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. Robyn explains that her patient tactics on both winners illustrated her preferred style of riding. She talks of her two young children, and the valuable ...
Oct 17, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 443
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 talk about the reasons for the change of format. Rob talks of his love for the NSW South Coast and the passion for thoroughbreds he and Luke have in comm...
Oct 10, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 442
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 Australia. Hilton begins by talking about his lifelong love of golf. He also reveals a love for fishing, a skill he learned from his great mate, the lat...
Oct 03, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 441
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 racing. It’s almost forty years since John Powell began his apprenticeship with Helen Page at Warwick Farm. In a 37 year riding career he rode 1400 wi...
Sep 26, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 440
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 wonder one of their four daughters inherited the racing genes. Kylie has won around 150 races in her own right. We begin the podcast with Wayne who talks...
Sep 19, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 439
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 decision to train exclusively. We recorded this interview just a few days before his Gundagai double on Sunday. He talks about the reluctance of Racing ...
Sep 12, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 438
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 recovery from some pretty serious health issues. He talks of the nine horse team he has in work today- a far cry from the huge numbers he was training t...
Sep 04, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 437
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 Darryl on this week’s podcast to talk about his remarkable transition from furniture salesman to stipendiary steward. He attended a Sunday meeting at Wa...
Aug 28, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 436
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 transition into parenthood for he and partner Madison. Brock explains the surgery he recently underwent at Sydney’s San Hospital. He says he did plen...
Aug 22, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 435
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. He says an on course video tribute tested his emotions. Leon was philosophical about a winless final day. He pays tribute to the young man who’ll be f...
Aug 15, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 434
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 Guineas in March. Cranbourne track regulars were amazed when the 24 year old reported for trackwork on July 10th and even more surprised when he resumed r...
Aug 08, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 433
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 service over many years to racing in northern NSW and deserves due recognition. I hope this podcast serves as a lasting tribute to a bloke who just loves ri...
Aug 01, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 432
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 carnival. English born Grisedale was reluctant to do another interview so soon but I was able to talk him into it. Jon and his wife Donna remain delighted...
Jul 25, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 431
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 interview he talks about the style his late father Ossie helped him to develop during his apprenticeship at Cowra. Michael explains his reason for wea...
Jul 18, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 430
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 serious about his future as a trainer. Adam begins by reviewing the short career of Deepour who’s won 5 from 7 since being sourced from the Inglis Digital O...
Jul 11, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 429
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 Cranbourne training centre and the facilities available to trainers. He talks of his successful training partnership with Jim Mason. Greg talks of the availa...
Jul 04, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 428
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 talks of the promising Maximum Vortex who came to town after two brilliant Grafton wins. Ethan says the horse wasn’t mentally equipped to handle the ...
Jun 27, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 427
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 Thorotek Racing’s headquarters. Natalie says she likes to keep all horses in an outside environment. She talks about the grass track facilities, beac...
Jun 20, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 426
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 appreciation for the skills of her orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Cree. She says the horse she was riding in the track gallop was the quietest in the st...
Jun 13, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 425
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 began his training career at Wagga but was talked into a move to Canberra by a fellow trainer. He talks of his early life in Gundagai and early education ...
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 424
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. Steve begins by revisiting the magical morning at Warwick Farm trackwork when he fell in love with thoroughbreds. He talks about his years in the trades,...
May 29, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 423
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 about some of the jockeys he’s managed in recent years. He makes special mention of talented apprentice Anna Roper who was making headlines before sh...
May 23, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 422
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. Eight weeks and five operations later Tracey is relieved to be back at work and making a good recovery. He’s the first to admit the accident shouldn’t h...
May 16, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 421
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 Dubbo. She explains that she and business partner Michelle Jones own most of the horses in the stable. The trainer says she rides many of her horses i...
May 09, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 420
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 boxes at Port Macquarie racecourse where his solo training career began eighteen months ago. He talks of his current team and the availability of bea...
May 02, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 419
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 of respected jockey Peter Graham, and her late decision to become a jockey. She begins by talking about a freak accident at a recent Doomben meeting. S...
Apr 25, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 418
When we wound up our podcast with Stan Aitken last September he suggested we should consider talking to his great mate and former fellow Melbourne jockey Paul Jarman. Stan supplied the phone number and we made contact with Paul who was a little shy about doing the interview. We talked him into it, and I hope he enjoyed it half as much as I did. Paul Jarman more than held his own among an elite group of jockeys and won some very famous races along the way. Paul talks about his decision to quit th...
Apr 18, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 417
Lee Curtis has been training racehorses in Sydney since the mid 90’s when he was based at Canterbury. He was forced to relocate to Rosehill at the end of the decade when the STC decided to develop the precinct as a quarantine station for overseas horses. Cherie joined his staff twenty years ago from Berry on the South Coast. The couple married in 2015 and became training partners in 2020. We begin the podcast with Lee who explains that he has no intention of increasing the stable numbers. Lee ta...
Apr 11, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 416
In looking for a horseman who has a close connection with the Queen Elizabeth Stakes we plucked from the archives, a podcast with Craig Carmody. The former successful jockey is now training a small team at Randwick, hoping another Intergaze will walk into his stables. Craig rode the talented chestnut in his two Queen Elizabeth Stakes wins in the late 90’s. Craig reflects on his decision to retire after returning from Singapore in 2005. He looks back on his transition into the training ranks. Cra...
Apr 04, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 415
It would have been a massive shock to his family had Cody Morgan not pursued a career with horses. With a mum and dad who were wizards in the saddle and a brother who could ride a rampaging rhinoceros, it was unlikely Cody would ever become a ballet instructor. We talk to the young Tamworth horseman about his start as a bronc rider, the transition to professional race riding and finally to the training ranks. Cody begins by talking of Talbragar who shapes up as one of the top chances in the Coun...
Mar 28, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 414
