Several jockeys rode winning doubles on metropolitan tracks around Australia on Saturday while ever consistent Kayla Crowther notched a treble at the Morphettville meeting. As sure as Christmas is coming, none was more elated than veteran Stephen Traecey who cleverly navigated Heavy 10 conditions on two winners at the Coffs Harbour meeting in northern NSW.
At sixty four years of age Stephen no longer enjoys the frequency of good rides he commanded for many years on NSW country tracks. Nowadays it’s a case of making the most of every opportunity and calling on the skills developed over almost fifty years in the saddle.
Those innate skills were evident in the first and last races at Coffs Harbour. Stephen and his wife Donna actually live on the racecourse grounds. He rides trackwork six mornings a week for several local trainers. To say he knows every blade of grass in the place is to use a hackneyed phrase, but is close to the truth.
Newitt makes it the first leg of a double for trainer Dan Edwards and Stephen Traecey at Coffs on Saturday - courtesy Trackside Photography.
Despite very heavy conditions a total of 68 horses contested the six race card. Inside horses were able to travel only two or three horses away from the fence until they reached the point of the turn, but from there on all runners headed to the outside section of the track. In the opening race Stephen had Newitt parked in fourth spot between horses coming to the turn, but brought him to the extreme outside on straightening up. Newitt made his run about four horses from the outside fence and was clearly on the best ground as he drew clear to win comfortably.
In the final race, the jockey got even wider on Cotton Caper to win the BM50 over the 1012m trip. This time he raced a little worse than midfield to the turn before angling to the extreme outside on straightening. Cotton Caper was within a horse and a half of the outside fence over the last 200m but cleared away to win by more than two lengths. For Stephen it was a very satisfying day. For trainer Dan Edwards it was a flying start to a training career which is only a few weeks old.
Cotton Caper makes it a double for the Edwards/Traecey combination at Coffs on Saturday - courtesy Trackside Photography.
After a lengthy stint as stable foreman for successful Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Bellamy, Dan recently decided to put into operation his long term dream of training in his own right. To notch a double so soon after going solo was fairy tale stuff. His support of Stephen Traecey was a clear illustration of his loyalty to the man who helped get the horses ready, and his respect for the jockey’s wide experience. Nobody seems to know how much longer that kind of experience will be available to Coffs trainers. Stephen’s likely retirement date remains a mystery.
Born in Balmain in 1956, Stephen is the son of Bill Traecey who rode successfully in northern NSW in the 60’s and 70’s. Young Stephen watched his father ride many times and resolved to follow in his footsteps at a very early age. Bill’s riding career stalled in the mid sixties when he suffered a nasty leg break, but he didn’t let the grass grow under his feet. He decided to take his family to NZ when he landed a job at Woodville as stable foreman to a man destined to achieve success at the elite level in Australia. At around nine years of age young Stephen was old enough to appreciate the talents and the friendly nature of Syd Brown. The Hall Of Fame trainer moved to Sydney in the early 70’s and still lives at Warwick Farm in his early 90’s.
Following a three year stay in NZ, the Traecey’s returned to Tamworth where Bill resumed his riding career. “He quickly got going again and rode a lot of winners on northern tracks,” recalled Stephen. “He actually rode well into his fifties which meant I got to ride work alongside him many times. In fact I was riding work at Tamworth at thirteen or fourteen years of age. Nobody ever queried my credentials. When Dad could see how desperate I was to be a jockey, he went right to the top.”
How could Stephen have imagined he'd be modelling sponsors colours many years down the track.
Theo Green wasn’t in need of another apprentice when Bill arranged an interview for his son. The master tutor already had John Duggan and Peter Stanley making good progress, and he’d just signed up a pixie-faced prospect from Forbes by the name of Malcolm Johnston. “Because of that early connection, Malcolm became my idol through the 1980’s,” said Stephen. “To this day I still believe he was the best balanced jockey of my era.”
The eager youngster was over the moon when he was signed up by Rosehill trainer Jack Norman who’d won the Golden Slipper a few years earlier with the flying filly Reisling. “Jack was very typical of his generation of horse trainers,” said Stephen. “He was tough and demanded maximum effort from staff. He could get a horse ready as he proved with Reisling, and the full brothers Magnus and Sibley during my time there. I broke my leg in a freakish trackwork accident not long before I was due to have my first race ride. I was laid up in hospital when Mr. Norman came in and politely told me I was of no use to him with a broken leg. He suggested I cancel my indentureship and move on. At least you knew where you stood with Jack Norman.”
Stephen hobbled back to Tamworth, and when fully recovered gained a start with Gunnedah trainer Bill Thompson. His new master provided his first race ride in March 1975 - an unplaced effort on Persopolis at Tamworth. The youngster was having his fifth ride when he experienced the unforgettable thrill of riding his first winner, scoring on the Thompson trained Indian Hemp at Gunnedah. Changing circumstances saw the jockey complete the latter stages of his apprenticeship with Peter Cleal at Grafton.
In 1987 the jockey was lucky to escape with his life when involved in a freakish motor accident on his way to trackwork at Grafton. He can only assume he fell asleep at the wheel, but to this day he’s not sure of the circumstances. “I left the road, sailed over a concrete culvert and headed bush,” says Stephen. “I went straight through the windscreen and the momentum carried me some twenty metres away from the car. A friend happened to be following and recognized my car as it left the road.
“By a freak of nature I didn’t break a single bone but suffered pretty traumatic head injuries. They airlifted me to the Royal North Shore Hospital where I spent several weeks before being moved to a rehab centre in the suburbs. Three months later, and still a long way from full recovery, I went home. I was 31 years old and super fit at the time. I think that fitness got me through a terrible time in my life.
