20 Nov 18

Scone trainer Brett Cavanough has raced horses at some unique racetracks and on Friday 23rd November, he intends to add to his resume the Wyeera racecourse at Bowral, the home of the famous Bong Bong Picnic Races.

Trainer - Brett Cavanough

MIAMI DADE winning at Canterbury

Brett is planning to take Dynamic Syndications galloper MIAMI DADE to the historic venue so he can saddle-up his first runner in the time-honoured Bong Bong Cup run over 1560m.

Brett has raced horses at country venues such as Balranald, Binnaway, Brewarrina, Bundarra, Grenfell, Gulargambone, Hanging Rock, Jerilderie, Kerang, Louth, Moulamein, Nyngan, Tocumwal, Tumbarumba amongst over 100 tracks he’s saddled-up horses at over the past decade.

Brett said “I’ve had runners at some unique tracks and from what I hear, Bong Bong is up there with the best of them.

“It’s one of those race meetings people from everywhere talk about so it’s good to be able to tick it off the list.”

Brett Cavanough added “He’s (Miami Dade) an honest, tough horse that can race near the speed and from what I hear, that’s the type of horse you want for the place.

“He’s tough as old boots and adaptable so I think I’m taking the right sort of horse.”

The 6yo gelding is coming off second placings at both his past 2 race starts, the Coonabarabran Cup and the Sandy Hollow Cup at Muswellbrook.

Miami Dade

Over his past 5 runs:

Miami Dade on 16/9 was 3.7 lens from the winner in the Dubbo Cup (1600m).

He then ran second just 0.6 lens away in an Open 1400m at Dubbo on 28/9.

He was then only 2.2 lens off them in the Coonamble Cup (1600m) on 7/10.

Next he ran second in the Coonabarabran Cup (1600m) on 22/10.

At his most recent start he was second again, this time by a nose in the in the Sandy Hollow Cup at Muswellbrook (1450m).

Miami Dade has a race record of 39 starts: 5-7-5 and earnings of $198,300.

He is a Benchmark 75 rated horse and is the highest rated horse in this year’s race. Miami Dade therefore carries top weight in the Bong Bong Cup of 69.0kgs.

Run under Picnic Race conditions (amateur riders), the minimum weight is 62.0kgs.

Among the strong 16 nominations for the 2018 renewal of the Bong Bong Cup, leading Randwick stables of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have nominated Zeppelin 62.5kgs whilst John Thompson has nominated Japanese import Kupier Belt 66.0kgs. There are 4 last start winners and 4 last start placegetters amongst the nominations.

Miami Dade will be ridden by leading NSW amateur jockey Ricky Blewitt, who won the race in 2015 aboard the James Cummings-trained Colour Of Money.

Ricky was booked for Miami Dade weeks ago when the race was identified as a target.

This year, the Bong Bong Cup will carry a purse of $18,000 with $11,340 to the winner.

History of the Bong Bong Cup

The Bong Bong Cup conducted at Bowral in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, headlines one of Australia’s most famous picnic meetings.

The Bong Bong Picnic Race Club was formed 132 years ago in 1886 and the first Bong Bong Cup was won by Don Antonio.

In 1920, Purser won the Bong Bong Cup and four years later won the Caulfield Cup.

By the 1980’s Bong Bong was the largest picnic race meeting in the world.

At a time when race crowds were declining, Bong Bong’s crowds were increasing and in 1985 reached almost 35,000.

Bong Bong racetrack

Bong Bong was traditionally held on the same day as the Caulfield Cup. However poor behaviour by section of this huge crowd resulted in the meetings being closed by authorities for 7 years.

In 1992, the races were revived but under strict conditions imposed by the State and Local Government which included: crowd control, limiting attendance to only members and their guests, changing the meeting to a week day and - strictly no alcohol to be brought onto the course.

The Bong Bong Cup was also the first race in Australia to be televised in both black and white and in colour.

Bong Bong has the honour of being the first racetrack to conduct races restricted to lady riders and also part of its history, Bong Bong was the first club in NSW to reintroduce hurdle and steeple races after World War II.

Bong Bong is a truly fun day at the races and is a must attend event for all racing enthusiasts.

On behalf of Dynamic Syndications we wish the Bong Bong Committee the best of fortune on Friday and we also take this opportunity to wish MIAMI DADE, Trainer Brett Cavanough, Pilot Ricky Blewitt and our Owners "all the best."