Hot Bandit pinches Narrandera Cup as club hosts record-breaking carnival

Canberra trainer Luke Pepper came, saw, and conquered Sunday’s $70,000 Community Bank Narrandera Cup with the well-named Hot Bandit.

With Rebecca Bronett Prag in the saddle, Hot Bandit was last out of the gates, but the talented jockey sat patiently on the 4YO in the back half of the field before peeling five horses wide when turning for home.

Hot Bandit then finished strongly to defeat Craig Weeding’s 2023 and 2024 Narrandera Cup winner Prince Of Helena (Milos Bunjevac, $4.40) by a neck, while in third and just over a length back was the Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones-trained Louie’s Legacy (Quayde Krogh, $14).

For Bronett Prag, who’s only 66 wins into her career, she was thrilled to enjoy her biggest triumph.

“It’s my first cup win and the biggest winner of my career,” Bronett Prag said after the win.

“I’m just so thankful for the opportunity and happy to get the win.”

Hot Bandit is now eligible for the $3 million Big Dance, which will be run and won at Royal Randwick on Tuesday, November 4, while Prince Of Helena, who’s contested the past two Big Dances, can enter the $750,000 Little Dance on the same day.

On a big day of racing at Narrandera, soon-to-be Narrandera-based jockey John Kissick enjoyed a red-letter day at the races.

Kissick rode a winning treble, landed a feature race victory, and was involved in arguably the most emotional result of the day.

He won the second-ever running of the Narrungdera Yarraman Sprint (1000m), teaming up with Ross Purcell when emerging victorious on two-time Tuckerbox winner and outsider, Mr Moppett ($14).

Purcell, who won the inaugural Narrungdera Yarraman Sprint with Hulm in 2024, had Mr Moppett primed to deliver at Narrandera.

A race later, Kissick teamed up with local trainer Shane Bloomfield when guiding Sundrop ($3.70) to a decisive victory in the fillies and mares 1400m Benchmark 58 Handicap.

Rounding out a race-to-race-to-race treble, Kissick then helped the John Rolfe-trained Dubai Centre ($6.50) to an emotional win in the colts and geldings 1400m Benchmark 58 Handicap.

The Rolfe family had only moments before the event found out that Jenny Rolfe’s father had passed away, and following the win, it was a bittersweet celebration.

Taking to social media, Jenny Rolfe thanked everyone for the support on a difficult day.

“Thank you so much to everyone who was so amazing today,” Jenny wrote.

“It was a shock to receive a phone call when we arrived to say my Dad had passed away suddenly. Dubai Centre, his favourite horse, got the win for him.”

Also enjoying a big day at Narrandera was Goulburn trainer Danielle Seib, who prepared a race-to-race double.

The stable watched Dekadance (Pierre Boudvillain, $2.60) cruise to an easy win in the $50,000 Super Maiden Plate (1000m) before Due Calzini (Nick Heywood, $3.80) outstayed rivals to emerge victorious in the 2100m Benchmark 66 Handicap.

Earlier on the card, Michael Travers won with the beautiful Miss Pepeha (Mathew Cahill, $4), which led all the way in the 1400m Maiden Handicap.

Canberra jockey Billy Owen also returned to the winner’s circle following injury, riding the Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones-trained Cougars ($3.90) to a good win in the 1200m Class Two Handicap.

The Narrandera cup carnival was a huge success, with over 800 patrons piling through the gates for one of the biggest winter racing carnivals south of Sydney.

Sally Martin stole the show in the Narrandera Race Club fashions on the field. Image: Jeff Hanson/Dusty Hooves Media.

The fashions on the field were of a high quality, with Canberra visitor Sally Martin (pictured) the big winner, while the $1000 member’s draw went off, with Michael Bailey collecting the spoils.

On Saturday night, the Narrandera Cup calcutta, held at Narrandera Ex-Servicemen’s Club, attracted visitors from all over NSW and Victoria, and a boisterous crowd was on hand as Sky Racing’s Graeme White and special guest Nick Olive entertained them.

The record calcutta pool reached $17,080 and was won by locals Peter and Ryan Burden, who collected an impressive $11,956 following Hot Bandit’s win in the Narrandera Cup.

Arguably, the carnival highlight was seeing Narrandera Race Club president Graeme Mathieson honoured with Life Membership on the Saturday night, with the hard-working committee member surprised by his executive.

Racing returns to Narrandera on Saturday, August 16, when the club hosts the final meeting of their 2025 winter of racing.

The program, headlined by the TC Lee Memorial Cup, is a six-race Sky 2 program.