Fab's Cowboy racing into the history books

By Jordan Gerrans

If bush marvel Fab’s Cowboy is to chalk up the magical 50 victory milestone this Saturday at Bundaberg, part-owner Paul Currin will be able to smile with pride about the remarkable journey the horse has taken him on.

Currin owns the popular galloper with his cousin, Elizabeth.

The Currin family bred their iron horse at Julia Creek in the state’s North West.

It was Paul’s uncle Fabian that bred the gelding, which sadly became the last horse he would be involved with before his death.

That is how he was handed his racing name - Fab’s Cowboy.

While ‘The Cowboy’ has become one of the more well-known racehorses in the Sunshine State in recent years, as Paul recalls, even making it to his debut race seemed unlikely in the early stages of the horse's life.

He was born in a sand yard on a stinking hot day at Julia Creek and Paul takes up the story from there.

“I handled him on his first day on the ground and he went over on his side and he laid there for half an hour,” Paul remembers.

“I spoke to my uncle at the time and we thought that was it, he was not going to live as he was struggling.

“But, he made it through. 

“Billy (Fab’s Cowboy’s trainer Bevan Johnson) did not think he would make it as a racehorse when he first saw him.”

A total of 49 victories later and almost $400,000 in career stakes, Fab’s Cowboy has most certainly made it as a racehorse.

After running third at his last start at Blackall earlier this month – beaten just over a length – the regional star is edging closer to his 50^th triumph.

He heads to Saturday’s Bundaberg Gold Cup with plenty of positives on his side.

He is racing at a track he loves – he has won three times and run second twice at the venue from six attempts.

He has a four kilogram claiming apprentice engaged – Mitch Goring – who is yet to ride a winner in his career.

Fab’s Cowboy has been known to hand jockeys their first victory as a youngster, with it happening on multiple occasions over the years.

Tyler Leslight was one of the jockeys who picked up their maiden victory on Fab’s Cowboy and he says the veteran gelding’s work this week point to a positive performance on Saturday.

Leslight is the Johnson barn's stable rider. 

“He has been going great,” Leslight said.

Raising the bat for a half century of victories will be a serious achievement if the 11-year-old does get there on Saturday or if it lobs in the coming weeks.

But, connections have their eyes on another milestone already once they get to 50.

A galloper by the name of Walk Cool – who raced at many of the tracks Fab’s Cowboy frequents – has 51 victories to his name.

Walk Cool ran his last race in August of 1995 and is now the target for the current day bush icon.

Walk Cool is regarded as the record holder for the modern era of racing in Australia.

The Miles-based Paul Currin thinks old Fab will be able to get there.

“Walk Cool has won the 51 so hopefully we can get to 52,” the part-owner says.

“He has run in the top three five times in his last 10 races so he is close.

“He has now run almost 30 seconds, with many of those happening over the last couple of years.”

Now stabled at Barcaldine after previously living in Moranbah and Miles, Fab’s Cowboy departed Barcaldine on Wednesday to make the long journey to Bundaberg.

The horse has seen plenty of Queensland in his 139 career starts.

He has won on multiple occasions at tracks such as Roma, Gladstone, Charleville, Bundaberg, Blackall, Moranbah, Barcaldine and Cunnamulla.

There is two areas he has not tasted victory in yet.

Fab’s Cowboy has not won in the city and he has not scored in the Far North Queensland racing district.

He has won in every other district in the state.

To race all over the state from his debut race in November of 2015 until today is a testament to his longevity and strength.

As Currin detailed, Fab’s Cowboy did not start his life perfectly and he was on the road in the back of a float for many hours before he faced the starter for the first time.

He was born in Julia Creek, broken in at Longreach by Paul, he then headed back to Julia Creek to be ridden before eventually going into work for the first time at Miles with the Johnson stable, with a stop in Longreach on the way.

Fab’s Cowboy is an iron horse for all of regional Queensland.

Paul says one day he will do the sums and chase up exactly how many kilometres Fab’s Cowboy has done around Queensland in the back of a float in his lifetime.

“Maybe after he gets 52 wins,” he said.

“The journey with the horse has been awesome, I would not even know how to describe it.”

As the 2022-23 racing campaign finishes in the coming days, old Fab is about to tick over to 12 years of age.

With that, usually comes the talk of retirement.

But, the Cowboy is sound – Currin says – and as his strong effort at Blackall earlier this month shows, he is going as good as ever.

“It would be criminal to stop him now, he is enjoying it,” the part-owner says.

“He loves to run, whenever he has a saddle put on him his chest just puffs up.”

Fab’s Cowboy is a remarkable story himself.

And, he has been a part of a number of fascinating stories in his career.

He provided Leslight – Australia’s first openly transgender jockey – with the maiden winner of his career.

And, it would be just as special if he could do the same for Goring this Saturday. 

Apprentice Mitch Goring is following in the footsteps of his late father Mark Goring.

Mark was thrown off his horse and sustained fatal head injuries in a race at Tatura in country Victoria as a 22-year-old.

Despite many in his life telling him he should not pursue becoming a jockey, Mitch earlier this year made his race riding debut.

He has taken 11 race rides without success so far.

For Currin, all signs point to a positive result come Saturday evening following the Bundaberg Gold Cup of 2023.

“He likes apprentices and getting those four kilograms off his back,” Currin said.

“He has had a fortnight off into this race. He likes the soft sand at Bundaberg and he has a great record there.

“He always puts in and never puts in a terrible run.”