Thanks for checking in on Tappy’s Racing Yarns.

Whenever you see a winner flash past the post in the Laurel Oak colours you can be sure a large group of owners will be cheering themselves hoarse. The cheering was louder than ever at Eagle Farm on Saturday when Kintyre continued his recent consistent form with a Gr 2 Queensland Guineas win.

It was a career defining moment for former Port Macquarie apprentice Cejay Graham, currently one of Brisbane’s most in demand jockeys. Trainer Gary Portelli was delighted that Kintyre was able to win this one on his merits, after having won the Frank Packer Plate on protest two weeks earlier. Laurel Oak boss Louis Mihalyka acknowledged the win as another chapter in the stud career of emerging broodmare gem Mull Over. We take a look at the 2024 edition of one of Queensland’s oldest races.

It’s high time we presented a podcast with a major player from the amateur racing ranks. The picnics are currently enjoying the flow on effect of prize money increases put in place a couple of years ago by Racing NSW. Ask any follower to nominate a short list of the best amateur riders in NSW, and you can guarantee Ricky Blewitt’s name will be on or near the top.

Taking his weekly workload into account Ricky may well be the busiest of all amateur participants. He rides trackwork most mornings at Narromine for partner Kylie Kennedy, before starting his job as full time racecourse manager. On many Saturdays you’ll find him with a full book of rides at a picnic race meeting, sometimes a long way from Narromine. This is a nice yarn with an outstanding horseman.

It’s time to acknowledge the winner of the Pryde’s EasiFeed Country Trainer Of The Month Award for April 2024. With a team of just five horses in work Dubbo trainer Cindy Monaghan contested ten races for the month. She saddled up four winners including a double on her hometrack, and two second placings. That’s an impressive strike rate and well worthy of the award.

Tappy

(Banner image courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)

 

Proudly supported by:

 
 

JOHN TAPP RACING PODCAST

Featured
Episode 473: Tappy chats with Ricky Blewitt - A whizz at the picnics
Episode 473: Tappy chats with Ricky Blewitt - A whizz at the picnics

This is a long overdue chat with one of the most respected riders in the Australian amateur ranks. When not competing at faraway picnic meetings, Ricky Blewitt can be found riding trackwork at Narromine before starting his full time job. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

Episode 472: Tappy chats with Scott Singleton
Episode 472: Tappy chats with Scott Singleton

Five years ago Scott Singleton found that he was spending much more time on the road to country race meetings than he was at city and provincial meetings. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

Episode 471: Tappy chats with Shane Scriven
Episode 471: Tappy chats with Shane Scriven

I’ve had a number of verbal and email requests to provide a podcast with a former top Queensland jockey who enjoyed a distinguished career despite a torturous battle with weight. (CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

TAPPY'S TURF TOPICS 

Featured
CEJAY AND GARY DELIVER A GROUP 2 FOR YET ANOTHER HAPPY LAUREL OAK SYNDICATE
CEJAY AND GARY DELIVER A GROUP 2 FOR YET ANOTHER HAPPY LAUREL OAK SYNDICATE

When Jamie Kah elected to ride in Adelaide on Saturday, trainer Gary Portelli wasted no time in recommending Cejay Graham to Kintyre’s many owners as a worthy replacement jockey in the Gr 2 Queensland Guineas.

Read More →
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL 2024
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL 2024

Cindy Monaghan can be justifiably proud of her training statistics for the month just gone. The Dubbo trainer had only five horses in the stable during April and all earned their keep.

Read More →
TO HONG KONG AND BACK - FATE BROUGHT DIAMOND DIESEL TO THE DUGGAN STABLE
TO HONG KONG AND BACK - FATE BROUGHT DIAMOND DIESEL TO THE DUGGAN STABLE

Adam Duggan was watching his eleven year old son Jack competing in a Central Coast basketball match when distracted by the shrill ringtone of his mobile phone.

Read More →
WET OR DRY - IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO MAGIC TIME
WET OR DRY - IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO MAGIC TIME

 What a comforting thing it is for any owner, trainer or jockey to be involved with a horse capable of delivering a peak performance no matter what the conditions.

Read More →
PRIDE OF JENNI DID IT HER WAY
PRIDE OF JENNI DID IT HER WAY

For those who’d supported Pride Of Jenni it was an exciting watch. For those who’d backed any one of her eight rivals it was a frustrating experience.

Read More →
FORMER JOURNALIST DOUG GORREL WAS HAPPY TO LET OTHERS WRITE HIS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP STORY.
FORMER JOURNALIST DOUG GORREL WAS HAPPY TO LET OTHERS WRITE HIS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP STORY.

When you’ve trained the winner of a one million dollar Country Championship Final at Royal Randwick you’re entitled to celebrate accordingly…

Read More →
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH AWARD MARCH 2024
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH AWARD MARCH 2024

March turned out to be a bittersweet month for Dubbo trainer Dar Lunn. His five wins for the month included the all important Country Championship Qualifier at Coonamble with Elson Boy.

Read More →
BANDI’S BOY COMES OFF A GR 3 WIN TO THE COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
BANDI’S BOY COMES OFF A GR 3 WIN TO THE COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

When Shelby Sixtysix grabbed Gr 1 glory in the 2022 Galaxy, trainer Danny Williams was confident he had another one at home likely to tread a similar path.

