There were 78,500 people at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day 1976. Those still living, hold indelible memories of their visit to the historic course on the day mother nature threw a tantrum.
With rarely more than fifteen horses in work at his long-time Hawkesbury base, Terry Croft doesn’t expect to win premierships. He’s happy to simply identify the capabilities of every horse that comes his way, and leave no stone unturned in finding the right races for them.
In his heart Marc Quinn thought lightly raced Bomarea had a massive chance in Saturday’s 1000m TAB Highway and wasn’t afraid to say so in a couple of media interviews late last week.
Karen Owen and daughter Madeline provided one of NSW racing’s most touching moments of the year when they combined to win the $100,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Gold Cup with Sound And Vision on November 19th.
Peace Officer’s stylish win in Saturday’s Rosehill Midway completed a week of high elation for Warwick Farm trainer Clarry Conners. Only a few days earlier it was confirmed that the multiple Gr 1 winning horseman will be among this year’s inductees into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame.
Mark Minervini’s love affair with Randwick racecourse began when he was a race mad teenager growing up in Adelaide. He knew everything there was to know about local horses, but was also a regular listener to racing in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
“I can always tell when he’s ready to run a big race,” said trainer Sara Ryan of Friday’s Coffs Harbour Gold Cup winner Attractable. “When he’s at the top of his game he’s a nightmare as he comes off the training track at Kulnura.
With five runners engaged at Doomben on Saturday Matthew Dunn elected to head north from his Murwillumbah base, while long time deputy Holly Julius made the long trek to Rosehill Gardens with lone representative Eaglemont.
Those of us who habitually check race results in NSW and the ATC will be familiar with the name of G.P. Vella - a trainer who places his horses carefully and makes the most of every opportunity.
Now in her fourth decade as a trainer, Helen Page was chuffed to win Saturday’s Sunshine Coast two year old race with Trifling in the colours of long time clients and friends Frank and Christine Cook.
The practice of trying to forecast winners during the running of races is fraught with danger. Sometimes horses can enjoy a cosy trip and give the impression they have a tankful of petrol, only to be found wanting when they come off the bridle.
When you run into a horse trainer you haven’t seen for a while, it’s standard practice to inquire about the potential of the horses he or she happens to be training at the time. I posed that exact question to Gary Nickson last May.
“To use Rugby League jargon he needed a full season of first grade under his belt to make a real horse of him,” was John O’Shea’s assessment of Lost And Running after the gelding’s gutsy win in Saturday’s Premiere Stakes.
For Cassie Schmidt, a win in the G&R Timber Merchants Peter Schumacher Memorial Maiden with Gulf Of Tomini beat the heck out of any Group 2 victory at Moonee Valley.
A sombre mood has prevailed around Kerry Parker’s Kembla Grange stables these past eight weeks. Kerry and his team are still dealing with the massive disappointment of losing stable superstar Think It Over on the eve of the fabulously rich spring carnival.
The weekly TAB Highways have become something of a holy grail for NSW country trainers. Goulburn’s Tash Burleigh was beginning to think she’d never win one of the darn things.
