There were 78,500 people at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day 1976. Those still living, hold indelible memories of their visit to the historic course on the day mother nature threw a tantrum.
Ray Selkrig, Bill Camer and Cliff Clare were close in age and carved out distinguished careers for themselves in an era when the Sydney riding ranks were as strong as they’ve ever been.
It was a delight to catch up with Ray Markey at the Jockeys Reunion at Rosehill in August. I’d seen little of the former jockey since quitting the race broadcasting scene in 1998.
Firmly entrenched among my favourite racing memories are those of my first meeting with Ray Selkrig. It was late in 1965 and I was nervously setting up the broadcast gear in the 2GB box at Sydney’s Canterbury racecourse.
Reg was born in Kempsey but spent his early teen years in Coffs Harbour. In 1953 he signed up as an apprentice jockey with Randwick trainer Bert Bellingham whose stables were in Bowral St.
A host of old friends turned out last Sunday night to farewell Brian Wood from the Warwick Farm racing scene - a place he’d called home for fifty six years.
Those who had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of Lester Piggott never forgot the occasion. The tall, gangly, poker faced horseman with the trademark mutter presented a countenance that gave little away.
George Moore told me in 2002 that his failure to win a Melbourne Cup in nineteen rides was of little concern to him. His wife Iris told me differently.
Covid restrictions currently being enforced in the Liverpool LGA caused one Warwick Farm trainer a great deal of anguish on Saturday. Horse loving Lauri Parker would have given anything to be at Randwick with her five year old stallion Torrens.
“I’ll wake up one day and say that’ll do me,” was Greg Ryan’s reply when I asked about his likely retirement date on a podcast posted on October 27th last year. Amazingly that fateful day arrived just five weeks later.
Like the TAB Everest, the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic doesn’t carry Group 1 status but is still a very prestigious addition to the CV of winning jockeys.
Anyone who’s been on the fringe of the Sydney racing scene for three or four decades would have given Mosht Up a cheer when the mare scrambled home for trainer Stephen “Beaver” Schofield at Newcastle on Saturday.
