 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2010) |
Frank Reys | |
|---|---|
| Born | c.1931 North Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 1984 (age 53) |
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Spouse | Noeline |
| Children | Christopher, Shelley, Debra |
Frank Reys (c.1931–1984) was an Aboriginal Australian jockey. He was the first, and as of 2022[update] the only Indigenous Australian jockey to win the prestigious Melbourne Cup when, in 1973, he rode to victory on Gala Supreme.
Reys' career began in Northern Queensland. He raced in North Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and country Victoria, winning his first ride in 1948 as a 16-year-old. In his career as a jockey he had 1,330 winning rides, made more impressive by the fact that there was only one metropolitan and one regional race meeting per week in those days. His 1973 Melbourne Cup win was his last. In winning his last race at 45 years of age in 1976, he bookended his career with winners.