Sport
20 November, 2024
‘Choir Boy’ sings right tune
“The Winx of the North” were the first words of winning jockey Nathan Day as he dismounted Choir Boy, the 150th Cooktown Cup winning horse.
With 800m to go, both jockey and horse left the rest of the field standing to win by an eventual 11 lengths, at the same time achieving a course record of 1:45:45.
Prior to the start, trainers Ronnie and Janel Ryan seemed extremely confident with Choir Boy’s form.
“With his performances this year, he stands a very good chance of a win today” Mr Ryan said.
Winning horse owners were present from both Cairns and Port Douglas to cheer the six-year-old gelding down the final straight and collect the Cooktown Cup after the victory, plus the $13.300 prize money.
Joint owner Alec Coyle said “after a strong last few months, we all felt Choir Boy would be in the running at Cooktown”.
“To win the 150th cup by such a margin and in record time was extra special” he said.
Choir Boy now qualifies for the $200,000 Country Cups Challenge over 1600m to be held at the Brisbane Racecourse, Doomben on November 30.
With Nathan Day set to be the jockey again, it is hoped that this champion of the North will have further success at the end of the month.
Overall Cooktown Cup results: Choir Boy 1, Last Not Least 2, Battle Royale 3, Sizzling Sun 4.
A sunny day with a slight breeze made Cooktown Racecourse, as usual, a fantastic location to host its 150th annual Cooktown Cup on Saturday November 9. Large numbers made the trek north from the Douglas Shire, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Tablelands, plus further afield, many of whom made the historic town home for the weekend.
Read More: Far North
