Episode 597: Bill Charles 31 years in racing administration, and 17 years as Bart Cummings’ right hand man.
Bill’s a regular at John Thompson’s Randwick stables. Here he is with dual stakes winning mare Fituese.
Had Billy Charles elected to stay in his very first job with the National Bank he would have soon been up to his knees in carpet in the CEO’s office. But, as much as he enjoyed the challenge the eighteen year old couldn’t shake the unrelenting urge to seek employment in the racing industry. He broke every record getting to Elizabeth St in the city when the progressive Sydney Turf Club advertised for a clerk in the racing office. Bill landed the job, and for the next seven years earned recognition as a burgeoning talent. His journey through to 1996 brought him into great repute as a versatile administrator in Australia and overseas. He opted for a change of direction in that year when Bart Cummings “head-hunted” the 49 year old for the role of Leilani Lodge Racing Manager. He was destined to stay with the maestro for 17 years. Bill is now semi-retired but continues to assist behind the scenes for high profile trainers John Thompson and Matthew Smith. His journey in the racing game makes for a very interesting podcast chat. He begins by talking about his current association with John Thompson and Matthew Smith.
Bill says he’s a regular visitor to the Thompson stable with a big supply of carrots.
He talks of Matthew Smith’s brilliant sprinter Headwall who’s chasing a long overdue Gr 1 success.
Bill takes us right back to the late 1950’s when his dad William Snr regularly took him to Sydney metropolitan meetings. He says one particular race at Randwick sparked his fascination with the racing game.
He looks back on his first job with the Castle Hill branch of the National Bank. His heart wasn’t in it.
Bill remembers the day his father informed him of a job opportunity with the Sydney Turf Club.
He looks back on the duties assigned to him at the Elizabeth St headquarters of Sydney’s second race club.
In 1970 the opportunity to widen his racing knowledge attracted him to a role with the Australian Jockey Club. He gained the job and stayed for seven rewarding years. During that time he was invited to put forward suggestions for the naming of a brand new sprint race introduced by the AJC Committee. Bill’s recommendation gained the nod of approval.
Bill talks about his passion for memorising pedigrees and racing colours during his years as an administrator.
He was both surprised and chuffed in late 1977 to be offered a role on the administration team put together to introduce horse racing in Tehran. He was exactly the right age to be taking on this kind of challenge.
Bill acknowledges some of the fellow Australians who were involved in the launch of racing on the new Farahabad dirt circuit. They included a high profile Adelaide racing writer and a former champion Victorian jumps jockey.
He remembers the big representation of Aussie jockeys who were prepared to try their luck in the Middle East.
The supreme highlight of Bill’s eight months in Tehran was his marriage to Barbara at the Australian Embassy. He looks back on a wonderful occasion.
Bill says he left Iran immediately after the first race meeting was staged. He says the signs of impending trouble in the region were already evident.
The racing experiment in Iran didn’t work. It folded after just eighteen months. The track’s all gone now.
The experienced racing aficionado says he was approached by the AJC immediately after arriving home. He grabbed the opportunity and stayed for eleven years. Halfway through he was promoted to an executive role.
Bill says his itchy feet returned in 1989. He felt due for a change at the precise time an offer turned up from the Macau Jockey Club. The former banker embarked on another exciting adventure.
On returning to Australia he was offered a job by the Queensland Principal Club supervising licenced persons in the state.
Back in Sydney a new offer came from an unexpected source. Bill says he was offered the role of Secretary Manager of the Greyhound Breeders Owners And Trainers Association. He decided to take on a brand new challenge.
May 1995 saw Charles go to work for well known owner, breeder and punter John Poletti. He says his timing was astray on this occasion. Poletti hit a financial hurdle just three months later forcing the abandonment of his racing interests.
One door closed and another one opened. Bill says Bart Cummings was making overtures to him before the Poletti operation wound down.
His association with Leilani Lodge was destined to last for 17 years. He says his duties were many and varied. Bill looks back on Bart’s attributes as a horseman and his well known penchant for a “one liner.”
Bill pays tribute to his personal favourites on the Cummings team.
He pays special tribute to a former racing administrator who taught him many tricks of the trade.
Bill Charles has worn many hats in his six decades in racing at home and overseas. Great to have him share his reminiscences with us.
Bill enjoys a moment of reflection in the Queen Elizabeth Stand at Randwick before his departure to Macau in 1989.
Inquisitive spectators turned out to watch the first barrier trials conducted at Farabahad racecourse in Tehran 1978.
Aussie jockeys Rod McMullin, Wayne Winks and Brendan Ryan inspected the new racecourse before the inaugural meeting in Tehran.
Horses warming up before morning trackwork at Farahabad.
In 1983 a total of 122 country race clubs conducted 1173 meetings for the year. Bill Charles monitored those meetings with the help of a large wall chart - his own brainchild.
The Farahabad racecourse was literally carved out of the wilderness. Here’s a shot of the home straight shortly before the opening meeting.
English version of race book for inaugural Tehran meeting 1978.
