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

Glyn Schofield walked off Gosford racecourse on Saturday with a noticeable spring in his step. The veteran jockey had just won the last of ten races on the mammoth stand alone Saturday meeting on Coal Crusher.

Mark Bradley was kind enough to send me a photo he discovered recently in the Bradley Photographers archives. This is a precious piece of racing memorabilia from the Wyong jockeys room in 1973.

The evergreen Glen Boss stole most of the Australian riding limelight on Saturday when he dominated day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick. While all this was going on, Jeff Penza was minding his own business at the Newcastle meeting, where his book of seven rides brought a dazzling five win haul.

Racing needs the occasional fairy-tale story. At home and overseas it’s an accepted fact that most races at the elite level are won by horses from major stables. Those stables traditionally have the best bloodstock to work with and often increase their chances by having multiple runners.

The racing industry revolves around people who are prepared to go the extra yards. In the case of trainers, attention to the smallest detail can make the difference between winning and losing. In the case of jockeys, it’s a fact of life that race day rewards are generated by regular attendance at track work.

When Lashes romped home in Saturday’s fillies and mares BM 78 at Rosehill Gardens, Jason Collett brought up his tenth win in seventeen days.

Few heavyweight jockeys can boast a better diversion to the grind of racing than Koby Jennings. When the demons of food deprivation and scant opportunity start to wear him down, the twenty five year old Victorian turns to the sea.

Although beaten into second place on See You Soon in Saturday’s Golden Gift, Jean Van Overmeire was awarded the “ride of the day” by several experienced observers.

You’d think Travis Wolfgram would have been on cloud nine as he left Gosford racecourse last Saturday. He’d reeled off a brilliant winning treble in the first four races for Team Snowden, all three having been saddled up by Peter Snowden himself.

The narrow win by Whispered in a Maiden 2YO event at Wyong on Saturday was of special significance to jockey Keagan Latham. It was his second win for the powerful Godolphin operation in the space of two weeks, and a milestone 50th win in NSW for the current season.

Jenny Lindgren was born in Sweden one year after her legendary compatriots ABBA had taken Australia by storm. She’s now Mrs. Jenny Duggan, Australia’s most senior apprentice jockey, and just lately she’s been whipping up a little storm of her own.

How fitting it was that the winner of Saturday’s Hinkler Hcp should be almost “airborne” in the closing stages. The race is named after one of Queensland’s most famous sons, legendary aviator Bert Hinkler who in 1928 brought great acclaim to his country, to his state, and to his hometown of Bundaberg.

Last year Steve Hart spoke to the winningest jockey in Australian racing history, Robert Thompson. I loved the interview and unashamedly plagiarised it for my website.

Todd Pannell was so busy trying to coax Despatch over the line on Saturday, he may have forgotten for a moment that he was one stride off his first Group 1 victory. By the time he arrived back at the mounting yard gate, he was fully aware this was the dream he’d been chasing for more than half his life.

Lenny Beasley couldn’t remember if it’s eleven or twelve years, since the ravages of the sweat box forced him out of racing.

“I know my last ride was at Kembla Grange for Clarry Conners, but don’t ask me the name of the horse”, said Lenny this week. “I just knew I couldn’t do it for one more day”.