Michael Cahill got the perfect send off for his annual mid-year holiday with a win on NSW country galloper Solitaire Princess at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Cahill surrendered his Brisbane jockeys' premiership to Tim Bell on the final day of last season but still rode 109 winners overall.
He will take his family on a 12-day holiday starting on Monday and miss at least the next three metropolitan race meetings.
"At this stage I will probably take rides at the August 23 meeting at Doomben," Cahill said.
"It has been a long year and it would be good to get away with the family and have a freshen up.
"I have been having one of those trots where everything seems to go wrong so a little break won't do me any harm."
Cahill was impressed with Solitaire Princess who is trained in Scone by Greg Bennett.
"She can win a few more races in Brisbane. It was a solid effort," Cahill said.
Solitaire Princess was one of a growing number of NSW country trained horses racing in Brisbane.
Trainer Jeff McCarter, who is in semi retirement on the Gold Coast, found himself strapping five NSW visitors on Saturday when Newcastle airport was fog bound.
"A lot of the stable reps couldn't get here and I have ended up in charge of them," McCarter said.
"I think you will find the NSW trainers will come here a lot more in the next few months because our races are easier to win while the carnivals are on in Sydney."
It was a big day for McCarter who strapped the first winner, Fine Bubbles, for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees.