Bash and Crash with Nash

A man in winning form 

Nash Rawiller is a man riding at the top of his game at the moment.

An audaciously daring ride against Think It Over in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes two Saturday’s ago put his name down in folklore. 

Rawiller was almost high-fiving the Randwick crowd when getting his $34 mount up, but he was set to save his most jaw-dropping performance for a horse who has been a bit of a enigma.  

Firing blanks before hitting the bullseye

Kementari was put out to stud after, what was considered by many in the racing industry, a career unfulfilled despite being a Group 1 winner. 

After promising so much as a race horse, he had fertility issues and was really left in no man’s land as a stud prospect. 

A return to the race course has seen him win the Group 3 A J Scahill Stakes at Ascot, the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington before his success in the Hall Mark Stakes. 

Trainer James Cummings said the horse is much-loved within his stable and concurred with Nash Rawiller that the galloper is flying. 

Okay, time to talk about the ride

The difference between bravery and stupidity is often a fine line.

Definitions between the two are often in the eye of the beholder. 

Nash Rawiller and everyone taking a keen interest in Randwick knew the rail was on fire. 

The best jockeys always aim to find the best ground and it is exactly what Rawiller was doing when Kementari bolted up behind leaders Big Parade and Count De Rupee. 

What Rawiller did next was almost death defying. 

Kementari was always knocked a genuine winner, but by golly did he put that to rest. 

Rawiller probed him through a needle-eye gap in between the rail and Big Parade. 

There was a bump on the rail and a bump on Big Parade as Rawiller sailed through to win. 

The head-on vision of the ride made for eye-opening viewing. 

Reaction

Channel Seven broadcasters Bruce McAvaney and Katelyn Mallyon were very critical of the ride. 

Mallyon, a former jockey, was vehement in her dismay for Rawiller and his lack of care for horse and fellow jockeys. 

She described the ride as ‘stupid.’

When Rawiller was interviewed by Channel Seven and Sky Racing, you could see his eyes darting around with either guilt or the thought of ‘hopefully I get away with this one.’ 

The stewards gave him a grilling as he dismounted and he only added to their angst after copping a hefty and suspension for overuse of the whip aboard Think It Over. 

Racing NSW stewards officially deemed the ride to be careless and added seven days to his already two-week penalty for obstructing the whip rule the week prior. 

Back to Kementari

Rawiller was the lead out of the race, but let us not forget about the brilliant performance of the horse. 

Kementari has always shown a liking for rain-effected tracks. 

The shiny black gelding by champion sire Lonhro might have been assisted by the rail being a big advantage on the weekend, however, he was racing off a 12-week break. 

Any improvement from that run will see him hard to beat at Group 1 or Group 2 level next start. 

The Queensland carnival looks a real option for this horse in the twilight of his career. 

Cummings confirmed he still has a bit of racing in him and that he would look after the horse in a bid to have him thriving from race to race.