Nisbet hopes to end her riding career on a high at Wagga carnival

Nisbet has called time on her 14-year career in the saddle and will ride for the final time on Wagga Gold Cup day.

In a fitting finale, her final ride will be for her father, John Nisbet, on Hold in the last on Gold Cup day.

Before that, she will continue her association with Wagga mare Asgarda in the $200,000 Town Plate (1200m) on Thursday and has picked up the ride on Zouatica in the $200,000 Gold Cup (2000m).

Nisbet would love nothing more than to finish with a winner for her dad.

"I only just saw that. She's a good chance too," Nisbet said of Hold.

""I think riding winners for dad is always exciting, no matter where they are, he puts a lot of work into the horses and I know it's special to dad to have me ride winners for him.

"I couldn't script a more perfect ending than riding a winner for dad with my last ever ride but I don't want to get my hopes up."

Nisbet would love nothing more than to snare one of the big two features at the Wagga carnival to go out on.

"I'd be rapt," she said.

"I've honestly been in a bit of disbelief at the last couple of weeks of my career, it would be very exciting.

"Obviously the ride we've had with Asgarda has been just phenomenal and it's really made my whole career I think so that would be great to win one last time with her and I certainly think she can go on and win more races in the future but obviously I won't be on her.

"To win a Town Plate on her would just be perfect and I think it would be pretty special to Dougie (Gorrel) obviously being from Wagga and everyone wants to win their big races at their home track so that would be great but I'd be happy to take a cup as well, I'm not too fussed."

The 29-year-old will begin with Sky Racing as a race day presenter, working in the southern part of the state where she has ridden for the majority of her career.

She said the opportunity to transit into the next phase of her career was too good to refuse.

"Obviously my riding career's been going quite well the last few months and I do really enjoy race riding, it's a really fun job obviously and there's a lot of money to be made in it too, which is nice, but like I've said the whole way through, it's just not a job you can do forever and I figured whilst the opportunity landed in my lap I'd be silly to not take it," Nisbet said.

"Even though I'm in a bit of a purple patch right now, I've been riding long enough to know that they come to an end at some point. I thought I'm going to hit winter, we're going to be on muddy, wet tracks, it's going to be rainy and having meetings called off, I'll probably be struggling to get a ride or riding winners and I'll be thinking why didn't I jump at an opportunity to take me into the next stage of my life.

"I would have been happy to ride for another couple of years, it just seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Nisbet could have finished up a couple of weeks ago but thought one last ride on Asgarda, as well as a final Wagga carnival, would be fitting.

"I could have finished up a little bit earlier. My contract for Sky was signed a few weeks ago but when they said Asgarda was going to the Town Plate, I thought what does a few weeks difference make," she said.

"To be able to ride her one more time, she would be towards the end of her preparation after (Thursday) anyway so to have one more spin on her would be very exciting and she obviously goes into it with a great chance so to be able to win a Town Plate.

"I won one the year of COVID (Irish Songs) but to be able to ride another one would be great."

Nisbet has been aboard Asgarda the last eight of her 12 career starts. She believes she is a legitimate Town Plate contender.

"Definitely. My only query, I do think she's more brilliant over 1400 but I think from a good gate and with only 54, she's definitely good enough over 1200 to be able to win," she said.

"I think she's going to get the right run from that barrier. Like I've said the whole way through, she's so versatile, she does everything she can to help you and she's got such a good turn of foot.

"They were all really happy with how she pulled up from the Country Championships and we're obviously a few weeks from there in terms of runs so I don't think dropping back in distance will be much of a concern for her.

"You know you've got a fit, versatile horse that tries hard so she's certainly a good chance."

Nisbet will then partner Zouatica for Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones in the Gold Cup. The four-year-old is having his first crack at 2000m but goes in on the back of a third placing over 1800m at a Randwick midweek meeting.

Nisbet was happy to jump on for her first ride on the horse.

"That was a random one actually. I think maybe him having 54 and a lack of riders being available maybe. I do know quite a few of the owners, I have ridden a lot for Paul, Matt and Barb in the past. I'm not really sure how my name got thrown around there but it did and I'm happy to be on him," she said.

"Obviously first go over 2000 is always a query, especially in a tough race, but the way he went the other day over 1800, if I can control the speed a little bit I don't think it's going to be a worry for him.

"He looked like at that last run you kept waiting for him to stop and drop right out and he just kept hanging in there and hanging in there, it was a great effort to run third.

"If he hadn't have run that race then I'd be less confident about the 2000 but on the back of that I'm pretty sure he'll run it out."