By Bren O'Brien
Star jockey Nash Rawiller marked an emotional return to race riding with a double at Kembla Grange, with victories aboard Escaped (Exceed And Excel) for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Decroux (Lope de Vega {Ire}) for trainer Jason Deamer later in the day
Rawiller has not ridden in 15 months after he was disqualified by authorities in Hong Kong after being found guilty of receiving gifts or money in exchange for tips.
The 44-year-old, a winner of 58 Group 1 races in Australia, is now rebuilding his career at home and Thursday at Kembla Grange was his first step back, with six rides.
It took him until his third ride to get back to winning ways, prevailing in a tooth-and-nail fight with Tommy Berry, who was on stablemate You Rang (Sebring). A desperate Rawiller pushed Escaped over the line by a short head for his first win on Australian soil in almost four years.
“It’s a good feeling, I feel really good,” Rawiller told reporters. “He’s a lovely horse but he’s just not there yet, but neither am I."
“I’ve ticked another box off today."
“It’s a good feeling, I feel really good." - Nash Rawiller
Rawiller's wife Sarah and mum Elaine were there to mark the occasion, something that must have seemed a long way away when he was detained by Hong Kong authorities in April last year.
“It’s special to have Mum and Sarah here. I had about 100 close friends text me this morning. The support has been amazing," he said.
“There’s been a lot of people behind the scenes that have been there when we needed them and that winner is for them. Family and friends mean so much.”
That it was Waterhouse who supplied him with his comeback winner was significant. It was Rawiller's first win for the training combination but his 306th involving Gai, who he has ridden 26 Group 1 winners for in his stellar career.
He needed very bit of that experience to get the victory on board Escaped.
"I didn’t want to get too excited, I thought I'd won but I wasn't too sure," he said.
"Full credit to my bloke, he's a bit of a different horse than what he has been at the trials."
Escaped is owned by Dynamic Syndications, who paid $180,000 for the colt at the 2018 Magic Millions Sale.
Escaped's dam Se Sauver (Bel Esprit) won the G2 Edward Manifold S. and is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Escado (Casino Prince). She has already produced the winner Scamper (Fastnet Rock) and Escaped's full sister was sold for $525,000 at his year's Inglis Easter Sale.
Escaped as a yearling
"It’s unreal," Dynamic's Dean Watt said. "He threw him over the line, I was up there in the grandstand and I thought he got rolled."
"Congratulations to Nash, it’s just fantastic." - Dynamic Syndications' Dean Watt
"He's a work in progress this horse. He might have a date to be two stone lighter. He thinks he is at stud already."
"It was great to see Mrs Rawiller out there enjoying it all. Congratulations to Nash, it’s just fantastic."
Rawiller then made it a double for Dynamic aboard Decroux, who took his record to three wins from 17 starts, with a victory in a 2000m BM64 race later in the day.
Rawiller has six rides at Rosehill on Saturday, including Stampede (High Chaparral {Ire}) in the Listed Winter Challenge.
