Chasing a tearaway leader isn’t the ideal spot to be in a horse race, but Something Silver made light of that predicament in the F+M BM 84 (1600) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

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 first of fifteen barrier trials at Rosehill Gardens last Friday (July 19th) generated more hype than any race run in Australia over the weekend.

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.

Adam Duggan didn’t take his head out of the catalogue in the weeks leading up to the 2017 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne. The Gosford trainer had a $100,000 “bank” set aside and thought that kind of money might put him into something “half decent” in Melbourne.

When Racing NSW increased the riding fee for the State’s jockeys two years ago, a new window of opportunity opened for those riders who are prepared to travel.

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.

Steve has kindly allowed me to “pinch” a very interesting chat he had recently with Sydney Clerk Of The Course Cliff Parker.

Norm and Diane Gardner breathed a sigh of relief when Upper House won Saturday’s TAB Highway at his metropolitan debut. Norm is the breeder, trainer and part owner of the slow maturing four year old gelding.

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.

It’s possible that Cruze, who made it three out of four at Eagle Farm on Saturday, was the only winner in Australia to be shod by its trainer, Barry Lockwood.

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.

Garry Kirkup has struggled with profound grief these past seventeen months. His emotional pain has far exceeded the ravages of the injuries he sustained in that horrific motor accident near Junee.

Darryl Hansen’s spirits soared when the shock announcement of Zoustyle’s late scratching from the Gold Coast Guineas boomed over the public address system.

Coffs Harbour trainers couldn’t believe their luck six weeks ago when Jon Grisedale joined the ranks of trackwork riders at the popular North Coast track.

I can’t think of a jockey anywhere in Australia who displays more unbridled raw emotion than Josh Parr. It struck me initially when he won the Gr 1 Surround Stakes on Shoals a year ago - his one and only ride on the Fastnet Rock mare.

It wasn’t until Bernie Kelly got back to his Clarendon motel on Saturday night that the full impact of the day struck home.

What a pity the last race numbers error at Clifford Park on Saturday had to take the gloss off a spectacular Queensland race meeting. Stewards declared correct weight before officials discovered the wrong horse had been placed fourth.

There wasn’t a trace of racing in Kevin Kemp’s background, but he was besotted by horses from the moment he first sat on a pony. Most of his mates owned ponies and those kids would be out all day, every day. “If I got home before dark, Mum and Dad would wonder what the hell was wrong”, recalled Kevin.