Heritage
Because Frank Reys father was Filipino, there was some controversy about whether Frank was Aboriginal, especially since Reys referred to his background as being Filipino. He believed that it would have hindered his prospects had he admitted openly to his aboriginal heritage. There were also concerns about the history of his maternal grandmother. His Aboriginal mother was the daughter of a woman of the Djiribul people of Northern Queensland, who, along with her siblings, was a member of the Stolen Generation. Frank's daughter Shelley Reys once said: "...My father was one of the nine. His name was Frank, the first child in this second round of children. They knew that life could be difficult if certain standards were not adhered to, a silent understanding to maintain their Filipino heritage, build their standing amongst the community on such a heritage and only then could the family remain intact, free from being removed from their parents and free from the many struggles that other Aboriginal families faced. This does not in any manner suggest that they were not proud of their Aboriginal heritage." Frank Reys was both Aboriginal and Filipino. His family was proud of their Aboriginal heritage, but also just as proud of their Filipino heritage.
Frank Rey's place in history as the first Aboriginal jockey to win the Melbourne Cup has also been contested by John Cutts on Archer in the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 and Peter St. Albans on Briseis in the Melbourne Cup of 1876. Neither of these jockeys, however, was Aboriginal, despite the legends that have risen up around them.
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