ORANGE - ORANGE CUP

Presenter: Gareth Taylor

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Three days I gave myself in Orange.

I’m not sure I’ve left the wineries long enough to see all of it, if I’m honest, but I’m not sorry.

For the record, I did do the landmarks properly first.

Mount Canobolas rises above the whole region, an ancient volcanic peak with deep significance to the Wiradjuri people and views that explain fairly quickly why everyone tells you to go up there.

Cook Park in the middle of town is gorgeous too. Proper old gardens, beautiful trees, and Orange doesn’t get called the Colour City for nothing.

But then I found Kylie.

She was pouring tastings at one of the smaller cellar doors out past Nashdale. I won’t say which one. She’d never forgive me.

I went in for what was meant to be a quick stop and came out two hours later having learned more about cool-climate chardonnay than I ever intended to know.

And considerably more about her.

She has this way of describing a wine that makes you feel like you’re the first person who’s ever properly understood it.

I may have gone back the next day.

Purely for research.

By the time the Orange Cup rolled around, I’d somehow talked my way into taking her along which, for a Pommie few weeks into the job, I consider a genuine result.

Kylie knew everyone.

She called half the horses by nickname and spent most of the afternoon explaining racing to me while I nodded intelligently and pretended I understood what a “leader” was.

I’m learning.

Slowly.

Landmarks, wineries and one very good reason to come back.

That’s Orange for me.

If a cool-climate red and good company sound like your kind of Cup weekend, I’d start making plans for next year.

I certainly am

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THE ORANGE CUP REPORT
17 April 2026

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I’ll Explain It Over a Wine

 

By Cup day, Gareth had discovered that Kylie knew considerably more about racing than he did.

This was becoming a pattern.

They found a spot at Towac Park and Kylie opened the race book.

“Number two.”

Sarrismo.

Gareth looked at her.

“Why?”

“Favourite.”

“I could have done that.”

“But you didn’t.”

Fair point.

When they jumped, Gareth made a determined effort to follow everything Kylie had taught him.

Position.

Tempo.

Who was travelling.

He understood perhaps half of it.

But coming around the turn, he understood one thing perfectly.

Sarrismo was going very well.

Kylie was already smiling.

“He wins.”

“You can’t possibly know that yet.”

Andrew Adkins asked Sarrismo to go.

The gelding lengthened.

Green Run tried to follow, but the gap kept growing.

At the post, Sarrismo had more than two lengths to spare.

The Orange Gold Cup was his.

Gareth looked at Kylie.

“You knew.”

“Yep.”

“How?”

She smiled.

“I’ll explain it over a wine.”

Gareth folded the race book.

“Now that I understand.”