Part owner and trainer Scott Aspery had every reason to feel satisfied as stable favourite Uzziah produced a career best to win the last of ten at Randwick by a big space.

On the eve of his 27th birthday and blessed with the luxury of having no need for the sauna, Andrew Adkins has slipped into a comfortable niche among Sydney’s riding ranks.

Patrick Murphy was walking on air for a few days after Body Bob had won a midweek BM72 on the Kensington track last October.

Steve Hart has captured many magic moments during his long career as a Sydney race day photographer. Nowadays he’s making his mark as an interviewer of some of racing’s most interesting personalities.

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.

Race photographer Steve Hart recently visited the central coast property where Charlie Brister plies his trade as one of Sydney’s most respected breakers.

“Luck never gives, it only lends” - just ask Kath Bell-Pitomac who long ago gave up trying to understand the vagaries of a jockey’s life.

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.

Elson Boy’s effortless win in a Mudgee barrier trial on Sunday March 31st, gave veteran trainer Dar Lunn almost as big a thrill as an official race win.

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.

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.

 What a comforting thing it is for any owner, trainer or jockey to be involved with a horse capable of delivering a peak performance no matter what the conditions.

When you’ve trained the winner of a one million dollar Country Championship Final at Royal Randwick you’re entitled to celebrate accordingly…

When Shelby Sixtysix grabbed Gr 1 glory in the 2022 Galaxy, trainer Danny Williams was confident he had another one at home likely to tread a similar path.

Ray Selkrig, Bill Camer and Cliff Clare were close in age and carved out distinguished careers for themselves in an era when the Sydney riding ranks were as strong as they’ve ever been.

Chris Parnham’s four win haul at Ascot on Saturday was almost certainly Australia’s best riding performance numerically. At Rosehill Gardens James McDonald calmly snared a black type treble including the Gr 1 Coolmore Classic on Zougotcha.

Steve Hart recently caught up with Kerrin McEvoy who added another Gr 1 to his impressive CV by winning Saturday’s Randwick Guineas on Celestial Legend.

James McDonald’s tactics on Fangirl in the Verry Elleegant Stakes were a carbon copy of his Apollo Stakes ride two weeks earlier.

Trainers of horses who qualify early for the $1 million Country Championship Final are obviously relieved to get the hard part out of the way, but then they have to deal with a different kind of problem.