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Five winners in a week when you have only twelve horses in work is a notable effort for any trainer. Port Macquarie’s John Sprague did exactly that in the middle of March with doubles at Coffs Harbour and Grafton and a single at Kempsey. John kicked off as an apprentice jockey in the late 1970’s when Canterbury was still a busy training centre. His…
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Always a pleasure to catch up with the bush trainers. Our podcast guest this week is Albury’s Ron Stubbs whose reputation precedes him. Ron is rarely without a handy horse, and he currently prepares Bianco Vilano who’s already safely locked away for the Country Championship Final on April 6th. Ron’s affinity with horses goes back to childhood days …
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The Gosford racing precinct has never had a better ambassador than Angela Davies. The amiable trainer was born and reared in a cottage opposite the racecourse float entrance and hasn’t strayed far since. This is the story of a young girl who was pestering local trainers at five or six years of age, and has never wanted to do anything else but train…
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I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Dominic Tourneur but I’m aware of his prominence among Adelaide jockeys and his success rate over a long period of years. We decided to find out a little more about his journey in racing by inviting him onto our podcast, and he was happy to oblige. Dominic was originally apprenticed in Perth but by his own adm…
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From the late 70’s to the mid 80’s Brent Thomson was almost certainly Australia’s most high profile jockey. As number one rider for the powerful Lindsay Park training operation, he got to ride some of the nation’s best horses in Group 1 races around the nation. Brent quit the saddle in 2000 and was quickly signed by New Zealand Bloodstock as the co…
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I deserve a reprimand for taking so long to catch up with Jenny Duggan. There are several well known facts about this 44 year old Swedish born jockey. She can hold her own on the back of a thoroughbred at any level. She’s a hard worker, she’s as tough as teak and thoroughly reliable. She’s a great wife to Ben, and a wonderful mum and stepmother. Wh…
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I first met Tony Lee when I had the honour to be guest commentator at the 1996 Wellington Cup meeting. In preparing to call a couple of races on the big programme, I received every possible courtesy from the NZ ace. Tony went out of his way to help me through a plethora of strange colours and horse names. I tuned in to hear his description of the r…
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In order to find the right races for his horses, Ben Brisbourne makes full use of his ideal Wangaratta base to campaign in two states. He frequently has runners in rural Victoria but often appears in the NSW Riverina region. Great to catch up with a young horseman from a Shropshire racing family in the UK, who arrived in Melbourne unheralded and un…
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Nathan Doyle places his horses judiciously, and is rewarded with a consistent win rate. In this current season he’s sitting in tenth spot on the NSW premiership ladder. Here is a young man born and reared in the Hunter Valley who was destined for a future with horses. After several years in the employ of top trainers, Nathan kicked off at Newcastle…
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Shaun Guymer made the decision a few seasons back to follow in the footsteps of Sydney based jockeys like Grant Buckley and Jeff Penza who’ve enjoyed fruitful careers away from the metropolitan area. Like Penza and Buckley, Shaun sees more sense in having five or six rides on a southern districts track than pushing a 100/1 “pop”around in town. The …
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The brilliant young Brisbane jockey is under suspension as this podcast is posted. He’s not happy about this one or the many that have preceded it in his short career so far. In the main his suspensions are the result of trying too hard to win. He’s a driven young man who harbours a desire to make his mark in the shortest possible time. Slowly but …
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Damien talks about the strategic benefits of training at Wyong. He talks of his many trips to faraway country meetings. He says improved bush prize money is a great incentive to take horses away. The trainer talks about his resolve to personally attend as many meetings as he can. Damien pays tribute to his father-in- law, former trainer Bob Law who…
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We’ve had several emails from older racing fans requesting a podcast with former legendary jockey Ron Hutchinson. I’m sorry you missed the interview we posted three and a half years ago with the famous Australian jockey who also left an indelible mark in Europe. Like his compatriot Scobie Breasley, Ron reached great heights in the veteran years and…
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Great to catch up with Wayne Harris at a racing luncheon in early December. I was reminded of the fact that the former star jockey was one of our very early podcast guests in 2018. When I suggested an updated interview was called for, he said in typical Harris fashion, “are you sure people would want to hear my story again.” Who wouldn’t want to he…
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Ryan Maloney was in high spirits when this interview was recorded on Thursday Dec 14th. He was looking forward to a big book of eight rides at Eagle Farm but fate saw him in a hospital bed in the early hours of Saturday morning. Anybody who has suffered a kidney stone episode will know that there are few more painful experiences. He’s over the trau…
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Wayne Peake’s interest in racing began at age 8, when he walked onto Kembla Grange racecourse with his family. By early teens he was totally obsessed with the sport. He devoured newspaper and magazine articles and tuned in religiously to the limited radio and TV coverage of the day. He quickly settled on a favourite jockey, horse and race broadcast…
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Hugh Bowman wasn’t where I expected him to be when we finally pinned him down for this interview. When I spoke to him a few days earlier he was still in Hong Kong undergoing physiotherapy for the legacy of injuries sustained in a race fall on November 11th. A short time later he made a snap decision to visit his parents in Mudgee. He wasn’t long of…
