One thousand kilometres away at the Wyong meeting Andrew Adkins watched Jamie’s Gr 1 win on the jockey’s room monitor and no doubt related to the significance of the win.

There were 78,500 people at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day 1976. Those who are still living, carry indelible memories of their visit to the historic course on the day mother nature threw a tantrum.

In view of the fact that Racing NSW allows Canberra trained horses to contest the TAB Highway races, I think it’s fair enough to include ACT trainers in the monthly award calculations.

James Ponsonby’s progress in just over two years as a thoroughbred trainer hasn’t gone unnoticed. The 39 year old spent nineteen successful years as a trainer and driver of harness horses, prior to switching codes in 2017.

This black and white image was presented to John at Edgar’s Avalon home in the late 1990’s. Edgar in fact removed the photo from his personal album. John says the snap was taken at either Bombay or Poona at the height of the racing season.

From the moment Front Page walked nonchalantly onto Geoff Duryea’s three horse angle loader at Corowa last Thursday, the trainer wondered what could possibly go wrong this time.

Ian Craig and I stood side by side at a television monitor to watch the running of the race bearing our names at Randwick on Saturday. We were mutually chuffed to see Opal Ridge plough through the testing ground for an easy win.

“To use Rugby League jargon he needed a full season of first grade under his belt to make a real horse of him,” was John O’Shea’s assessment of Lost And Running after the gelding’s gutsy win in Saturday’s Premiere Stakes.

Authors have been writing books about the deeds of champion Australian racehorses for two centuries. None have attacked the task with more energy and purpose than Lynlea Small…

Two aggressive rides brought Regan Bayliss a Gr 2 double at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. His confidence was buoyed by the fact that he was riding two very fit horses in Nimalee and Surf Dancer

It was Wednesday morning August 24th. Robert Price and his wife Patricia were halfway through a rare seven day break at Noosa Heads when the phone call came from son and co trainer Luke.

There wasn’t a neater race ride anywhere in Australia on Saturday than Harry Coffey’s display on High Emocean in the Sally Chirnside at Flemington.

For Cassie Schmidt, a win in the G&R Timber Merchants Peter Schumacher Memorial Maiden with Gulf Of Tomini beat the heck out of any Group 2 victory at Moonee Valley.

Some time ago Steve Hart called in on talented jockey Jenny Duggan who was waiting for a medical clearance to resume riding after an injury enforced layoff.

A sombre mood has prevailed around Kerry Parker’s Kembla Grange stables these past eight weeks. Kerry and his team are still dealing with the massive disappointment of losing stable superstar Think It Over on the eve of the fabulously rich spring carnival.

The weekly TAB Highways have become something of a holy grail for NSW country trainers. Goulburn’s Tash Burleigh was beginning to think she’d never win one of the darn things.

I’ve often wondered how a trainer like Chris Waller views a race in which he has multiple representation. With just twenty horses in work David Payne rarely has that problem, although he found himself with a duo to watch in Saturday’s BM78 at Rosehill.

I was deeply saddened to learn of Bruce Cox’s passing last Friday evening at age 84. Bruce was my race day assistant. He painstakingly recorded the details of every race and answered phone calls from stewards, race club staff or the television and radio stations we were servicing on the day.

The ever astute Toby Edmonds subscribes to the theory that a good memory is a prime requisite for any horse trainer.

It was ace photographer Steve Hart who first put the idea of an annual jockeys reunion to NSW Jockeys Association CEO Tony Crisafi.