Read More →
CLIFF CLARE 1930-2024. ONE OF THE LAST OF THE OLD BRIGADE
CLIFF CLARE 1930-2024. ONE OF THE LAST OF THE OLD BRIGADE

Ray Selkrig, Bill Camer and Cliff Clare were close in age and carved out distinguished careers for themselves in an era when the Sydney riding ranks were as strong as they’ve ever been.

Read More →
EVERGREEN GRISEDALE DOMINATES AT KEMPSEY
EVERGREEN GRISEDALE DOMINATES AT KEMPSEY

Chris Parnham’s four win haul at Ascot on Saturday was almost certainly Australia’s best riding performance numerically. At Rosehill Gardens James McDonald calmly snared a black type treble including the Gr 1 Coolmore Classic on Zougotcha.

Read More →

TAPPY'S TROTS TOPICS 

Featured
MOONBI MARVEL DEAN CHAPPLE IS COMING UP 750 WINS AND STILL COUNTING
MOONBI MARVEL DEAN CHAPPLE IS COMING UP 750 WINS AND STILL COUNTING

There was one heart stopping incident in the mid seventies which could have halted Dean Chapple’s love affair with harness racing before it got off the ground.

Read More →
D.J. “JOHNNY” HEATH - A TRUE HARNESS RACING AFICIONADO
D.J. “JOHNNY” HEATH - A TRUE HARNESS RACING AFICIONADO

There’s nothing I’ve enjoyed more over the years than the many conversations I’ve had with veteran horsemen - especially harness horsemen who were around in the days when the sport was drawing big crowds all around Australia.

Read More →
THIS VIDEO MAY TEMPT YOU TO BUY A TROTTER
THIS VIDEO MAY TEMPT YOU TO BUY A TROTTER

You’ll be hard pressed to find a horseman who isn’t enamoured of the sight of a talented trotter in full flight. Power Productions have kindly allowed me access to a video production highlighting the poetry of the trotting horse and the devotion of those who train them.

Read More →
HONDO GRATTAN SPARKED WAYNE DIMECH’S SLIDING DOORS MOMENT
HONDO GRATTAN SPARKED WAYNE DIMECH’S SLIDING DOORS MOMENT

Wayne Dimech was in his mid-teens when Hondo Grattan was dominating the harness racing headlines in the early 1970’s. He had obviously inherited the harness racing genes from his Maltese forebears.

Read More →
SPUD VERNING CAN’T KEEP AWAY FROM HARNESS HORSES
SPUD VERNING CAN’T KEEP AWAY FROM HARNESS HORSES

Ian Verning doesn’t mind his life long nickname of “Spud” although he is frustrated by the fact that he has no idea of its origins.

Read More →
BRAD ELDER’S SIZZLING SEVEN IN TWO DAYS
BRAD ELDER’S SIZZLING SEVEN IN TWO DAYS

Australian harness racing currently boasts a plethora of talented drivers in the 20-25 age bracket. Those who appear regularly on metropolitan tracks enjoy the bulk of available media attention.

Read More →
BRAD HEWITT MAKES A STATEMENT ON THE MIRACLE MILE UNDERCARD, AND BAGS ANOTHER THREE ON TUESDAY
BRAD HEWITT MAKES A STATEMENT ON THE MIRACLE MILE UNDERCARD, AND BAGS ANOTHER THREE ON TUESDAY

Trainers lucky enough to have a runner at a major trots meeting are conscious of the atmosphere only big time racing can generate. Miracle Mile night is something else again.

Read More →
PENRITH EXCURSION PAYS OFF FOR DARREN HANCOCK
PENRITH EXCURSION PAYS OFF FOR DARREN HANCOCK

There’s no better pointer for punters than a Darren Hancock trained horse turning up at Penrith. The leading horseman has been an unabashed fan of the 1400m Menangle circuit since its inception in 2008

Read More →
THE MCGILLS KEEP IT ALL IN THE FAMILY AT PENRITH’S END OF YEAR MEETING
THE MCGILLS KEEP IT ALL IN THE FAMILY AT PENRITH’S END OF YEAR MEETING

The 2022 Penrith racing year concluded on December 29th with what looked to be a run of the mill programme on paper. It took a rare training double by father and daughter duo David and Katie McGill, to inject a little “buzz” into the night.

Read More →
SEAN GRAYLING MAKES A STATEMENT AT MENANGLE
SEAN GRAYLING MAKES A STATEMENT AT MENANGLE

Sean Grayling is emerging as a pretty serious race driver, and he appears to have a good handle on the art of training a harness horse.

Read More →

FOLLOW TAPPY ON SOCIAL 

Instagram

Shane Scriven talks about a career that brought 1500 winners, 6 Gr 1’s and a Brisbane Jockeys Premiership. To stay in the game for 3 decades he had to live a torturous lifestyle. He’s a good storyteller.⠀ (link in bio)⠀ @SkyRacingAU @raci
In a two part podcast our guest is retired jockey Shane Scriven who quit the saddle 8 years ago to become a Racing Queensland jockey tutor. In a 33 year career, Scriven proved himself to be one of Australia’s best jockeys.⠀ (link in bio)⠀ @SkyR
We profile Scott Singleton, a young trainer who learned the art of riding and horse management on his grandfather’s property near Penrith. He had a brief stint as an amateur jockey before turning to training. Scott began his training career in

Twitter