Gallops, Horse Racing, John Tapp Racing, Racing History, Racing NSW, Sky Racing
John Tapp
1976 - A MELBOURNE CUP TO REMEMBER

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.

1976 - A MELBOURNE CUP TO REMEMBER

Gallops

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SISTER MOON IS STILL LEARNING HER TRADE, BUT KEEPS ON WINNING

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SISTER MOON IS STILL LEARNING HER TRADE, BUT KEEPS ON WINNING

Modern day prize money has reached undreamed of levels, but you’ve still got to have a horse good enough to win it.

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LUKE PEPPER PULLS THE RIGHT REIN AT SCONE

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LUKE PEPPER PULLS THE RIGHT REIN AT SCONE

Luke Pepper’s usually a sound sleeper but he forsook a few valuable hours last week in weighing up options for his exciting three year old filly Opal Ridge.

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PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH APRIL 2023

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PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH APRIL 2023

Twenty seven year old Ethan Ensby continued on his winning way in April with three winners and six placings on northern tracks. This followed hot on the heels of his stunning performance in March when he landed six winners from just ten starters.

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SARGENT’S PATIENCE WITH HOMESICK PALMETTO PAYS OFF IN SPADES

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SARGENT’S PATIENCE WITH HOMESICK PALMETTO PAYS OFF IN SPADES

Homesickness is simply defined as the distress caused by being away from home. It can affect humans and animals and can sometimes take a long time to dissipate. In the case of a New Zealand thoroughbred called Palmetto a full year was required for the gelding to overcome the effects of leaving his rural south island home.

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THE LEGEND OF GUNSYND LIVES ON

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THE LEGEND OF GUNSYND LIVES ON

Graeme Scheu was immersed in thought as he set out on a leisurely walk one September morning last year. He and his fellow Goondiwindi Race Club committee members were still coming to terms with the disappointment of having had their all important Cup meeting rained out a few weeks earlier.

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NORM NOTCHES THE HAT TRICK WITH YET ANOTHER HOMEBRED

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NORM NOTCHES THE HAT TRICK WITH YET ANOTHER HOMEBRED

There’s no quick way to calculate Norm Gardner’s winning strike rate over twenty five years of training, but there’s little doubt it would compare favourably with that of most small stables.

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WENDY PEEL RETURNS TO HER HOME STATE AS A FULLY FLEDGED JOCKEY

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WENDY PEEL RETURNS TO HER HOME STATE AS A FULLY FLEDGED JOCKEY

Keen observers of NSW western districts racing were surprised when Wendy Peel made the trip from Brisbane to ride at Coonamble’s Country Championship Qualifier Sunday meeting on March 12th.

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SPANGLER STOOD OUT LIKE A BEACON IN THE POLYTRACK CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

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SPANGLER STOOD OUT LIKE A BEACON IN THE POLYTRACK CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

There was a note of urgency in James McDonald’s body language as the field topped the rise in Saturday’s Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championship Final.

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PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH MARCH 2023

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PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH MARCH 2023

Whether you’re competing in the professional or amateur ranks, it’s quite a feat to win nine races in a single month. Dubbo trainer Connie Greig did exactly that in March with a team of just twenty two horses in work.

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IT WAS A MAGIC TIME FOR JOHN MUIR ON DAY 1 OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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IT WAS A MAGIC TIME FOR JOHN MUIR ON DAY 1 OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

“She lifted her head out of the feedbin, walked to the stable door and looked me straight in the eye,” said owner breeder John Muir as he recalled the day Magic Time was passed in at the 2021 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

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FROM THE RACETRACK TO THE SHOW RING IN ONE WEEKEND ISN’T UNUSUAL FOR RACHEL KING.

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FROM THE RACETRACK TO THE SHOW RING IN ONE WEEKEND ISN’T UNUSUAL FOR RACHEL KING.

Thanks largely to her ability to ride at a featherweight, Rachel King is one of Sydney’s busiest jockeys. When acceptances were declared for last Saturday’s Rosehill meeting she’d been locked in for a whopping nine rides.

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OPAL RIDGE STORMS TO FIRST STAKES VICTORY

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OPAL RIDGE STORMS TO FIRST STAKES VICTORY

Fortunes fluctuate in most walks of life, but in the racing game they can literally run amok. Just ask Scone trainer Luke Pepper who’s been at both ends of the spectrum in the last few weeks.

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BLACK OPAL STILL SPARKLING AFTER HALF A CENTURY

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BLACK OPAL STILL SPARKLING AFTER HALF A CENTURY

The creation of the Black Opal Stakes in 1973 triggered a buzz in racing circles. A major two year old race in the national capital sandwiched in between the Blue Diamond and the Golden Slipper made good sense.

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GRAHAME BEGG’S TALE OF TWO CITIES

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GRAHAME BEGG’S TALE OF TWO CITIES

Grahame Begg’s stakes double on Saturday wasn’t unique in his thirty year career, but it was the first time he’d won black type races on the same day in two states.

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SCOTT COLLINGS WEAVES A LITTLE MAGIC AT ROYAL RANDWICK

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SCOTT COLLINGS WEAVES A LITTLE MAGIC AT ROYAL RANDWICK

Saturday’s 1000m TAB Highway at Randwick may have produced the most impressive winner in the restricted sprinting ranks anywhere in Australia.

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PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY 2023

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PRYDE’S EASIFEED COUNTRY TRAINER OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY 2023

When you have only eight horses in the stable it’s no mean feat to produce four winners in a single month - and a short month at that. Long time Port Macquarie trainer John Sprague began the month of February with a double on his hometrack.

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FAREWELL TO THE UNFORGETTABLE DEANE LESTER – 1968 - 2023

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FAREWELL TO THE UNFORGETTABLE DEANE LESTER – 1968 - 2023

I was well aware of Deane Lester’s towering reputation long before I met him in person for the one and only time. Like thousands of Australian punters and racing fans I’d been impressed by his easy style on radio.

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KING FRANKEL GETS SOME AUSSIE BLACK TYPE FOR HIS FAMOUS SIRE

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KING FRANKEL GETS SOME AUSSIE BLACK TYPE FOR HIS FAMOUS SIRE

“He’s nice to have around in the stable and professional in everything he does,” said trainer Mark Newnham of Saturday’s Parramatta Cup winner King Frankel.

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HOMETOWN TRIUMPH IN TUNCURRY-FORSTER’S RICHEST RACE

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HOMETOWN TRIUMPH IN TUNCURRY-FORSTER’S RICHEST RACE

Garry McQuillan has lost a lot of sleep since late October when his beloved Tuncurry-Forster Jockey Club was given the green light to stage the opening Country Championship Qualifier for 2023.

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ALBERT STAPLEFORD - GENTLEMAN OF THE TURF IS STILL TRAINING WINNERS

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ALBERT STAPLEFORD - GENTLEMAN OF THE TURF IS STILL TRAINING WINNERS

Albert Stapleford can’t lay claim to being Australia’s oldest active horse trainer but he’s probably running a close second. There’s a remarkable 95 year old in South Australia called Bob Hannigan.