Double Day for Nathan

Popular jockey Nathan Day hinted at better things to come in the remaining months of the season after a classy winning double at Cluden Park today.

Day landed two winners from just four rides and is now in the top 10 in Queensland with a tally of 47 wins.

He opened the day with a cheeky front running win on Bold Spice in the Brown Brothers Mdn Hcp (1400m) and steered the Terry Butts-trained Cleo’s Poet to a grinding win Benchmark 70 Hcp (1609m).

“I’ve had 390 rides and I’m just about to 50 winners and I’m pretty happy with that,” the Brisbane-hoop said.

“I’m just about to take on Glenn Davis as my manager and I think that’ll be a big help.

“Up until now I’ve been doing it myself and it’s been all over the place, booking rides weeks out and sometimes even double booking. 

“Glenn contacted me and said he’d like to take me on and I said let’s have a go.”

Day said he couldn’t believe his luck with the cheap sectionals he was able to set in front on the Georgie Holt-trained roughie Bold Spice ($12).

“Seriously, they let me run 18s in front. I was counting it off. They just left me alone and I was able to set silly sectionals,” Day said.

“It was only a maiden but he’s a nice horse.”

In contrast, the win on Cleo’s Poet, who was backed from $5 into $2.7, had to overcome an early setback.

Expected to contest the lead, Cleo’s Poet threw his head around as the gates opened and missed his cue.

Day was forced to settle the front runner worse than mid-field and make a dash around the field from the home turn.

“I was really pleased to win for Buttsy who’s had a rough trot with his health,” Day said. 

“He was in hospital having surgery today and I really wanted to win it for him.

“Our plan was to lead, but that went out the window early. What saved us was the very fast pace. He’s a hard horse to ride but that sort of tempo suited him today.

“I hope it gives Buttsy a lift.”

Day’s double lifted him to 15 wins, just two off the pace in the Cluden jockeys’ premiership race.

Roy Chillemi extended his lead in the Townsville trainers’ premiership with a winning treble.

Chillemi, who now has 19 Cluden winners for the season, won with debutante two-year-old Palencia, Willygood and classy sprinting mare Oriental Girl.

Palencia was a surprise late pick up ride for Graham Kliese after Brad Pengelly was unable to make the weight.

But Pengelly bounced back in professional style with a superb ride to land the money for trainer Bill Kenning and the Bubbles Syndicate on the heavily-backed Shepherd of Fire in the last, the MM Class 2 Hcp (1200m).

Pictured: Georgie Holt trained Bold Spice after winning race 1 thanks to a stunning ride from jockey Nathan Day.  

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.