The fabulous Fab’s Cowboy roadshow continues on Saturday at a country non-tab meeting at Moranbah.
That’s all of 1600km from racing’s Saturday’s Golden Slipper showpiece and, at best, it might get a small blimp on the news radar … which you might miss if you blink.
That’s all quite understandable in the big picture, but, as a country local hero, Fab’s Cowboy deserves his time in the spotlight, particularly as the sun is starting to set on the twelve-year-old’s career who, under the age-related rules of racing, will be forced into retirement at the end of the season.
Last time out Fab’s Cowboy claimed his fifty-second race victory which established a new Australian modern day winning record as it took Fab’s Cowboy past the fifty-one wins recorded by Walk Cool in the late eighties and nineties.
Another celebratory layer was added to that record breaking win courtesy of the fact that trainer Bevan Johnson’s daughter Dakota Graham was the rider who guided Fab’s Cowboy to that historic victory.
There could be another record in the offing or already achieved … this would have to be double checked … as apart from those fifty-two wins, Fab’s Cowboy has also finish in second or third place on forty-three occasions … which means he has finished in the first three in no less than an incredible ninety-five races … this from one hundred and fifty starts.
Just five short of a magical one hundred placed runs with just over three months of the season left. Maybe a new countdown is on … although chasing any goal will always take second place to Fab Cowboy’s well-being.
On Saturday, the next stepping-stone facing Fab’s Cowboy has him facing five rivals.
Johnson has elected to claim off the 65kg Fab’s Cowboy had been set to carry, booking the 4kg claimer Mel Campbell for Saturday’s ride but, even with that relief, Fab’s Cowboy will still be giving chunks of weight to all his opponents.
Talk about a blend of youth and experience. This will only be Campbell’s fourth race ride.
The winner of this race on Saturday will receive $6800. If that is Fab’s Cowboy, it will take his career earnings to an impressive $431 230.
Fab’s Cowboy (Greenwood Lake – Real Live Woman) is owned by Miss E Currin and Mr P Currin and the gelding has been trained from day one by Bevan Johnson … his career dating as far back as November 21, 2015 when he finished more than ten lengths back on debut.
Connections had to wait another six runs before Fab’s Cowboy landed his first win in his seventh start (at Gladstone) on June 4, 2016.
The rest as they say … quite literally … is history!
