By Garry Dell
Japanese-born jockey Masayuki Abe achieved a treble of winners at the five-event card at Atherton on Saturday.
It was his third treble at Atherton since moving to Cairns five years ago.
The 42-year-old Abe has a total of 187 winners in a career which began in Australia in 2003.
"I rode track work in Japan but couldn't get an apprenticeship so I decided to come to Australia," Abe said.
"I started in Murwillumbah and became apprenticed in Alice Springs where I rode for two years in 2001-2003."
A full-time jockey, Abe rides track work at Cannon Park in Cairns for leading trainers Stephen Massingham and Trevor and Peter Rowe and includes among his winners this year's Johnstone River Handicap at Innisfail on the Massingham-trained Silent Explorer.
One of Abe's wins on Saturday was galloper Wishnowsky for trainer Louise Terzi.
Wishnowsky is part-owned by Terzi.
It was her second winner since taking out a trainer's licence two years ago after learning the trade with champion Tolga trainer Roy Chillemi over 12 years.
Several Chillemi-trained horses owned by Tom Hedley's partnership have been transferred to Terzi while Chillemi is on an overseas holiday break.
Meanwhile, Townsville jockey Scott Sheargold edged closer to a coveted career milestone with a treble at Home Hill on Saturday.
Sheargold's three winners from three rides took his career total to 497 from more than 5000 rides over the past 19 years.