Gutsy Spanish Mix gets the better of Classic Magic close to home in the 1993 Challenge Stakes - her first stakes win - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.

“No better horseman ever held the reins” was Banjo Paterson’s assessment of Clancy Of The Overflow in the early verses of “The Man From Snowy River”. Ask any horseperson who was around the Rosehill racing precinct in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and you’ll soon learn old Clancy had nothing on a little bloke called Bill Farrow. That’s the sentiment being expressed throughout the racing industry in the wake of Bill’s passing late last week at age 83. He was in his mid forties when he joined the team at Nebo Lodge, an operation put together by the Millie Fox, Robert Sangster, and Bob Lapointe triumvirate under the control of trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith.

Right through Nebo Lodge’s dominant decade Bill Farrow managed the number 2 barn situated across the road from the main stabling block on Hassall Street. He was also held in the highest regard as a trackwork rider. Noel Mayfield-Smith who was foreman to brother Brian in those heady days, has nothing but praise for the innate talents of the former apprentice jockey. “Bill was the complete all round horseman and an absolutely amazing rider,” he said. “He loved horses and horses loved him. He was the only trackwork rider in my time at Nebo Lodge who didn’t part company with a horse at least once. I can’t recall Bill ever hitting the deck. They could buck, pigroot or whip around with him and it was like he was glued to the saddle.

Bill loved horses and the feeling was mutual.

“Our 1987 Golden Slipper winner Marauding was a real handful early days. Brian got Bill to ride him in all of his work and the results were incredible. He played a big part in that Golden Slipper win. He deserves a lot of the credit for our three Sydney premiership wins, the first of which dethroned Tommy Smith after his thirty three year reign. Billy Farrow was a tremendous asset to the Nebo Lodge operation and stayed with us right up to Brian’s retirement and departure for South Africa. I’d be very surprised if he hadn’t had offers from other stables during that period.”

Bill was born and reared at Blackall, a small township right on the Barcoo River in Central Western Queensland. Blackall is at the heart of a huge cattle, sheep and pastoral district and services around seventy properties. It’s also known as a strong little racing town where the Barcoo Amateur Race Club hosts five meetings a year. This is where young Farrow learned to ride a horse at an early age and where he developed an understanding of horse racing. It was no surprise when he left school at age twelve and found work with thoroughbred trainer Greg Huxham in Brisbane. It was Huxham who signed him up as an apprentice a couple of years later and guided him through a junior term which saw young Bill ride 105 winners. His work ethic and natural professionalism saw him become Dux Of The Queensland Turf Club apprentice’s school in the 1962/1963 season. Like so many before him, weight soon put an end to any aspirations he may have harbored to become Brisbane’s champion jockey.

Bill looked up to Tails in more ways than one. He loved every moment he spent with the handsome chestnut. He was the stallion's regular work rider.

Bill’s arrival in Sydney in the late 60’s was preceded by his reputation for hard work and reliability. He had a stroke of good fortune in being able to land a job in the stables of that master horseman and all round good fellow, the late Pat Murray. There were many highlights during his time on High St at Randwick, including a close association with that equine celebrity Tails. One of the handsomest horses of his generation, the chestnut son of Dalray recorded 23 wins and 14 placings from 79 starts. He won a Queensland Derby, two editions of the AJC Metropolitan, a Doomben Cup, and finished third to Silver Knight in the 1971 Melbourne Cup, despite struggling at the two miles. Bill enjoyed every minute of time spent on the stallion’s back in trackwork, and was elated when asked to take Tails to Melbourne for one of his Cup preparations. Billy Farrow wasn’t one to dwell on his favourite racing experiences, but son Ben says there’s no doubt he was proud to have been part of the Tails story.

When Brian Mayfield-Smith made the call to terminate his high profile Nebo Lodge contract in the mid 1990’s, Farrow felt the time was right to consider training in his own right. Heartily encouraged by popular Rosehill trainer Ray Guy he jumped at an opportunity to train horses for Sheikh Nasser Lootah, owner of the rapidly expanding Emirates Park training and breeding operation at Murrurundi. By way of a “sweetener” Emirates agreed to the proposal that Bill was free to train a limited number of outside horses on the property. It was during this time in his life when a certain Esperanto filly came along destined to reshape his future. She’d been a $7000 purchase for Mark Stanaway who was a member of the Emirates team at the time.

Mark called the filly Spanish Mix and decided to race her with three friends. He gave Bill the opportunity to train her. “She was pigeon-toed in the extreme and Dad was very doubtful that she’d stand a serious preparation,” recalled Ben. “People would never believe the painstaking lengths he went to. Every step he took was designed to reduce the pressure on that mare’s front legs. He knew every time she hit the ground the pressure was going in all the wrong directions. His achievements with that mare were unbelievable.”

Bill Farrow was one of the first trainers to recognise the talents of Rachel King when she began her career in Australia. Here they are at a Hunter Valley meeting.

It’s now history that Spanish Mix with Barry Gatenby up won her maiden over 1000m at Quirindi in August 1991 by a widening 6 lengths. A few months later she scored at Warwick Farm with the late Ken Russell in the saddle. Her first nine runs netted two wins and four placings. Watching all of those runs was Bill’s good mate, experienced Newcastle jockey Alan “Groovy” Scorse who was of the opinion the filly was being ridden out of her comfort zone. Scorse believed Spanish Mix needed to be ridden off the pace and made his feelings known to the trainer. “Groovy” proved his point a short time later when he rode the filly very quietly in a 3YO event at Randwick and won by 4.3 lengths on a heavy track. Alan Scorse was to ride Spanish Mix in thirteen of her next fourteen starts.

