By Cornelius Lysaght BBC racing correspondent

From Queanbeyan, Australia to Royal Ascot, UK is around 10,600 miles.

But jockey Jay Ford, 22, who partnered top Aussie sprinter Takeover Target to victory in the King's Stand Stakes on day one of the Royal meeting, admitted that it felt like a million miles.

Takeover Target, a cheaply bought "crock" with bad knees and few obvious prospects, has now been prepared by owner/trainer Joe Janiak, an ex-taxi driver, on the course at Queanbeyan, not far from Canberra, to win 12 races.

Ford has ridden Takeover Target to victory on 11 occasions

That total includes an impressive success in the Lightning Stakes in Melbourne, part of the Global Sprint Challenge for which a $1m (�540,000) bonus awaits the winner.

And, as this Seabiscuit-like romance came to perhaps world racing's most famous location for two races, jockey Ford, himself propelled into the limelight by the horse, spoke to BBC Sport.

Q: How far does this all feel from Queanbeyan?

A: [laughs] It is quite a long way to put it mildly. A million miles, really.

When he won his maiden at Queanbeyan, it was just an up the country meeting three hours out of Sydney for me.

There would have been maybe 200 people on the stand there and none of them could really have pictured him going anywhere like as far as he has gone.

He has done all his training there since day one, and he's still based there now.

Although he won that race by seven lengths, my immediate thoughts probably were that we had got a handy horse on our hands, and with more racing under his belt he might continue to get better and better.

Then we started to realise that our bloke was going places, but even then it was nothing compared to this.

Jockey Jay Ford and trainer Joe Janiak enjoyed Ascot success

If someone had said to me that we would end up at Royal Ascot, I'd have told them that they were dreaming.

It has been quite a remarkable story, and one that obviously I have enjoyed all the way along, continue to enjoy and hope to enjoy some more while we're over here.

Q: You describe him as "our bloke" almost as though he's become a bit of a mate.

A: It's hard not to form a bond with any good horse, but especially one like him. I have ridden him since day one and I've been on board for every victory, so of course he's a mate.

He's taken me to big heights, and opened doors for me, so naturally wherever he goes I'm going to follow.

He's a very professional racehorse who takes everything in his stride.

Early days, he was a bit gung-ho, but now he has matured a bit and has really developed into a pro.

He's just got a massive heart and a real will to win - that is probably his best asset.

Everything he does he has got to be the best at, so he puts himself in good stead for winning.

Actually Joe [Janiak, Takeover Target's trainer] occasionally slips him a mouthful of beer when he's in the paddock having a break, and I think that he quite enjoys it.