Magic 50 for Adam

By Brad Kingsbury
STAR Pakenham picnic racing jockey Adam Bodey finally achieved a long-standing ambition at Yea on Saturday when he booted home 50 winners in a season.
The reigning Victorian champion amateur jockey, who is shooting for an amazing 10th consecutive picnic riding premiership this season, has been close to the magical half century a number of times, but circumstances including injury and suspension have conspired to keep him waiting to tick off the goal.
That changed in the first race at Yea, when Bodey rated the Jim Conlan trained Christies perfectly to win by more than a length and make it 50 wins for the 2009-2010 season.
And the popular Pakenham horseman was not finished there.
Bodey celebrated his achievement by finishing first in four of the six events on the program including the feature Yea Picnic Cup on Vorenus, again for Conlan.
His other victories were on his own galloper Gold Viper in the fourth race and in the final event on It’s Wine O’clock for Pakenham trainer Dianne Clover.
Adam has set his sights on the magical 50 wins for much of his nine-year reign as the state’s leading picnic rider and was thrilled to achieve the mark in front of his young family (wife) Kristie and daughters Tayla and Jade, together with a group of friends and supporters.
“It was great and I couldn’t have scripted the day any better,” he said.
“I was confident going into the day, because I woke up grumpy. I always ride better when I’m a bit angry,” he chuckled.
“It’s something I set myself to do in my career, but it certainly took a while to get there.”
Bodey still has five meetings to go before the 2009-2010 season is finished and now has his sights on the record of 56 winners set by former top picnic rider and friend Gavin Brady.