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With a team rarely exceeding twenty five horses Sara Ryan is able to do things a little differently to the bigger stables. She goes to great lengths to give her horses something to think about other than the grind of training and racing. One beneficiary of her alternative routine is Attractable who propelled her to dizzy heights by winning the Big …
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Many experienced owners speak highly of Newcastle’s Jason Deamer who resists the temptation to increase the size of his stable. In twenty years of training, the third generation horseman has rarely exceeded twelve horses. His winners and strike rate have remained constant for all of that time. We caught up with the former jockey recently to look ba…
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Some trainers enjoy the bustling environment of a city stable. Others wouldn’t leave their country bases for a Godolphin contract. One of the latter group is Todd Howlett who’s more than content training his forty horse team at Lower Belford. I enjoyed catching up with a horseman who 23 years ago began his racing involvement while working for the S…
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Popular Jess Taylor brought up a very distinguished milestone at the Sapphire Coast meeting on July 30th. She bounced straight to the lead on Kiss the Colours in a 1000m maiden for her great supporter Joe Cleary. The 3YO filly went on to win easily to give Jess her 500th win in twelve years of race riding. Since then she’s reeled off another twelve…
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The Australian Turf Club moved swiftly to honour Betty Lane Holland following the passing of the trailblazing horse trainer on October 22nd at the remarkable age of 97. Just three days later they attached her distinguished name to a three year old race at the Kensington midweek meeting, and the script couldn’t have worked out better. The winner Sly…
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Caught up with Brian Fletcher at the recent Beauford Club luncheon at Newcastle where he was a guest speaker. His tales of the turf and stories from the Panthers camp kept the crowd entertained. It occurred to me at the time that Brian would make an excellent podcast guest. He happily agreed and here it is! Brian begins by reflecting on an amazing …
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Tyler Schiller was always destined to make it to the ranks of Sydney’s top jockeys. After a flying start in the Riverina he was fortunate to gain a start in Sydney with Mark Newnham who had emerged as a master tutor of young riders. Tyler was champion Sydney apprentice in his second season, and has already established himself in the senior ranks. H…
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I’ve long admired Robyn Freeman’s dedication to the craft she loves. She’s one of few female riders still active from the dedicated group who were flying the flag in the 1990’s. A recent Newcastle double on two long priced horses clearly showed why Robyn is still gaining support twenty five years on. She talks about the two fillies in question. Rob…
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For the first few years of their training partnership Robert and Luke Price worked individually- Robert at Turpentine Park, a spelling and pre-training property at Cambewarra while Luke was based at the partnership’s Kembla stables. Circumstances have changed and the pair now operate in tandem from the racecourse. Rob joins us on the podcast to tal…
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It was the mid 1970’s and Hilton was on a flight from Dublin to Sydney after completing a three year stint with Irish trainer John Oxx. He turned to wife Marilyn and calmly announced that his riding days were over. In this podcast replay the former ace jockey explains why he quit at the top of his game, and recalls the new life he forged back in Au…
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John Powell was at a loose end when he returned to Australia in 2021 after calling time on his long riding career in Singapore. It wasn’t long before Racing NSW enlisted his services as a mentor for northern NSW jockeys, and more recently Gary Kliese has snapped him up for a co-hosting role on Sky Thoroughbred Central’s coverage of northern rivers …
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Wayne Collison and Kylie Kennedy happen to be father and daughter but choose to operate individually from their stables in the idyllic township of Narromine 40 kms from Dubbo. Wayne started training about 25 years ago following a successful career as a jockey. His wife Robyn Douglas also made her mark as a trainer in the central west. Is it any won…
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Michael Travers joined an exclusive club in 2021 when he became one of a handful of NSW jockeys to acquire a dual trainer/jockey’s licence. A short time later he became the first to train and ride a winner in his home state, when successful with Estaverdi at Gundagai. A minor injury sustained at Leeton in April was enough to see Michael make the de…
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It was great to catch up with John Wallace recently for the first time in several years. The veteran trainer has a great passion for the racing game, and it shows in his all too rare interviews. We pinned him down recently for a long overdue podcast about a career that started in St George more than 50 years ago. John begins by talking about his re…
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NSW southern districts racing lost a loyal and dedicated servant recently when Darryl McLean called time on his 48 year career as a member of the SDRA Stewards panel. He officiated for the last time at the Corowa meeting on Monday July 31st and by his own admission left the course with very mixed feelings. It’s my great pleasure to catch up with Da…
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Great to catch up with a young jockey who’s endured the lion’s share of bad luck but keeps bouncing back into the winner’s circle. He’s riding work again following major shoulder surgery, and is champing at the bit to go to the races. Brock begins by talking of the newly arrived son who has helped him through a tough rehabilitation. He talks of the…
