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.

Those who watched Research return to scale after the 1989 Derby will probably recall her antics when a garland of roses was thrown around her neck. She almost unseated Dittman as she charged back into the enclosure, with Clarry hanging on for dear life.

Steve Hart caught up with former stud manager John Vincent who retired a few years ago, after a fascinating career in England and Australia. John gained valuable experience in his native England before migrating to Australia.

Sam Clenton was conscious of a few butterflies as she drove from her Muswellbrook home to the Scone racecourse on March 18th. She was just a couple of hours away from her first race ride in two and a half years.

Steve Hart shared a coffee and a few memories recently with Clarry Conners who has four Golden Slipper trophies on the shelf at Victory Lodge.

Turns out Ron Quinton’s just an old softie after all. The battle hardened veteran rode 2168 winners including 46 Group 1’s during his spectacular career as a jockey. In 25 years as a trainer he’s won hundreds of races including 6 Group 1’s.

Two year olds Tenley (Reisling Stakes) and Yes Yes Yes (Todman Stakes) were explosive in their Randwick wins on Saturday, while The Autumn Sun deserved every accolade that came his way.  Their performances stole some of the spotlight from a dazzling win by Princess Posh in the Group 3 Newcastle Newmarket twenty four hours earlier.

I deeply regret the fact that I met Les Carlyon only once, and the finest details of the encounter remain very clear in my memory.

Goulburn trainer Tash Burleigh has developed a routine, which she believes is worth at least two lengths to her horses.

When Zardoro burst between horses to grab the lead, 100 metres out in Saturday’s TAB Highway, his usually reserved trainer Terry Robinson allowed himself a fleeting moment of jubilation.

Siggy Carr looked anything but a reluctant jockey, as she skilfully coaxed The Inevitable to a narrow win in the C.S.Hayes Stakes (Group 3) at Flemington.

While the potential autumn stars were stealing the limelight, a hard working jockey called Chad Lever was accumulating an impressive sequence of ten winning rides in the space of eight days on country and provincial tracks.

Apart from a mild case of the race day jitters experienced by all horse trainers, John Thompson spent a pretty relaxed Saturday afternoon at Rosehill Gardens.

This is the time of year when exciting two year olds start popping up like mushrooms after rain. It’s been head spinning stuff these past six weeks, trying to get a handle on several promising juveniles who’ve recorded brilliant wins in NSW and Victoria.

At a rough estimate, about 140 races were run across the nation on Saturday. It’s possible the best ride of the day was produced by veteran Peter Graham, who landed a winning double at Tuncurry Forster on the NSW Mid North Coast.