GIBBONS CHASING A ROWLEY MILE "KNOCKOUT"

WEDNESDAY: August 19, 2026: DYLAN Gibbons hopes to take advantage of a pick-up booking and “knock out” his rivals at his first Rowley Mile ride at Hawkesbury tomorrow.

With Zac Lloyd heading to Japan to compete in the World All-Star Jockeys’ Championship at the weekend, Gibbons steps in to partner It’s A Knockout in the $200,000 Listed 1600m feature, sponsored by Pioneer Services.

The Ciaron Maher-trained It’s A Knockout, the winner of three races, is currently sharing TAB.com.au favoritism at $4.80 with Narbold in an open Rowley Mile market.

Five of the 13 acceptors are beginning spring campaigns, whereas It’s A Knockout goes into the race on the back of four runs this campaign.

And it’s that fitness edge which gives the former Newcastle jockey, now well entrenched in Sydney, a great chance of snaring the “Mile” at his first attempt.

“I rode It’s A Knockout once in a track gallop quite some time back, but have never ridden her in a race,” he said this morning.

“She goes into the Rowley Mile a very fit mare, and this is probably her grand final in terms of this preparation, whereas some of her rivals are just kicking off.

“I’m looking forward to riding her.”

It’s A Knockout, a six-year-old daughter of Dundeel, ran second to Mickey’s Medal (Narbold was third) in a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m) at Royal Randwick on July 11 before a close fifth (Narbold was second) in a 1500m Benchmark 100 Handicap at Rosehill Gardens on August 1.

Whilst Gibbons is having his maiden ride in one of Hawkesbury’s historic races – first run in 1881 and named after the famous Rowley Mile course at England’s Newmarket – It’s A Knockout’s trainer Maher also is chasing his first success.

He has had only two runners – Junipal (sixth) and Pennyweka (10^th) in Cepheus’ 2024 edition. The meeting was washed out last year.

Along with It’s A Knockout, Maher runs resumers Juja Kibo (Sam Clipperton) and Mr Monaco (Regan Bayliss.

Mr Monaco, 11^th as second favorite in Changingoftheguard’s Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick in April, will race in both a tongue tie and ear muffs (pre-race).

With Narbold’s trainer Chris Waller, who also has Sydney Cup runner-up Soul Of Spain (James McDonald), Valiant King (Nash Rawiller), Democracy Manifest (Kerrin McEvoy), and Elliptical (Andrew Adkins), the two champion trainers have more than half the field.

Whilst Maher is seeking a Rowley Mile breakthrough, Waller is seeking a record seventh success.

He currently shares the record with Gai Waterhouse, who first won the Hawkesbury feature with Adamantly in 2001, but doesn’t have a runner this year.

Waller’s first Rowley Mile victory was with Snow Alert in 2010, and his subsequent winners have been McCreery (2016), Mister Sea Wolf (2018), Savacool (2020), Sky Man (2022) and Bold Mac (2023).

Father and son Anthony and Sam Freedman are chasing a second Hawkesbury feature with $5 third favorite Punch Lane, who led throughout in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup over the same distance last year on a heavy track.

He has the same weight (57.5kg), and will be ridden by Tim Clark, who has previously won the “Mile” with Arbeitsam (2017) and Gaulois (2019).

Team Freedman also has Star Vega (Tyler Schiller) resuming from a spell.

Hawkesbury course manager Digby Nuthall this morning posted an improving “Soft 7” rating for the eight-race program, which begins at 12.45pm.

“At this stage, it looks as though we will start on the better side of a Soft 7, but the forecast is good for both today and tomorrow,” Nuthall said.

Hawkesbury has received 13.5mm of rain in the past seven days, but nothing in the previous 24 hours to 8am today.

Presentations to last season’s various premiership winners Brad Widdup (trainer, for the second year in a row), Tommy Berry (jockey) and Mollie Fitzgerald (apprentice) will take place after the running of the Rowley Mile (race 7).