Gallops, Horse Racing, John Tapp Racing, Racing History, Racing NSW, Sky Racing
John Tapp
1976 - A MELBOURNE CUP TO REMEMBER

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.

1976 - A MELBOURNE CUP TO REMEMBER

Horse Racing

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SHANE’S A LONER WHEN THE BIG RACES COME ON

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SHANE’S A LONER WHEN THE BIG RACES COME ON

Shane Nichols watched the Futurity Stakes from his usual spot in the Caulfield stand. With absolutely no disrespect towards Streets Of Avalon’s five owners and their friends and families, the trainer preferred to collect his thoughts and closely observe the running of the race on the big screen.

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GORDON RICHARDS WAS JUST KILLING TIME WHEN HE FOUND A GROUP 1 WINNER

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GORDON RICHARDS WAS JUST KILLING TIME WHEN HE FOUND A GROUP 1 WINNER

Gordon and Jacqui Richards were booked on a Sunday evening flight from Melbourne to Adelaide on February 26th 2017. This had been a deliberate ploy, just in case their promising three year old Benz happened to win the Zeditave Stakes at Caulfield the previous day.

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BRADLEY PHOTOS STIR MEMORIES OF A BRILLIANT EARLY SLIPPER WINNER

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BRADLEY PHOTOS STIR MEMORIES OF A BRILLIANT EARLY SLIPPER WINNER

Of the twenty eight fillies to win the Golden Slipper, none have gone into the great race with more miles on the clock than the 1965 winner Reisling.

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ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE RACHAEL’S ON THE ROAD AGAIN

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ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE RACHAEL’S ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The racing industry revolves around people who are prepared to go the extra yards. In the case of trainers, attention to the smallest detail can make the difference between winning and losing. In the case of jockeys, it’s a fact of life that race day rewards are generated by regular attendance at track work.

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STEVE HART CATCHES UP WITH 2GB’S MARK LEVY

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STEVE HART CATCHES UP WITH 2GB’S MARK LEVY

Steve talks to a young man who has had a rapid rise in the tough Sydney radio market.

As a teenager Mark was a race day assistant to the TAB’S on course operations manager. One of his jobs was to deliver cash reserves to the tote operators who suddenly found themselves with large payouts.

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KOBY JENNINGS IS HOOKED ON HIS OFF TRACK HOBBY

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KOBY JENNINGS IS HOOKED ON HIS OFF TRACK HOBBY

Few heavyweight jockeys can boast a better diversion to the grind of racing than Koby Jennings. When the demons of food deprivation and scant opportunity start to wear him down, the twenty five year old Victorian turns to the sea.

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BILLY OWEN IS BACK - AND THIS TIME HE MEANS BUSINESS

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BILLY OWEN IS BACK - AND THIS TIME HE MEANS BUSINESS

As Billy Owen skilfully guided Greenspan to a narrow win in Saturday’s TAB Highway, he may have spared a thought for a special moment in early 2018, when he knew he could resurrect his professional riding career.

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PETER SINCLAIR CONTINUES ON HIS WINNING WAY

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PETER SINCLAIR CONTINUES ON HIS WINNING WAY

When you saddle up twelve of your twenty horse team on the same programme and finish the day with four wins and four placings you’re entitled to feel well satisfied. Saturday was a rewarding day at the office for Moree trainer Peter Sinclair.

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STEVE HART CATCHES UP WITH FORMER STARTER BILLY DALE

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STEVE HART CATCHES UP WITH FORMER STARTER BILLY DALE

Steve occasionally goes away from the mainstream in selecting his interviews. This time he talks to Billy Dale shortly after his retirement as official Sydney race starter.

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JAMIE DE BELIN HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF ON AND OFF THE RACE TRACK

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JAMIE DE BELIN HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF ON AND OFF THE RACE TRACK

I mentioned in the Friday Flashback blurb that Jamie De Belin had disappeared from racing circles years ago and had it not been for the Pablo’s Pulse photo he may have remained incognito.

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FOR AARON CLARKE A ROSEHILL WIN WAS ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE POLOCROSSE WORLD CUP

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FOR AARON CLARKE A ROSEHILL WIN WAS ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE POLOCROSSE WORLD CUP

It was a weary Aaron Clarke who rolled into the Rosehill Gardens float area on Saturday with just one horse occupying the stable truck. The lone passenger was the four year old mare Run Like A Rebel, a contestant in one of two divisions of the Class 2 TAB Highway Hcp.

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DON’T DIE WONDERING- THE PAT WEBSTER STORY. THE FASCINATING LIFE OF ONE OF RACING’S BEST LOVED CHARACTERS

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DON’T DIE WONDERING- THE PAT WEBSTER STORY. THE FASCINATING LIFE OF ONE OF RACING’S BEST LOVED CHARACTERS

The careers of several Australian racehorse trainers have been honoured in book form, but none have had a more human story to offer than Pat Webster. What a journey, what a career, what a life!

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POMPEII CONTINUES TO RULE A DECADE AFTER RACING.

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POMPEII CONTINUES TO RULE A DECADE AFTER RACING.

I was delighted to record a podcast recently with top jockey Craig Newitt who’s getting very close to 2000 career wins including 33 Group 1’s.

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MISS FABULASS STRUTS HER STUFF AT DOOMBEN

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MISS FABULASS STRUTS HER STUFF AT DOOMBEN

Kris Lees was probably feeling a little out of sorts as he positioned himself in front of a TV monitor at Kembla Grange to watch the running of the Spirit Of Boom Classic at Doomben.

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GIBBONS GRABS A TROPHY ON NEWCASTLE’S DAY OF DAYS

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GIBBONS GRABS A TROPHY ON NEWCASTLE’S DAY OF DAYS

Nobody was more impressed with Trophies Galore than her super-efficient jockey Andrew Gibbons. Newcastle based Gibbons has had four rides on the mare for two wins and two placings.