INVERELL trainer Ridge Wilson knows his way around the Mallawa racetrack.

Wilson was a picnic jockey in a former life, and rode Emvepee for John McLachlan into fourth spot behind Peter Sinclair’s Track Flash in the 2018 Mallawa Cup.

In 2019, he again filled fourth spot, this time on Selaw for Leon Cross, and again behind a Peter Sinclair-trained runner – Master Cramsie.

A few months later, Wilson rode his last winner, Work and Chat, at Mungery and not long after nailed up his trainer’s shingle at Inverell racecourse.

Last year, he had his first Mallawa Cup starter as a trainer, and watched Jakat finish fourth behind Connie Greig’s Inzaghi. Yes, fourth again.

Wilson and Jakat will be back at the famous horseshoe-shaped track 70km west of Moree tomorrow.

After finishing on the heels of the place-getters last year, Jakat annexed the Mungindi and Bingara Cups as well as second in the Walgett Cup.

Two starts back, Jakat was fourth in the Binnaway Cup, and two weeks ago caught the eye with a strong-finishing second behind Rethink It at Inverell.

Ridge Wilson twice finished fourth in the Mallawa Cup as a jockey and once as a trainer. He’s hoping Jakat will go a few placings better in the 1400m bush feature tomorrow.

Tomorrow, he carries 69kg from barrier 10 in the 10-strong B&W Rural and Titan Ag Mallawa Cup.

“He’s a horse that always races better when he draws a good alley. Young Grady Spokes will come out and ride him at Mallawa,” Wilson said.

“He won last year’s Mungindi Cup and last year’s Bingara Cup, and finished fourth in the Mallawa Cup, but got caught on the worst part of the track.

“The Mallawa Cup definitely won’t be easy; there’re some good horses in it.

“The Boolooroo Cup at Moree was the same – the cup field at Moree was something you’d expect to see in a showcase race.

“And the weights are much higher now, but that shows how the class of horse is much stronger now, than when I rode at the picnics,” he said.

Wilson has certainly made plenty of owners and racing pundits sit up and take notice since making the switch from riding to training.

However, at the moment he’s experiencing a rare run of outs.

His last winner was Puzzle Designer in the Warialda Cup on April 12.

“I haven’t been having the best of runs – we just haven’t been able to knock one over,” Wilson said. “We’ve been thereabouts with a few seconds and a lot of thirds, but haven’t been able to win one.”

Meanwhile, Moree trainer Doug Fernando will start Klatten from barrier 3 in the 1200m Australian Food and Fibre Class 3 Handicap at Mallawa.

Inverell jockey Zara Lewis is booked to ride Klatten, unplaced first-up at Moree picnics two weeks ago.

“I’ll put a tongue-tie back on and that should help her finish off and get through the line,” Fernando said.

“We galloped her on Tuesday with the tongue-tie on and she was a lot better.”

Fernando’s top miler Lady Cornelia is third emergency in the Mallawa Cup and unlikely to get a run.

Instead, she will likely start in the $14,000 Walgett Cup the following Saturday.

The mare was a last-start second behind Connie Greig’s Mallawa Cup hope Pahang at Brewarrina three weeks ago.

“Lady Cornelia is a big chance of going to Walgett. She’s an honest little horse and it was a good run last start, but she loves the mile – that’s her pet distance,” Fernando said.

“If I had a few more horse like her in the stables, getting out of bed at this time of year wouldn’t be so bad,” he laughed.

A special race-day bus will leave the Royal Hotel in Moree at 11am tomorrow and depart the racecourse at around 6pm.

There will be a barbeque picnic lunch, fully licensed bar, ATM on course and live music with SAX Appeal from 6pm.

Night function tickets for members and guests are available at Pitman Deakin on Balo Street in Moree.

Online race-day ticket options available here: Mallawa 2025 Race-Day Tix.

Weights for Mallawa picnic races will be released today, June 3, with final fields declared at 9am, Thursday, June 5.

Major sponsors include B&W Rural, Kenway and Clark, Air Cair Aviation, Nutrien Ag Solutions, RDO Equipment, Titan Ag Crop Protection, Badengi Engineering, Irritek, Entegra Signature Structures, Australian Food & Fibre, Namoi Cotton, Girard Grader Hire, Wathagar Ginning Company, Boland Petroleum, MHVP Pty Ltd, LiuGong and McGregor Gourlay Agricultural Services.

Talmoi picnic races round out bush racing’s Golden Triangle on Saturday, June 21.

The six-race card features the 1400m Talmoi Cup, won last year by Hardyo, and the 1000m Talmoi Bracelet. Total Prize money is $38,000.

Mallawa Picnic Races

When: Saturday, June 7, 2025

Where: Mallawa racecourse

Time: From about 11am

Ticket options: Mallawa 2025 Race-Day Tix

Night function tickets: Pitman Deakin on Balo Street

After-party entertainment: SAX Appeal