By COLIN HODGES

THE 12 month build-up comes to conclusion on Sunday with the $50,000 Final of the NSW Picnic Championship to be run at the Coonamble Cup TAB meeting.

Horses have accumulated points for wins and placings at the 18 Picnic meetings conducted and the 12 leaders on the ladder are automatic qualifiers for the 1400 metres Final.

Connections of those just outside the top bracket will anxiously await the final acceptances due on Thursday morning to see if their horses gain a start after expected withdrawals.

(Nominations were due on Tuesday morning after this column went to press).

Now in the fourth year, the Picnic Championship has proved a wonderful concept with the prizemoney about 10 times the amount offered for races during the season and the Picnic jockeys getting the opportunity to ride before a world wide audience on the SKY network.

Owners and trainers have followed the circuit from a wide area of NSW and several Canberra stables will be represented in the Final.

Likely favourites include the Brett Robb, Dubbo-trained On A Promise and Madison Point trained at Canberra by Rob Potter as both were impressive winners at the recent Narromine TAB meeting.

Owned by a syndicate from Lake Cargelligo and Tullibigeal, On A Promise has been very costly for bookmakers with the 6 year old gelding being the subject of several successful betting plunges by the syndicate members.

Earlier in the season On A Promise won Picnic races at Gilgandra (1550 metres),and Bedgerabong (1100 metres) and the last three wins have been in succession at Coonamble Picnics, Gilgandra and Narromine.

Taking on the toughest task to date, against TAB company over 1200 metres at Narromine, On A Promise surprised even the owners with the performance when reeling in the leaders for a strong win over Witness Collector and Makuba.

At the same meeting, Madison Point travelled behind the leading pack before finishing best to account for Dicko’s Mate and Chestnut Scaffa in a Class 2 Handicap over 1300 metres.

The consistent form of Madison Point during the series included Picnic wins at Cootamundra, Ardlethan and Goulburn in restricted class races.

Doug Gorrel from Canberra has qualified Sestina which has winning form at TAB meetings but over shorter distances than the Final. 

Sestina won sprint races at Bligh Picnics and Tullibigeal Picnics and also excels on heavy tracks while just outside the top 12 is the Doug Gorrel trained Keep Me Posted winner of the Picnic Cups at Tomingley (1500 metres) and Cootamundra (1400 metres).

Another Canberra trainer with a qualifier is Darryl Rolfe with Opera Tickets, winner of the 1700 metres Boorowa Picnic Cup and placed in Picnic Cups at Cootamundra and Tullibigeal.

Dubbo trainer Connie Greig qualified Malibu Stacy, Regina Margherita, Equibrium and the sprinter Call Me Trinity.

Noted for a big finish from the back of the field, the 10 year old mare Malibu Stacy won the 1600 metres Picnic Cups at Bourke and Tullibigeal, Regina Margherita won the Tottenham Picnic Cup (1400 metres)and Equilibrium was placed in Picnic races at llunnedah, Quambone (Cup ), Bligh (Cup), Moree (Cup) and won 1600 metres Professional races at Quirindi and Brewarrina.

Peter Reynolds from Dubbo is the trainer of both the highest point scorer for the series  Drummed Out and the fourth placed Nevada Sunrise.

Drummed Out won the Open Sprints at Bedgerabong (800 metres ) and Tottenham (1000 metres) and has won over 1400 metres earlier in the career while Nevada Sunrise won the Condobolin Picnic Cup (1400 metres) and was runner-up in the Tottenham Picnic Cup.

Of all the qualifiers the Bryan Dixon, Gilgandra trained Song One is arguably the most classy as apart from winning the Bedgerabong Picnic Cup when ridden by 17 year old Will Stanley from Bathurst, Song One won TAB races at Coonamble and Mudgee and was placed in the $70,000 Mudgee Cup (TAB) and $40,000 Gilgandra Cup (TAB).

Nepenthes from the Clint Lundholm stable is just outside the automatic qualifiers with strong finishing wins at Bedgerabong (1400 metres) and Wellington (1600 metres) and ran third over 1600 metres at the recent Narromine TAB meeting.

Trainer Brett Robb and the Baradine based owner Dennis Todd are hoping Combogolong can sneak a spot in the Final. 

The improving Combogolong won restricted class Picnic races at Quambone, Moree, Bligh, and Coonamble and then won in TAB company over 1200 metres at Narromine.

The Picnic jockey ranks will have an international presence with Brazilian born Leandro Ribeiro and Anaelle Gangatena, formerly from Ecuador, riding in the Final.

Leandro Ribeiro will probably have first choice of the Connie Greig starters while Anaelle Gangatena is almost certain to ride one of the Canberra trained horses.

The feature race on Sunday is the $80,000 Coonamble Gold Cup and an outstanding field of quality gallopers is expected.