WHEN Kooragang Island rigger Craig Dwyer fronted at Cessnock races in his work gear and dusty boots it was hard to imagine he would score a memorable win that day as a jockey.
But that is exactly what happened on Friday.
In a story inspired by his desire to fulfil a dream for his mum, Dwyer quickly changed from the work togs he wears daily into the shiny silks of a jockey so he could ride in the 1550-metre handicap.
Dwyer, 34, showed his skill in the saddle as he sooled Unravel straight to the front then coaxed him all the way down the straight to trounce his rivals.
Dwyer has been involved in racing since he started his apprenticeship with Rod Craig at Warwick Farm as a teenager and has had his ups and downs.
These days he combines racing with his job on Kooragang Island as a rigger.
He gets up at 3.20am and drives to Broadmeadow, where he works the four horses his dad Mick has in work.
One of those is Unravel, which these days he does not let out of his sight.
Craig then rides trackwork for leading trainers Darren Smith and David Atkins.
He then heads straight to his rigging work where he spends 10 hours each day.
When that is over he goes back to Broadmeadow where he breaks in horses for champion trainer Paul Perry.
"It is a long day, a tough grind and it was getting me down," Dwyer revealed.
"I love racing but I thought I might as well give it away and get some of my life back."
But then his mother, Carol, stepped in.
"Mum said she would love to get a picture on the wall of me riding a winner for my dad, and she asked me not to give away racing until I could do that," Dwyer said.
"I decided to keep going and get mum that picture of me scoring a win for dad."
On Friday he was engaged for just one ride at Cessnock.
"I was running late at work and did not have time to change before I went to Cessnock," he said.
"I turned up at the track in my work gear and I thought the stewards would have a go at my attire, but thankfully I think they realised I had been at work.
"The other jockeys just laughed and said hurry up, the race was nearly on.
"I got into my silks and I just knew this horse would win.
"He had been working like a bomb."
Unravel exploded when the gates opened and went straight to the lead.
"I was well in front but I could hear the others coming in the straight so I just said to my horse, 'Keep going, mate, keep going,' and he did the rest," Dwyer said.
It was not just his dad and mum who were cheering when Dwyer roared past the post first on Unravel.
The five-year-old was the centre of a huge plunge, firming from $3.20 into $1.90 favourite.
The feat was not lost on the jockeys in the riders' room.
They knew what hard work Dwyer had put in to achieve the dream of riding another winner. To a man they stood, clapped and cheered when he returned to the jockeys' room.
"That meant a lot to me," he said. "I was going to turn it up as soon as I won for Mum, but now I might just keep my licence so I can ride in trials and trackwork.
"Dad has some nice horses and you never know - we might get the chance to combine for another win and that would really make Mum happy."
So what was the first thing Craig did with his five per cent of the prizemoney?
"I ordered Mum that picture for the wall," Dwyer said.
"Then I got straight on the phone to tell her, but she had seen the race and was screaming down the line how great it was before I could get a word in."
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