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.

Denim Wynen arrived at Rosehill on Saturday with mixed feelings about her decision to bring Monkhana and Sunshine Law to the races.

It was former race photographer Steve Hart who first floated the idea of a Sydney reunion to NSW Jockey’s Association CEO Tony Crisafi.

Finding somebody in Sydney racing who doesn’t admire the Lee family is much like the task confronting archeologists in their search for the tomb of Antony and Cleopatra.

Paul Murray was left scratching his head when Harry’s Bar missed a place as $3.00 favourite in a BM72 at Canterbury on June 18th.

You wouldn’t expect a twenty eight year old jockey to have heard of a German playwright called Carl Zuckmayer let alone one of his better known quotes.

Those who had visions of Brett Bellamy punching the air at Rosehill when Lordster won Saturday’s TAB Highway were wide of the mark.

Wangaratta based Andrew Dale turned in a strong performance for the month with five winners and eight placings generated by a team of just 25 horses.

Steve cranked up his dual purpose camera recently and flew to Brisbane to catch up with recently retired Larry Cassidy.

Mark Minervini is quietly chuffed with the way his boutique stable has been chugging along since the beginning of 2025.