Byrne bags five on Australia Day
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Jim Byrne has had a royal ride of late culminating in his five winners at Doomben on Australia Day (Noel Pascoe photo)
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Jockey Jim Byrne had his own reason to celebrate on our nation’s day collecting five wins at Doomben on Tuesday, January 26.
The top hoop becomes only the 10th jockey in Queensland racing history to complete the feat on a metropolitan track.
The illustrious honour board includes Bill Briscoe, Graham Cook, Mick Dittman, Gavan Duffy, Len Hill, Russell Maddock, Mike Pelling, Ivan Wernowski, Brian York and the newest inductee, Byrne.
The in-form jockey has previously ridden five winners in a Queensland meeting at Ipswich (1999) and twice at the Sunshine Coast (2004 and 2005).
However, his most recent bag of five came from offshore. “Macau was the most recent. I had seven rides and rode five winners and a second,” said Byrne.
“The best I’ve ever done is five from five (at Ipswich 1999).”
Byrne began his haul in race one, the B105 Open Handicap 2200m, with the ride of the day onboard the Maryann Thexton-trained Showciti.
After enduring a walking pace for the first 1000 metres, Byrne shot the five-year-old gelding from near last to set the pace and could not be reeled in down the Doomben straight.
This set his momentum for the rest of the day as Byrne rode positively to guide Fly With Me, Purr of Glory, Red Sphere and Johnnieontherocks home to victory.
The 38-year-old’s five wins and a third, on Tough Luck, came from only seven rides at the sweltering Australia Day meeting.
Byrne has thrown the already hotly contested metropolitan jockeys premiership into a spin with his recent results, which include a double at Eagle Farm on Saturday, January 23.
Fellow jockey Larry Cassidy, who looked to have a stranglehold on the premiership, now trails Byrne by three wins with Stathi Katsidis breathing down their necks.
QUEENSLAND Racing web news: Ross Dowd – January 27
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