RV FEATURE
2003 : Rebecca Kerwin becomes the first female jockey to win the Birdsville Cup . ( Pic : Uli Stich .)
2003 : FIRST FEMALE JOCKEY TO WIN
In 2003 , Rebecca Kerwin became the first female jockey to win the Birdsville Cup . Rebecca rates her winning ride on Marauding Lass as one of the toughest in her career .
“ I always wanted to try and win the Birdsville Cup and I never thought I ’ d actually get it ,” she said . “ I just remember the other riders being really tough , it was quite dry out there that weekend , but I ’ d had some success with the horse in Toowoomba . I think she was the oldest mare in the race , she was tough , a bigger horse , and I knew I had to go early , as it can get quite tough on the way out .”
2022 : April races ambassador Sammie O ' Brien pops a cork to celebrate the return of the event .
APRIL 2022 :
After a three-year hiatus – cancellations caused by covid – the races returned in April this year as a history-making one-off make-up event for the postponed 2021 races .
The April Birdsville Races offered a record combined prize-purse of $ 262,500 across two days of racing , as well as what is believed to be the single biggest trainer bonus in the history of country racing in Queensland .
Barcaldine , Qld , trainer Todd Austin comfortably won the iconic 1600m Birdsville Cup with thoroughbred Echo Point , ridden by female jockey Brooke Richardson . In doing so , Austin nabbed his third Birdsville Cup career victory and became the most successful Birdsville Cup trainer since 2000 , with three of the last eight Birdsville Cup wins .
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