The bush jockey going from riding hacks to taking on Winx

Ben Dorries - Thursday October 5

From riding hacks to taking on Winx.

Advertisement
Journeyman bush jockey Christopher Brown will pull up at Flemington in his trusty Ford Kuga Diesel to take on Winx in the Turnbull Stakes.

It's all in a week's work for journeyman former jumps jockey Christopher Brown who last Saturday was riding bush battlers at Pooncarie, a quiet village in south-western NSW which Burke and Wills once passed though.

On Saturday the 46-year-old larrikin former Kiwi, who rides at plenty of off-the-beaten track locations such as King Island in Tasmania, will take his first city ride in Melbourne.

And it's not just any city ride.

It might be on a $301 outsider that has no chance of winning, but Brown doesn't give a stuff about such trivial matters.

Signed up to take the ride on Magicool and tangle with Winx in the Group I Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, he just wants to enjoy the ride.

Not that his mum has quite realised the enormity of the moment.

"I'm a Group I jockey now, you can't take that away from me," Brown laughed.

"I rang my Mum in New Zealand and I was so excited when I told her I would be riding against Winx.

"She had no idea who Winx was, and I had to explain to her she was the world's best horse.

"To be honest I'm just going to go out in this race and have a bit of fun.

"Even though we can't probably beat Winx, I will try to.

"Who would have thought I'd be even getting a ride in the city, let along in a Group I race?

"A few years ago I was struggling to get a license and I was just riding at the picnics.

"It would be a real rags to riches story in a lot of ways and Magicool and I happened to spring a big upset."

Brown's motto is have saddle will travel and he hops in his trusty Ford Kuga diesel and goes just about anywhere and everywhere for a ride.

He lives in a small town not far from Seymour and got the Magicool ride through his association with trainer Tony Romeo.

Brown was a jumps jockey for more than a decade in the north island of New Zealand before he moved to Australia two decades ago to help out fellow Kiwi Graeme Rogerson around his stables.

He also worked for Gai Waterhouse for a while.

Brown gave up riding for 13 years but fell in love with the saddle again a few years back.

"I probably ride in various locations across three or four states," he said.

"I'm a real bush jockey, I can't afford the plane flights, so I just hop on the road and drive to wherever I have got to get to.

"I've ridden in all sorts of places in the bush and it's always a fun time, there are a lot of little communities who put on a good race day."

While Brown has never ridden at Flemington, he isn't completely unfamiliar with the place.

He has strapped horses there for Benalla trainer Peter Smith and also for the likes of Peter Moody and Rick Hore-Lacy.

But it will be an entirely different feeling if Brown and Magicool are eyeballing the mighty Winx at any stage during the Turnbull.

Even if that happens 1600m from the finishing post.

"It would be great to be next to Winx at some stage in the race and that will probably happen early, as I am drawn alongside her," Brown said.

"I just hope someone gets a picture of me riding Magicool with Winx just over my shoulder."

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday June 6
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
€1.85million Sale-Topping Frankel Filly Wins Epsom Oaks for Coolmore
The Group I Epsom Oaks (1m4f) had a raging hot favourite in undefeated Godolphin entry Desert Flower, but she came up short in her first try at the classic trip going down to finish third behind the Aidan O’Brien trained duo Minnie Hauk (Frankel and Whirl (Wootton Bassett).
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.
Kicked out of Australia - Jan Brueghel Wins G1 Coronation
The horse kicked out of Australia last spring as not having suitable scans to race in the Melbourne Cup, Jan Brueghel showed just what we missed out on seeing when taking out the Group I Betfred Coronation Cup (1m4f) at Epsom overnight.
Hellbent's Sunrays Shines With Consecutive Stakes Wins
Saturday’s opening race at Eagle Farm, the Listed $160,000 BRC Show A Heart Stakes (1500m) saw Kelly Schweida’s talented Hellbent filly Sunrays record her second black type victory.
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
Lucrative Pay Day For Adiella In Magic Millions National Classic
Coming off a last start second in the Group 3 Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Mile (1600m), the Improving 4yo The Mission mare Adiella recorded her sixth carer victory, adding the $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic to her record.
Third Group 1 Victory For Zoustar’s Sensational Joliestar
Cambridge Stud's outstanding Zoustar mare Joliestar was simply sensational, charging late to win the $1m BRC Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm, her third Group 1 victory.
First Group Victory For $3.5m Earner Front Page
Having raced at Flemington, Rosehill and Ascot at his last three starts, the Matthew Dale trained Front Page travelled to his fourth different state in as many starts, winning the $300,000 G2 BRC Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm.
Capitalist Colt Records Back To Back Wins
Off the back of an explosive victory last time out at Hawkesbury when breaking his maiden by just shy of four lengths, Nathan Doyle’s Hidden Motive (Capitalist) justifiably jumped the short-priced favourite in the $160,000 Precise Air Handicap (1100m) at Randwick.