With Bill Farrow monitoring every step she took, Spanish Mix was in stakes company in a very short time. Her subsequent starts included a second to top mare Joanne in the Gr 3 Missile Stakes, a third again to Joanne in the Gr 3 Premiere Stakes, and a close second to Classic Magic in the listed Carrington Stakes. So far so good. Her legs were standing up to the pressure and she was improving rapidly. Three weeks later she joined the black type club by turning the tables on Classic Magic in the Gr 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick. Bill didn’t say much for the next couple of days but then raised a few eyebrows by announcing that he was taking her straight to Melbourne for a quick back-up in the Gr 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley. His astute judgement was showcased just six days later.

Alan Scorse unsaddles Spanish Mix after her Challenge Stakes win - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.

It was no surprise when the NSW mare got out to 25/1 at post time with glamour sprinter Schillaci a solid favourite at even money. After a perfect run behind a hot pace set by Jakpil Scorse angled for a run between Schillaci and Tanjian Prince turning for home with Raise A Rhythm winding up out wide. Spanish Mix darted between horses close to home to score a thrilling win from Schillaci and Tanjian Prince in a blistering 1.08.8 which stood as a race and track record for many years. It was a magnificent moment for Bill Farrow who’d been training in his own right for just two years.

Spanish Mix failed to win in seven more starts for the Farrow stable but did post a cracking fourth in the Gr 1 Lightning and was placed in the Missile Stakes and The Shorts in Sydney. It’s not hard to imagine Bill’s disappointment when the Esperanto mare was transferred to John Hawkes in October of 1993. She had sixteen starts for the new stable for only one win, but it was on the right night. Spanish Mix appreciated a soft 5 track to beat favourite Primacy in the Gr 1 Manikato Stakes. “He handled the situation with class,” said Ben Farrow. “He was delighted for the mare and understood that the owners had the right to place her wherever they chose. He simply got on with the job in the hope another Spanish Mix would turn up.

Bill suffered a massive setback around twenty years ago when working a horse called Silver Street on the cinders track at the Scone racecourse. Ben Farrow takes up the story. “He was a hard pulling horse and difficult to ride at the best of times. He just suddenly knuckled over and sent Dad head first to the ground. He suffered multiple injuries including a couple of fractured vertabrae. All he was worried about was how he’d get the horses worked the next day and the day after. I hadn’t ridden for a few years but he quickly got me trained up, and before I knew it, I was back as a regular trackwork rider with Ashley Boyd helping out. It’s interesting that Silver Street had to go close to falling to get rid of him. Because of his reputation for staying on at all costs he picked up the nickname “Captain Invincible” early in his career, after the fictional superhero of the same name. Every once in a while, I’d hear somebody call him Cap.”

Spanish Mix dives between Schillaci and Tanjian Prince (white blinkers) to snatch victory in the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes - Bill's crowning moment in Australian racing - courtesy Colin Bull.

Sadly, there was never another one like Spanish Mix but the winners continued to flow. Silver Street, the horse responsible for his nasty fall compiled a record of 14 wins and 27 placings. Two of his wins were at Canterbury with Darren Beadman on board. One of Bill’s favourites was The Ark whose record was outstanding - 57 starts for 13 wins and 9 placings. He won a race at Rosehill, a Grafton Guineas, and Cup races at Mudgee and Wellington as well as a Denman Cup at Muswellbrook. The Ark was ridden in many of his wins by the amazing Greg Ryan, second only to Robert Thompson on the list of Australian jockeys with the best win tallies.

Ben Farrow with stable favourite Coalminer.

Bill was chuffed to win the 2009 Taree Cup with Fair Trial, while a grey gelding called Coalminer did a super job for the stable. His ten wins included victories at Rosehill complemented by Mudgee and Wellington Cups. The well named Offshore Account (Secret Savings) was an eight time winner for the Farrow stable and Kin Narita registered six wins including one at Randwick. Some were sceptical when Bill made the decision to take Kin Narita north for the Queensland Oaks of 1995. She ran a bold race to finish third only two lengths behind winner Joie Denise.

Bill’s health started to decline some months ago but it was always a subject he chose not to discuss. “He hated hospitals and doctors,” said Ben. “He was one of those older people who was content with the years he’d been given. We knew something was wrong a few weeks ago when he suddenly stopped smoking and giving his afternoon beers a miss. They were the two habits he’d never been able to kick. He was taken to Scone Hospital when he started to struggle in the middle of last week and actually passed away in Maitland Hospital on Thursday August 20th. It was a hell of a shock. He thought he was indestructible and we were beginning to believe him.”

Adding to the family’s grief is the fact that Bill and his devoted wife Carolyn were only three months away from their golden wedding anniversary. For fifty years Carolyn had been in his corner through the good times and bad. She was there to share the elation of his thrilling Gr 1 win with Spanish Mix at Moonee Valley more than three decades ago. She was there to help him pick up the pieces when the same mare was taken out of his care. Carolyn is in the thoughts of the many racing people who are mourning the passing of a true master of his trade.

Bill and Carolyn were due to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in just a few months.

I was a regular visitor to Nebo Lodge with television crews during the golden decade when the vibrant stable was winning premierships and top level races at the rate of knots. I distinctly remember several conversations with the man who had the respect and admiration of the stable’s owners and the trainer who toppled Tommy Smith from the throne he’d occupied forever. Five minutes with Bill Farrow was all you needed to know he was a horseman through and through, with the humility and warmth of a good little bloke. Noel Mayfield-Smith who knew him better than most, heartily concurs.

BILL FARROW 1943-2026 - THE HORSEMAN’S HORSEMAN

NEW LOOK FUADEE FAIRLY FLIES AT KEMBLA GRANGE