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.
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.
Some time ago Steve Hart called in on talented jockey Jenny Duggan who was waiting for a medical clearance to resume riding after an injury enforced layoff.
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.
I’ve often wondered how a trainer like Chris Waller views a race in which he has multiple representation. With just twenty horses in work David Payne rarely has that problem, although he found himself with a duo to watch in Saturday’s BM78 at Rosehill.
I was deeply saddened to learn of Bruce Cox’s passing last Friday evening at age 84. Bruce was my race day assistant. He painstakingly recorded the details of every race and answered phone calls from stewards, race club staff or the television and radio stations we were servicing on the day.
Ron Quinton is as sentimental as the next bloke when it comes to the important milestones in his long and distinguished career. The legendary horseman saddled up only one member of his twenty horse team on Saturday, and that was Miss Mya.
Veteran trainer Charlie Porter shakes his head in disbelief every time he watches Mr Polar race past the post in front. The gelding did exactly that at Gosford on Saturday, when he led most of the way to win the last of seven races on a Heavy 10 track.
It’s starting to look like Melanie O’Gorman was fated to own So Country from the outset. That certainly wasn’t her intention when she secured the son of Shamexpress for $100,000 at the 2019 Classic Yearling Sale.
A win with Lights On The Hill at Moruya on Friday put Jamie Stewart in the right frame of mind for the long trip to Rosehill with Iconic Dame the following morning.
There were a number of classy riding displays at Saturday’s Eagle Farm meeting, none better than Larry Cassidy’s performance on the fashionably bred Tyresa in the two year old stakes race.
“She makes it look so easy,” were the words of trainer Grahame Begg after Saturday’s A.R. Creswick Stakes at Flemington. He was of course referring to the strapping bay filly Passive Aggressive.
John Steinmetz was about to leave the 2018 Inglis Scone Yearling Sale when he decided to cast his eye over a Casino Prince colt he’d spotted in the catalogue.
Marc Conners felt sick in the stomach when he saw Brenton Avdulla ease Winning Verse right out of the race to finish a distant last in a BM72 at Randwick on April 23rd.
