Steve Hart snapped this one of Dr. Grace as Jim Cassidy was about to take him onto the track for the 1990 A.J.C Derby. The handsome son of Sir Tristram came from midfield to win that Derby from Stylish Century and Solar Circle on a Soft 5 track.

Steve Hart keeps coming up with these wonderful “blasts from the past “. Here’s one in the Randwick birdcage in the Spring of 1990 shortly before Stargazer’s win in the Frank Packer Plate.

The great Phar Lap with a near side front “quarter crack” oozing blood, careers away to win the Agua Caliente Hcp in Tijuana Mexico March 20th, 1932.

Shadea didn’t turn too many heads as Wayne Harris brought her back to scale after winning the 1991 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Rosehill - one of only two wins for the plain, lightly framed filly.

It seems the 1952 Inter Dominion Grand Final winner Avian Derby wouldn’t have a bar of sashes and rose garlands being placed around his neck.

With a couple of old media mates at a Harold Park charity fundraiser in 1997.

I never saw Shannon in action, but several veteran horsemen told me over the years that his second placing in the 1946 Epsom was the greatest performance ever seen over the Randwick mile.

Ever wondered what a 500/1 winner looks like? Steve Hart plucked this one from his archives and was kind enough to send it to me for Friday Flashback. It’s a gelding called Pablo’s Pulse parading before the 1987 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick with Jamie De Belin in the saddle.

This one will touch a few heart strings. Steve Hart located this lovely picture of the late John Marshall with one of his all time favourites, Campaign King. John rode Campaign King fourteen times for eight wins.

Another lovely print taken from an original oil painting by renowned equine artist Alister Simpson A.A.E.A. This is Durbridge captured on canvas shortly after his win in the 1991 AJC Derby. Alister provided a great likeness of the stallion, and his jockey Greg Hall.

Bradley Photographers snapped this one of W.A. “Billy” Smith at Randwick in May of 1965. Bill was one of the most popular jockeys of his era, and one of the lightest. He rode at a featherweight for his entire career, which brought him many opportunities in big races.

This week we’re flashing back forty two years to the Channel 7 studios in Sydney. The occasion was the taping of a special episode of the popular programme “This Is Your Life” hosted by the eminently talented Roger Climpson.

Here’s an oldie!

This was the day I got to meet one of my idols, the legendary Melbourne race caller Bert Bryant who is standing on my left.

Bradley Photographers snapped this one at Randwick on 21/12/1963 as George Moore came back to scale on The Tempest after winning a Highweight Hcp.

This one was taken in a little restaurant called Backstage in George St, Sydney in 1980. The occasion was a farewell dinner to legendary Newcastle race caller Billy Hill (centre in brown jacket) who had just announced his retirement.

This one was snapped by Ron Bickley at a Newcastle meeting in the early seventies. Domestic airline TAA sponsored a race callers day and commentators were flown in from all parts of Australia.

The Australian racing industry was stunned by the loss of Ken Russell who lost his life in a freakish race fall at Rosehill on October 9th 1993, aged 42.

I was lucky enough to win this midweek race at Harold Park on 24/04/1984 on a pacer called Kamath. The driver of the runner up Magnus Cabell was Ms. Kim Moore, today better known as Mrs Kim Waugh, galloping trainer extroardinaire.

We’re unable to comprehensively identify the three gentlemen with the jockey in this Bradley Photographers photo from the 1960’s - I believe their surnames were Ryan, Holmes and Clavelle. We can however officially identify the jockey as Max Lees whose brief but notable riding career was halted by increasing weight in the 1960’s.

Bart Cummings was 37 years of age and still training exclusively out of Adelaide. He opened his Flemington stables in 1968, but it wasn’t until 1975 that he established a Randwick operation to be known as “Leilani Lodge”.