“Even though the race was run on the Kensington track I’m claiming it as my first Randwick win,” said Canberra trainer Rob Potter

Luke Berger calls himself a racehorse ownership group manager rather than a syndicator.

As Jason Coyle travelled to the Kembla Grange meeting on Saturday he was at sixes and sevens regarding a start for Catch The Glory in The Warra, the $300,000 Gr 3 co-feature to the The Gong.

It was just another day at the office for jockey Dylan Gibbons as he left the mounting enclosure on a maidener called Whatever It Takes for the opening race at Port Macquarie on October 11th last year.

“I was waiting for the horse transport when it returned to my Hawkesbury stables after the Rosehill barrier trials one day in July of last year,” recalled Brad Widdup.

It’s unlikely Sydney racing has ever known a more media friendly jockey than Tommy Berry.

Tash Burleigh doesn’t usually get emotional when one of her horses goes past the post in front, but it all got the better of the Goulburn trainer in the moments after Pokerjack’s emphatic win in the 1100m BM78 at Randwick.

One of my favourite podcasts this year was the one we presented in June with the extraordinarily versatile Queensland racing identity Tony McMahon.

“I was both surprised and delighted when asked to be part of an interview process when Godolphin changed direction a few months ago,” said in form trainer Joe Pride.

When it comes to a pre-race parade horses are much like people. Most of them go through the motions like a lunchtime throng in a city street.

Very few race meetings go by when at least one win on the programme isn’t a direct result of an improved barrier draw. Saturday’s Midway win by Modella is a perfect example.

The Michael Freedman/ Tommy Berry partnership has been a major talking point in the early weeks of the Sydney spring carnival.

John Sargent was surprised two years ago when stable client Michael Stokes called to say he’d purchased a two year old filly on New Zealand Bloodstock’s Gavelhouse.com online sale for the princely sum of $3200.

With only ten or twelve horses in work these days, veteran trainer Clarry Conners doesn’t expect to have a glut of city runners.

“I try to keep strike rates out of my mind,” said in form trainer Rod Northam. “Trainers who worry about strike rates tend to barrier trial horses more often, waiting for the right races to come along.

“If I could find a way to bottle the feeling I got on Saturday, I’d be marketing it all over the world,” said Todd Smart after So Magnificent’s win in the TAB Highway.

Voltaire, the eighteenth century French writer and philosopher is credited with the well known quote “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it”.

Brad Widdup knew it wasn’t ideal to back Savvy Hallie up in the Silver Shadow Stakes just nine days after her Super Maiden win at Newcastle, but made the decision to do so on three counts.

Steve O’Halloran’s Irish accent was more lilting than ever as he responded to our phone call on Sunday morning.

The Newcastle Jockey Club received an unexpected boost to TAB turnover when Saturday’s Randwick meeting was called off.