Most country trainers agree it’s no pushover to win a TAB Highway. For a start they have to identify the right horse for the job and plan their programmes meticulously.

“Horse training is a business fraught with disappointments interspersed by the odd pleasant surprise” is a quote attributed to a veteran NZ trotting horseman many years ago.

Brooke Stower’s sudden disappearance from the northern NSW riding ranks two years ago didn’t go unnoticed.

Ever astute Canberra trainer Keith Dryden has enjoyed many special moments in a career now into its fifth decade.

He stands barely fifteen hands, he’s athletic without being robust and he sure as hell doesn’t win out of turn. In fact, Fox Fighter’s victory in Saturday’s BM88 at the ‘Hill was his first in twenty one months.

The indefatigable Andrew Gibbons was about to leave a Coffs Harbour hotel bound for Grafton when I got him on the phone on Sunday morning.

“That horse has been up longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” quipped a Randwick punter, as One Destiny made it three from his last four in Saturday’s 1100m BM78.

 Any jockey resuming after an injury enforced layoff prays for an early winner. Owners and trainers like to watch the comeback rider for a few weeks to ensure that his or her confidence hasn’t been affected by the trauma of a racing accident.

Last week brought a gamut of emotion to emerging training talent Danielle Seib. Few people were aware of her innermost thoughts as she watched two year old filly Sweet Treats

Danny Beasley may well have had second thoughts about his impending retirement as he politely reeled off a winning treble at Wagga on Friday.

When someone as eminently qualified as Gordon Spinks heaps praise on a new apprentice, you tend to take it on board. The former star Sydney jockey was on the phone last week to spread the word about a seventeen year old Gold Coast rookie called Jace McMurray.

Todd Howlett was in buoyant mood on December 2nd last year as he parked his four horse angle loader at Rosehill Gardens. The float was occupied by his trio of TAB Highway runners Tanglewood, King Rupert and Talons.

When Jamie Kah elected to ride in Adelaide on Saturday, trainer Gary Portelli wasted no time in recommending Cejay Graham to Kintyre’s many owners as a worthy replacement jockey in the Gr 2 Queensland Guineas.

Adam Duggan was watching his eleven year old son Jack competing in a Central Coast basketball match when distracted by the shrill ringtone of his mobile phone.

Danny Williams has saddled up 26.5 TAB Highway winners since the inception of the concept in 2015. He got a special thrill in 2017 when Don’t Give A Damn posted a 6.5 lengths winning margin at Rosehill.

Marc Conners was still shaking his head in disbelief half an hour after Willaidow’s impressive Midway win at Rosehill Gardens.

When giant gelding Possibly So grabbed the lead in the final few strides of Saturday’s TAB Highway he triggered great emotion among connections.

In his heart Marc Quinn thought lightly raced Bomarea had a massive chance in Saturday’s 1000m TAB Highway and wasn’t afraid to say so in a couple of media interviews late last week.

By the time the ninth of ten races came up at Kembla Grange on Saturday, jockeys were feverishly searching for a home straight lane somewhere near the middle of the track.

Southern Highlands breeder John Muir was totally crestfallen when his Hellbent-Time Awaits filly fell well short of her reserve at the 2021 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.