Billy Owen after the nice win.
Former Gundagai man and well-known Jockey Billy Owen was back in the winner’s circle at Goulburn races on Tuesday on board Extravagant Choice for trainer Nick Olive.
Billy said “Nick bought the horse himself. It’s a 5-year-old bay gelding by Extreme Choice out of Convention (GB). He’s only had it for this preparation and Goulburn was its fourth start for him.
“Without going there being arrogant, we were expecting the result we got. “It took a couple of starts to work him out because he’s an older gelding and you just have to work them out.
“I’ve only been back riding since the Tumbarumba meeting a couple of weeks ago. Albury got called off and then Bathurst got called off, but I think I’ve had seven rides back for a couple of winners.
“I came off a horse at track work and it wasn’t anything serious and then I just had a bit of time off over Christmas and New Year.
“It has taken a few weeks to really get back in the swing of things with my weight and things are starting to go in the right direction and a result here and there only helps that.
“I’ve got Sapphire Coast on today and then Holbrook Saturday and then Wagga Monday and Queanbeyan Tuesday.
“The next month or two are really busy with the Country Championships coming up and the heats etc. It’s good to keep busy.
“Nick’s got a couple of horses that are going really well at the moment, but I don’t know if I will get on them, but I’m just happy to fill in the pieces of the puzzles and get winners wherever it is at the moment and keep doing that until things warm up a bit more in a month or two. I’m sure I will get some more support if the results keep coming.
“With the rain that we’ve had the tracks have been really good. Goulburn was a heavy 8, but it was really good for a heavy track.
“I’ve found the tracks are holding up and they are doing a really good job.
“The Country Championships are coming up and are million dollar races, it’s the pinnacle for jockeys to get a ride in it. Even to have a ride in a heat is great. If you have a ride in the heat and you do qualify for the big one, you don’t know if you are going to keep the ride in the big one.
“I think the heats are $100,000 to $150,000 races. For us around here we are just happy to get the win and if they race on in the final that is great too.
“We are just happy to have a ride in the heat. I’ve got one in the Nowra heat, but I’m not sure about the Wagga heat but we will keep working on that.”
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.