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Everybody wanted a piece of champion trainer Leon Macdonald when he saddled his final runners at Morphettville on July 29th, and we were on the list. We caught up with the SA racing legend a few days later and got him started on a sentimental journey. He begins by looking back on an emotional final day at the scene of some of his greatest moments. …
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The Australian racing industry continues to come to terms with the death of Dean Holland in a race fall at Donald in April. Ethan Brown, Jamie Kah, Craig Williams, and Blaike McDougall were all sidelined with serious injuries on either side of the Donald tragedy. Ethan Brown required multiple surgeries in the wake of his fall in the Australian Guin…
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Stephen Traecey recently told family and friends he’s unlikely to ride in races again but most didn’t believe him. The remarkable 67 year old last rode in a race at Coffs Harbour in June. His last winner was in March on the same track. It suited Stephen to just fade away unnoticed, but I was having none of that. This man has given tremendous servic…
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It’s only two and a half years since we last spoke with Jon Grisedale but much water has flowed under the bridge since, and he’s approaching a special birthday- special when you’re talking about an active jockey. He’ll be 60 on October 10th, but you’d never know it as the winners continue to flow including a couple over the recent Grafton July carn…
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Michael Cahill had his first race ride on Red Affro at an obscure race meeting at Gooloogong in 1979. The horse ran second but Michael says he was beaten by pilot error. Since then he’s ridden with great skill to land a stunning total of 2600 winners in 4 jurisdictions. He’s coming up 59, and would love to ride in races until age 60. In our recent …
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Twenty months ago Adam Campton was still working for the Hong Kong Jockey Club unsure of his next career move. He made the snap decision to return to Australia and take out a trainer’s licence. A winner with his very first starter at Warwick set the scene for his immediate future. Since then he’s reeled off more than forty wins and is deadly seriou…
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Great to catch up with a man who’s had a more diversified background with horses than most Australian trainers. The former Olympic show jumping gun and respected horse breaker Greg Eurell turned to the training of thoroughbreds thirty years ago. Nine Gr 1 wins including a Cox Plate are testimony to his talents. Greg talks about the bustling Cranbou…
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Always nice to catch up with one of the many young hopefuls trying to establish themselves in the training ranks. The hours are long and the disappointments are many. Ballina’s Ethan Ensby has the right mix of determination and talent to make a go of an unforgiving business. Ethan begins by reviewing his recent run of success on northern tracks. He…
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Great to catch up with a highly qualified lady who couldn’t imagine a life without horses. Despite holding a Bachelor Of Arts and a Degree in Accountancy, Natalie Jarvis opted for a career as a horse trainer. Natalie and husband Luke are currently running a successful training operation at the beautiful South Coast hamlet of Moruya. She talks about…
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The popular north coast jockey knew something was wrong the moment she hit the ground in the early part of a Port Macquarie track gallop in April. She’d been back in the saddle for just three weeks following a lengthy break for the birth of her first baby. Belinda says she’s making good progress seven weeks after the spill. Belinda expresses her ap…
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Great to catch up with an ever enthusiastic Todd Smart who’s based at Canberra’s Thoroughbred Park with his fifteen horse team. A welder by trade, Todd graduated from bull riding to thoroughbreds when he sustained a serious shoulder injury. He’s sure it was meant to happen. He talks of early mornings in the bleak Canberra winters. Todd says he bega…
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In a way it’s a pity this podcast was recorded ten days before Crafty Eagle’s brilliant win in Saturday’s Midway. I’m sure syndicator Steve Vardy would have been very excited by the dominance of the win. Steve worked for some years as a plumber and car detailer before biting the bullet and acquiring his syndicator’s licence as recently as 2020. Ste…
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Craig Rixon was one of those jockeys who flew under the radar for most of his twenty year career. He concentrated largely on provincial and country tracks, but lacked nothing against the top riders whenever he came to town. He quit the saddle in 2006 and immediately joined the ranks of jockey agents. He took to his new career with ease. Craig talks…
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Tracey is still punishing himself over a momentary lapse of concentration which could have cost him his life. The former jockey and multiple Gr 1 winning trainer committed the sin many horse people are guilty of when trying to cut corners. He got in the way of a cranky mare whose double barrelled kick missed another horse and connected with him. Ei…
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Great to catch up with a lady who’s more than making up for her late start in racing. Connie dabbled with show horses during the decade in which she worked as Bakery Manager at Woolworths Emu Plains. She later gained a job with a Hawkesbury thoroughbred trainer and her life changed dramatically. Connie talks about her frantically busy lifestyle at …
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This is an interesting chat with a 43 year old from Foxton on New Zealand’s north island who’s been around thoroughbreds all his life. He started life as an apprentice jockey under the tutelage of Kevin Gray, a man who could be likened to the late Theo Green as a master tutor of apprentices. Paul begins by talking about his good fortune in securing…
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This is a breezy chat with a little lady who has endeared herself to many in just six years as a professional jockey. She’s based at Port Macquarie and is a regular at most meetings in the region, but just lately Cejay has been sneaking to Brisbane where she’s come under the notice of trainers like Tony Gollan. Cejay talks of life as the daughter o…
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