06-07-2025
Keen angler Nash Rawiller was happy to return to Rockhampton for a few rides over the northern carnival
Top Sydney jockey Nash Rawiller's eyes lit up when he watched a couple of fishermen haul in a huge barramundi within a stone's throw from a Rockhampton waterfront pub.
Rawiller was sinking a few beers with his manager Liam Prior and local race-caller Russell 'Brolga' Leonard at the Criterion Hotel on the banks of the Fitzroy River on the day after The Archer in early May.
Rawiller had ridden the Bjorn Baker -trained Sandpaper to fifth place in the $1 million slot race and was unwinding on the Monday before flying back to Sydney.
'Nash had never been to Rockhampton before and he just wanted a day out on the Monday before going home,' Leonard explained.
'We were just walking down to our local hotel and there was a couple of guys in a tinnie pulling in a barra.
'Nash is a mad fisherman and he said to me 'unbelievable, they catch barra just in here'.
'We got talking and as the afternoon wore on, he said 'do you go out fishing out wide here?' and I said 'yeah we can go out'.'
The 50-year-old Rawiller then suggested coming up again to Australia's beef capital for the Rockhampton Cup Racing Carnival.
'I said to him 'it's all good but that's Caloundra Cup Day, you'll be in demand there'. He did say 'I've ridden plenty of winners at Caloundra, I don't need to go there',' Leonard recalled.
'We always try to get a guest rider up here. We even got Willie Pike three years ago and he rode here for the two days.'
Rockhampton Jockey Club organised the trip for Rawiller, who was the guest speaker at the Calcutta dinner last Friday night.
Rawiller ended up riding in four races at Callaghan Park on Friday, when he won on $1.40 favourite Lone Artist for Liam Birchley, and just once on Saturday (third on Nagamie).
He was meant to ride the Chris Waller -trained Caboche in the $150,000 Rockhampton Cup, won by Logan Street Lion, but the gelding was scratched and will now likely head to the $80,000 South Grafton Cup (1600m) next Sunday.
'I love my fishing so I was keen to get back there,' 71-time Group 1 champion Rawiller said about Rockhampton.
'And the track is as good as any I've ridden on. It's got a lovely, sweeping turn and the 600m straight is one of the longest in Australia, I believe.
'It's nice to do these things to refresh the mind so it's a bit of a working holiday for me.
Hear him roar! �
Logan Street Lion claims the TAB Rockhampton Cup! � @ParkCallaghan
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025
'I've been on a bit of a break already so I'm just giving the body a rest because I was getting a bit rundown.
'I'm already starting to feel better and it doesn't take me long to get the itch back.'
Leonard said the two-day fishing expedition would take Rawiller to Port Clinton, Island Head Creek and Pearl Bay, where major joint military exercises are often staged between Australia and the US.
