You’d expect a bush trainer who’d just won her very first race at Royal Randwick to be treating herself to a lazy Sunday morning. There was also the small matter of a nine hour round trip from Wingham to Randwick.

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.

We’ve seen an amazing sequence of Sydney metropolitan wins lately by horses of humble origins. $7000 online purchase Willaidow recently made it four straight with a Midway win at Rosehill. 

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

All it took was a sidestep and a swerve from a green three year old filly to remind Anna Roper of the vagaries of racing.

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

Jim Byrne’s recent absence from the Brisbane riding ranks hasn’t gone unnoticed. His many followers around Australia have wondered why the popular jockey hasn’t been seen since December 16th.

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.

Terra Mater’s trainer Jarrod Austin and her twelve enthusiastic owners had a few heart stopping moments before the mare’s number went into the frame at Randwick on Saturday.

It was only a BM 72 for fillies and mares on the Kenso track at 6.30pm last Friday night, but for Paul and Martha Cave the race could have carried black type status.

Karen Owen and daughter Madeline provided one of NSW racing’s most touching moments of the year when they combined to win the $100,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Gold Cup with Sound And Vision on November 19th.

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.

“He’s one of the slowest learners I’ve ever had anything to do with,” said Danny Williams of Saturday’s TAB Highway winner Bandi’s Boy. “He hasn’t yet learned to finish the job.”

There was a bit of pressure on Andrew Adkins as he vaulted onto Unspoken’s back before Saturday’s Robrick Lodge Filante Hcp at Randwick.

There have been few more consistent performers on the TAB Highway merry go round than the genuine Taree mare Chase My Crown. Ten of her twelve city runs have been in TAB Highway races in which she’s posted two wins, one second, two thirds and no less than four fourths.

Tommy Berry’s post race interview on Sky Thoroughbred Central after Saturday’s Gimcrack Stakes tugged many a heartstring. The popular jockey had just won the Gr 3 two year old race on Manaal

Peace Officer’s stylish win in Saturday’s Rosehill Midway completed a week of high elation for Warwick Farm trainer Clarry Conners. Only a few days earlier it was confirmed that the multiple Gr 1 winning horseman will be among this year’s inductees into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame.

The late Harry Lawton would have been over the moon to see Private Eye and Overpass hit the line together in The Shorts on Saturday.

There was a ripple of excitement in the big Dubbo crowd on Sunday when course broadcaster Col Hodges announced that Sizzle Minizzle would appear in an exhibition gallop between races five and six.

Many race watchers were surprised when broadcaster David Fowler mentioned Spaceboy’s prize money tally immediately after the gelding cruised home in Saturday’s open sprint at Doomben.