JOCKEY Jeffrey Felix spent eight hours on the road and less than an hour in the saddle to write history last weekend in Prairie.
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Felix, affectionately known around the traps as Black Cat, captured every race on the card, a feat few jockeys have matched, even the headline riders of today.
He rode doubles for Emerald's Ray Williams and the Julia Creek-based Tanya Parry and another for Home Hill trainer Greg Hickmott.
At the start of the day Felix, who lives inn Townsville, thought he'd win one race, maybe two at best and five was out of the question considering he only had mounts in four races.
"But the last came out of the blue," Felix, who treks thousands of kilometres each year for rides on far flung tracks, said.
"Keith Ballard was to ride it but stood down because of dehydration and I got the ride. The rest is history."
So it was.
He opened his account on Sgurr Mor (Longhorn-Swiss Miss) for Parry in the QTIS Maiden Plate (1000m) and they easily beat Emma Rocket and El Ranchos into the minor placings.
Six-year-old Hayler's Tary (Red Element-Monetary) made it two from two for Felix in the Benchmark 60 Handicap (1200m), scoring by six lengths from Night Attire and Little Spoon.
In the Class B (1400m) Felix's mount Supreme Prince (Supreme Class-Diamante Diva) had only a half length to spare at the end.
Things were a little easier in the Benchmark 45 (1000m) when he steered Zorro Feminino (Foxwedge-Shekinaar) to a three-quarter length victory.
Then he iced the cake, replacing Ballard on the Parry-trained Immutable (Poet's Voice-Colourist), which proved best in the Prairie Cup (1400m) to outgun Snippy Strategic and Buon Natale.
"I gave myself some hope in the run," Felix said of his Cup success. "We sat off the leaders and I just waited on a run, which came just at the top of the straight.
"He poked his head into the gap and then whipped home and it didn't really sink in that I'd won the lot. Thinking back now it's pretty special and I am thankful for the people who put me on their horses."
Felix, who served his apprenticeship in Townsville, is happy to travel wide and far for mounts.
He's clocked more than 100,000klms in his latest vehicle and thinks nothing of the journeying to and from meetings.
"It's all part of the business out this way," he said.
"I base myself in Townsville but I'll ride at Mount Isa and other country centres. It's just what you do."
He's won Cleveland Handicaps and a few cups and will be in Bowen on Saturday.
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Alan Welburn
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
