TALES OF THE TURF
TALES OF THE TURF
Step inside the world of Australian racing through the eyes, and voice, of one of its greatest storytellers. In each article, John Tapp brings the sport to life with the same warmth, insight, and passion that made him the Voice of Australian Racing. These are the moments, the people, and the horses that shaped the turf, told by the man who called them home.
PRYDES EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH JUNE 2025
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.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH APRIL 2025
Patrick Murphy’s quartet of wins during April has earned him the Prydes Country Trainer’s Award.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH AWARD FEBRUARY 2025
It wasn’t so much his six wins for the month but the way he won them, that qualifies Wayne Wilkes for the February award.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH JANUARY 202
Muswellbrook trainer Jan Bowen maintained her consistent strike rate with a quartet of wins for the month just gone.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH DECEMBER 2024
I’m not sure that we’ve ever had a dual winner of the Pryde’s monthly award for country trainers, but December results have changed all of that.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH NOVEMBER 2024
Ten wins in the space of a month is a remarkable achievement for any country trainer with just 25 horses in work. Dubbo’s Michael Mulholland did exactly that in the month of November.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER 2024
It’s a good performance by any country trainer to win four races in a month with a team of just over twenty horses in work.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER 2024.
With just eighteen horses in work on her Bendemeer property, Jane Clement’s achievement to win nine races for the month was award winning stuff.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST 2024
With just 25 horses in work at Taree, Tony Ball did well to post five wins and five placings for the month of August.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH JULY 2024
Brett Bellamy’s six win haul on northern tracks brings him the Pryde’s monthly award. The Coffs Harbour trainer kicked off his winning sequence with a double at Grafton on July 7th.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH JUNE 2024
Six winners in a month is a great achievement for any country stable. Dwayne Schmidt’s June sextet came about largely through his utter frustration with the endless wet weather in northern NSW.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH AWARD FOR MAY 2024
In a month marred by an unusually high number of “washouts” Taree trainer Glen Milligan did well to notch four wins from just fifteen starts.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL 2024
Cindy Monaghan can be justifiably proud of her training statistics for the month just gone. The Dubbo trainer had only five horses in the stable during April and all earned their keep.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH AWARD MARCH 2024
March turned out to be a bittersweet month for Dubbo trainer Dar Lunn. His five wins for the month included the all important Country Championship Qualifier at Coonamble with Elson Boy.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH JANUARY 2024
Alison Smith rarely has more than a dozen horses in work at her Orange (NSW) base and gives each of them her utmost attention.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH DECEMBER 2023
Respected Ballina trainer Stephen Lee landed two winning doubles in the final month of 2023. The first came at Ballina on December 4th when Cosmic Fortune (Adin Thompson) and Inlanda (Robbie Dolan) were successful.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH OCTOBER 2023
Colt Prosser had just finished shoeing his second horse of the day, when we called to tell him of his October award.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER 2023
The cut off point in determining the award is historically the last day of each month, but in David Blundell’s case we’re going to stretch it out by twenty four hours.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH AUGUST 2023
Sally Taylor has only twelve horses in work at Coffs Harbour, but managed to win four races during the month of August. Egotistic (Jon Grisedale) got the ball rolling on August 15th with a Ballina maiden win.
PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH JULY 2023
Todd Howlett ’s ability to find the right races for his horses paid off handsomely in the month of July. He travelled far and wide to land seven winners for the month beginning with the promising Tanglewood at Grafton on July 9th with Aaron Bullock in the saddle.