Terry Fahey spent his professional rugby league career running into some of the true greats of the game and players considered some of the toughest to ever take to the field.
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So for him to say jockeys have the hardest job of any athlete is a pretty noteworthy comment.
Former Australian representative Fahey trains horses at Narromine these days and will have Sensacova, a relative newcomer to his stables, in action in Sunday's $37,000 Gilgandra Cup (1600m).
Highly-regarded apprentice Reece Jones has the ride for Fahey and while singing the praises of the promising hoop the man known as 'The Redfern Express' said all jockeys were deserving of a huge amount of credit.
"I reckon it's the hardest game of the lot," he said, adding he rated it harder than running into international defences.
"I think it would be. We're not possibly hitting the ground at 60 miles an hour.
"You've got to have some brains about you as well to really figure it out."
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Jones is someone Fahey thinks ticks all the boxes.
"I reckon he's one of the best going around," he said of the Scone-based Jones.
"He's riding winners everywhere ... I've been watching him and he's a bloody good jockey and I think he'll make the grade."
No apprentice has ridden more winners this season than Jones and he'll need all his skills on Sunday to help Sensacova overcome a horror draw in the annual Gilgandra feature.
The seven-year-old will make her third start for Fahey on Sunday and will jump from the extreme outside gate.
Sensacova also went from the widest gate last start in the Christmas Cup at Gunnedah.
"It's beautiful, isn't it," Fahey laughed.
"It's seems to happen a bit but she should go alright once we draw a gate."
That's not to say Fahey is writing off his mare's chances at Gilgandra.
We'll have a bit of fun with her because she can run.
- Terry Fahey on Sensacova
While he's been a small-time trainer for a number of years who's often found at picnic and non-TAB meetings, Fahey thinks he's got one he can "have a bit of fun with" in Sensacova.
Formerly trained by Marc Conners, Sensacova was a regular around the provincial tracks.
As she got older she found it a little tougher and Conners started to look to the country earlier this year and saw Sensacova run second in the Cootamundra Cup in August.
Fahey can see more country cups following Sunday's feature.
"That draw, for a little and tight track it might not do her any good so we'll just jump and hope," he said of Gilgandra.
"We'll have a bit of fun with her because she can run.
"She was only sold just because she wasn't good enough down there (provincial tracks) any more."
A number of scratching are expected ahead of the weekend, with the Damien Lane-trained top weight Oakfield Captain also accepted for Friday's meeting at Canterbury and Saturday's Provincial Summer Series Final at Wyong.
Among the western area chances are Universal Thief from the Wellington stables of Mick Mulholland and Mudgee trainer Bob Howe's Petain.
Hometown hope Kieren Hazleton will be hoping for a number of scratchings as on Thursday he had Bid To Fame and Zamali as the second and third emergencies.
The cup follows the annual Gilgandra Town Plate sprint on Sunday as part of a strong nine-race card.
The first jumps at 12.45pm.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
