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.
Joe Pride has never regarded himself as a hopeless sentimentalist, but he did confess to a hint of nostalgia after saddling up two winners at Wyong’s first ever stand-alone meeting.
On any other sweltering Sunday the thought of a near 500 km road trip towing a horse float would have held little appeal. Last Sunday however trainer Nick Olive felt no pain as he departed his Queanbeyan stables with just one horse on board
It was way back in 1995 when Steve Hart and former jockey Malcolm Fitzgerald floated the idea of making an annual Christmas visit to the children’s wards at Randwick and Westmead Hospitals.
Ashley Morgan’s caution was evident as he nursed Private Harry through the middle stages of Saturday’s BM72 at Rosehill Gardens. In fact, he still hadn’t moved when they got to the 200m.
Ten wins in the space of a month is a remarkable achievement for any country trainer with just 25 horses in work. Dubbo’s Michael Mulholland did exactly that in the month of November.
Joe Pride has all but given up on trying to outguess Private Eye. The enigmatic but massively talented gelding has had the top trainer scratching his head all through this current preparation.
Kembla Grange trainer Theresa Bateup readily admits that Crackalacka was no Via Sistina, but an honest mare who endeared herself to every member of the stable staff.
It was reasonable to assume the touch of raspiness in Tyler Schiller’s voice on Sunday morning was the result of a little socialising the previous night.
“He’s just now starting to work out why he’s galloping around Sydney racecourses,” said Anthony Cummings. The trainer was referring to Saturday’s Gloaming Stakes winner El Castello, a three year old colt who’s come a long way in a short time.
You might see one or two winners dominate any given race programme, but five “demolition jobs” in one day isn’t common. To see it happen on Epsom day at Randwick, is even less likely.