Fourteen years after his horrific car accident Stephen was featured on the cover of the Daily Examiner July carnival supplement 2001.
“The brain trauma impacted me for a long time. I was disoriented for many months, some days worse than others. I couldn’t think straight and my confidence levels were very low. As I slowly improved I received a lifeline from Fred Worrad, a stipendiary steward with the Northern Rivers Racing Association. Fred encouraged me to take a job on the stewards panel. He felt I needed to be using my brain and finding a purpose in life again. Fred was right. Not only did his theory get me back into circulation, it eventually led to my return to the saddle. Mind you I was pretty useless on a horse for quite some time, but it slowly came back to me.”
Three years after the horrendous motor accident jockey S. Traecey was ready to don the silks again. On April 14th 1990 he resumed with six rides at Coffs Harbour. He failed to ride a winner, but three of his mounts were placed and he was well satisfied. Less than a month later, Stephen rode perhaps the most important winner of his career. He won a Class 5 race at Grafton on Our Ambition trained by his great friend and staunch supporter Ross Stitt. This was the win to reinvent him as a professional jockey. This was the win to restore his self belief. Ross Stitt remains one of the veteran jockey’s most ardent fans.
Greeting Ross Stitt after a win on Our Ambition in the 1990 Nambucca Cup at Bowraville. Ross says nobody rides Bowraville quite like Stephen Traecey.
“I put him on a long priced one at Kempsey not long ago and he got beaten a whisker,” said Ross. “Nobody could have ridden the horse better. He won a big number of races for me over a long period of years. He’s incredibly reliable, always fit and strong and a pillar of integrity. He gets on well with horses as he did with Stop A Punch. That remarkable old horse won 37 races, nine of them with Stephen. He won the James Kirby Quality at Grafton on the horse during a July carnival in the 1980’s. I remember a day at Bowraville when I had four runners. He won on all four. Nobody rides that tight little track like he does. NSW country racing has been better for the presence of Stephen Traecey.”
The Jacaranda city was to be the location of his twelve year association with John Shelton. When stable jockey Stuart Sargeant moved elsewhere in the 1990’s Stephen offered to ride regular work for Shelton. The partnership produced hundreds of winners in the region including the 2000 Ramornie Hcp with talented mare Mother’s Gift. Stephen rates the grey mare as the best horse he’s ridden in a race. John Shelton has lofty praise for Stephen Traecey, the jockey and the man.
“His work ethic was absolutely unfailing,” says John. “He never missed a morning at the track even though he lived at Coutt’s Crossing about eighteen kilometres from Grafton. I remember a time when the road was cut by floodwaters and I told him to have a morning off. I got the shock of my life when he turned up at the usual time. He found a way to get there, rather than let me down. He was loyal, trustworthy and very talented. They don’t make ‘em like Stephen Traecey anymore.”
With John Shelton after a brilliant win by Mother's Gift in the 2000 Ramornie Hcp.
Like many bush jockeys Traecey has no idea how many winners he’s ridden - he suspects it’s somewhere between 1300-1400. He’s won dozens of races on northern rivers horses at tracks like Ipswich, Eagle Farm and Doomben but he’s very clear on his Sydney statistics - one ride for a second placing. The date was November 20th 1984. It was a 1600m mares race on Miss Godson for Ross Stitt. He came from near last to run second to Roman Song with “Beaver” Schofield on board. He hasn’t ridden in Sydney since.
“Before the introduction of the TAB Highways, Grafton and Coffs Harbour horses tended to go to Brisbane rather than Sydney,” says Stephen. “I’ve had a good run in Queensland, but Sydney has always been foreign territory. You never know. I might fluke a ride on a Highway horse before I’m finished.”
Among his most treasured memories are an NRRA Jockeys Premiership in 1998/1999 and the few occasions he got to ride the legendary Takeover Target in exhibition appearances following his retirement from the track. “He was trained at Coffs by Joe Janiak who elected to keep him in light work until the novelty of his exhibition appearances wore off,” said Traecey. “I got to ride him in several easy workouts at home and in a number of guest appearances. It was quite surreal sitting on the back of a horse who’d won over five million dollars.”
Traecey's mount Oozes Class in the "squeeze box" at a recent Bowraville meeting.
Stephen is the proud dad of Alison, Israel, Brad and Taylor from previous marriages. All keep a close watch on his race riding career and would have noted with delight that the “old boy” had booted home a brace of winners on Saturday. Stephen is well aware that he’ll have to call time sooner rather than later on a career he’s loved. Anybody who dares ask, is greeted with the same answer. “Won’t be long now.” He’s been saying that for a long time.
“The biggest single factor holding me back is my love of horses and being on their backs,” said the veteran. “I probably shouldn’t be riding young inexperienced horses these days, but I can’t help myself. I think jumping on a green one every now and again keeps you sharp.”
Your guess is as good as mine. Greg Ryan told nobody about his retirement, preferring to drift away with not a hint of fuss. Robert Thompson kept everyone guessing before he finally made an official announcement. I’m hoping to get Stephen Traecey to officially declare his departure on one of our regular podcasts.
Whenever he makes it official and however he chooses to do it, he’ll leave one unshakeable legacy. Stephen Traecey respects the racing industry, and the racing industry respects him.
(Banner image - A beaming Stephen Traecey returns to scale on Cotton Caper at Coffs Harbour - his second win of the day - courtesy Trackside Photography.)