Jockey Nathan Day making the most of holiday in the north

By Garry Dell

Top North Queensland jockey Nathan Day is making the most of a "bushman's" holiday.

Day, who is riding track work for leading Cairns trainers Stephen Massingham and Fred Wieland, ventured out to Mount Garnet for the weekend's two-day racing festivities and landed a haul of five winners, including the $20,000 Mount Garnet Cup.

Day rode a treble on opening day, including the first race for trainer Alex Malliff, and completed a double for Malliff aboard Love On Sunday in the Cup.

"It's been a great weekend," Day said

"I rode winners for Fred and Stephen and it's good to get out into these little places for a change.

"But, there was still stiff competition from Lacey Morrison, Scott Sheargold and Graham Kliese as well as young Isabella Teh, so it felt a bit like the regular meetings on the provincial circuit.

"The club here have done a great job preparing everything for their annual festivities and have gone out of their way to look after the jocks.

"The track was well grassed and raced truly.

"I know I took off a bit early in the Cup but my horse missed the kick slightly but we got a break on them and he held on well to stave off the challenges in the straight."

Jockeys Sheargold and Morrison also rode doubles over the two days with Morrison's win on the Sharlee Hoffman-trained Merry Old Soul a breakthrough for the regally-bred filly.

Mount Garnet Amateur Turf Club officials were delighted with the success of the two days, highlighted by record crowds.

Club historian Peta O'Connor, a daughter of Dinny Lucey, prepared an outstanding display of historical photographs and newspaper clippings which attracted plenty of interest for those to follow the 85 years of racing at Len Lucey Memorial Park.