I was well aware of Deane Lester’s towering reputation long before I met him in person for the one and only time. Like thousands of Australian punters and racing fans I’d been impressed by his easy style on radio.

“He’s nice to have around in the stable and professional in everything he does,” said trainer Mark Newnham of Saturday’s Parramatta Cup winner King Frankel.

Garry McQuillan has lost a lot of sleep since late October when his beloved Tuncurry-Forster Jockey Club was given the green light to stage the opening Country Championship Qualifier for 2023.

Albert Stapleford can’t lay claim to being Australia’s oldest active horse trainer but he’s probably running a close second. There’s a remarkable 95 year old in South Australia called Bob Hannigan.

Now in her fourth decade as a trainer, Helen Page was chuffed to win Saturday’s Sunshine Coast two year old race with Trifling in the colours of long time clients and friends Frank and Christine Cook.

Four wins on the Moruya Cup programme on January 2nd wrapped up the first award of the new year for Natalie Jarvis.

Sydney’s famous Haymarket district was fairly buzzing on Saturday night when Brock Ryan and his partner Madison Waters joined an excited crowd at the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.

The Roman playwright who penned the words “Fortune Favours The Brave” would have been honoured to know that his iconic proverb would still be ringing true on Sydney racecourses more than 2000 years later.

There’s not a race caller on the planet who doesn’t feel some degree of stress before and during the broadcast of a horse race. He desperately wants to get it right for the punters large and small who collectively create huge betting pools.

Donna Scott’s nine win haul for the month of December is an outstanding achievement for a stable of twenty five horses. Donna’s impressive tally included two doubles and a home track treble at Albury in the middle of the month.

The practice of trying to forecast winners during the running of races is fraught with danger. Sometimes horses can enjoy a cosy trip and give the impression they have a tankful of petrol, only to be found wanting when they come off the bridle.

It was Sunday December 18th and Jake Hull was wrestling with a few butterflies as he arrived at Taree’s Bushland Drive racecourse with Goofy Mick.

Jockeys returning from lengthy injury layoffs are always hopeful of an early win. It’s an accepted practice for owners and trainers to observe the progress of a comeback jockey before making rides available.

Tracey Bartley was quietly chuffed as he loaded Barossa Rosa onto his three horse float for the trip from Wyong to Randwick on Saturday. “She looked so well I was proud to be taking her to the races,” said the multiple Gr 1 winning trainer.

When you run into a horse trainer you haven’t seen for a while, it’s standard practice to inquire about the potential of the horses he or she happens to be training at the time. I posed that exact question to Gary Nickson last May.

It’s always a pleasure to send some of this high quality feed to bush horsemen. The November consignment goes to Blackall trainer David Rewald whose achievements in the month just gone attracted plenty of attention in regional Queensland.

Danny Williams was feeling a little sceptical about European horses by the time Marsabit arrived at his Goulburn stables in September of 2021. He’d had two previous involvements with imports for two very unhappy experiences.

Prior to the arrival of Sky Channel’s home service, most trainers would be on track whenever they had horses competing. They communicated with owners before a race, and enjoyed a celebratory drink with them after a win.

His very name stirs memories of champion NZ gelding Bonecrusher whose nine Gr 1 wins in the 1980’s made him a headliner on both sides of the Tasman.

Reg was born in Kempsey but spent his early teen years in Coffs Harbour. In 1953 he signed up as an apprentice jockey with Randwick trainer Bert Bellingham whose stables were in Bowral St.