Veteran jockey Kevin Sweeney got a perfect late Christmas present with a dominant day at Queanbeyan, and leading trainer Frank Cleary declared age is no barrier for the star hoop.
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While most spent Christmas Day filling up on ham, turkey, pork and pudding, the 59-year-old Sweeney was on a tight regimen to prepare for Queanbeyan on Thursday and Canberra on Friday.
He had two wins and three seconds out of five rides at Queanbeyan, including teaming with Cleary to pilot Hawaiian Heart to victory in the third race.
Sweeney has ridden in more than 430 races this year and will back up at Canberra on Friday with rides in all eight races.
''They don't get much better than Kevin Sweeney,'' Cleary said.
''He's one of the best around and when you've got him on board you always trust him and you're never worried. He just takes them into his own lap and that's why he's such a great jockey and he has been for a long time.''
Hawaiian Heart has battled injuries for the past year and Cleary said he would take a cautious approach with the four-year-old mare before deciding on her next start.
Cleary hopes the biggest Boxing Day crowd of his career is the first step to re-energising racing across the border. But despite about 2000 people watching the five races on Thursday, QRacing chief executive Brendan Comyn says there's no plans to transform the day into a TAB meeting.
Cleary was so impressed with the crowd he said TAB status was the next step to making the family race day bigger and better.
''A TAB meeting is definitely down the track, this is one of the biggest crowds I've seen and I've been here for a long, long time,'' Cleary said.
''Since Brendan has been in, it's been promoted better and today was perfect for it. They'd have to increase prizemoney to become a TAB meeting, I'd say it's well and truly on the cards, it certainly wouldn't be a failure.''
Comyn said the crowd was up by almost 500 compared with last year's turnout.
''The weather is great and it's a good family day with jumping castles and face painting,'' Comyn said.
''But there's no plans to be a TAB day, it's no advantage to us because we get the prizemoney subsidised back. The Queanbeyan Cup, Boxing Day and maybe Mother's Day … that's what you rely on. But there's no likelihood of getting this upgraded to a TAB meeting.''
Meanwhile, the Guy Walter-trained Loceano will be aiming for his third win in as many starts when the three-year-old gelding runs in the class-two, 1200-metre opener at Canberra on Friday.
