“I was absolutely stunned to receive a phone call from Godolphin headquarters in the middle of last year to inform me that I was one of several people being considered for a spot on the new training team,” recalled Gary Portelli.

Mares like Petticoat don’t come along too often. Apart from the talent that has enabled her to win $300,000 in prize money, the four year old doesn’t have a single bad habit.

The majority of racehorses are oblivious to the signs of imminent competition. Most are unfazed by the familiar pre-race routine at home, the inevitable road trip by horse transport or trailer, and the unmistakable buzz of the racetrack when unloaded at the other end.

Whenever I find myself in the company of older racing fans you can bet at least one of them will find a way to bring up the name of Bert Bryant - the legendary Melbourne race caller.

“We were all getting a little despondent when The Mona Lisa didn’t run a place in her first five starts,” said Martha Cave.

“This kid has a very rare talent,” was co-trainer Richard Freedman’s comment after Braith Nock’s win on Pocketing in Saturday’s Bob Ingham AO Hcp at Randwick.

“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.