Harness Racing

Episode 344: Tappy chats with Mat Rue

Episode 344:  Tappy chats with Mat Rue

Great to catch up with Bathurst based harness horseman Mat Rue who at age 32 is already nearing 1000 career driving wins. He begins by acknowledging the brilliant win by his favourite Fouroeight in the recent Shirley Turnbull Memorial. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

Episode 321: Tappy chats with Ray Walker

Episode 321:  Tappy chats with Ray Walker

Many good judges believe Mister Rea is the best 2 year old pacer seen out this season. The no nonsense colt is unbeaten in six runs. We catch up with his trainer Ray Walker. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

Episode 294: Tappy chats with Donna Castles

Episode 294:  Tappy chats with Donna Castles

This is an inspirational chat with a remarkable Victorian trotting lady. Donna talks about the Victorian trotting industry’s support of the “Pacing For Pink” promotion which works in conjunction with the McGrath Foundation. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

Episode 268: Tappy chats with Norm Lang

Episode 268:  Tappy chats with Norm Lang

It’s now twelve years since Norm Lang put away the harness and hopples for the last time. The game of bowls now commands his full attention. (Click on image for more photos)

Episode 211: Tappy chats with Col Hodges OAM

Episode 211:  Tappy chats with Col Hodges OAM

Great to catch up with the voice of NSW central west racing. Col Hodges covers meetings at 25 venues and is a living legend in the region. (click on image for more photos)

Episode 186: Tappy chats with Damian Raedler

Episode 186:  Tappy chats with Damian Raedler

Introducing Damian Raedler who retired recently from his role as CEO of the Albion Park Harness Racing Club. Damian looks back on his early years with Telecom when he specialised in the installation of automatic telephone exchanges. (click on image for more photos)

Episode 182: Tappy chats with Allan Hull

Episode 182:  Tappy chats with Allan Hull

We talk to Allan about the emotion attached to his final call at his home track on Australia Day 2020. The veteran broadcaster acknowledges the moving gesture by his son Quentin who called a race in his Dad’s honour five days earlier. (click on image for more photos)

Episode 173: Tappy chats with Cameron Hart

Episode 173:  Tappy chats with Cameron Hart

Cameron reviews his recent trip to NZ when he finished second on the points table in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship. (click image for more photos)

Episode 169: Tappy chats with Ashlee Grives

Episode 169:  Tappy chats with Ashlee Grives

HRNSW presents a chat with respected trainer/driver Ashlee Grives who’s currently going through a very sad time. Ashlee explains the debilitating colic attack which struck her wonderful race mare Ameretto and two subsequent surgical procedures. (click image for more photos)

Episode 149: Tappy chats with Bernie Hewitt Part One

Episode 149: Tappy chats with Bernie Hewitt Part One

Bernie recalls his freakish fall at Eugowra recently, and the injuries he sustained. He looks back on early days on the farm at Crookwell (NSW) and the lessons he learned from his late father Tom. Bernie reflects on the neighbor’s horse that gave him his first winning drive. The master horseman remembers Nikalong Shadow the first really good horse he got to drive. Tom Hewitt trained Nikalong Shadow but Bernie drove him to 43 wins. Bernie talks about the offer from a prominent owner/breeder which prompted his move from Crookwell to Bathurst twenty years ago.

Episode 98: Tappy chats with Bruce Harpley

Episode 98:  Tappy chats with Bruce Harpley

Bruce Harpley sat on his back veranda at Junee to conduct this interview for our podcast. Widely known as the “pacing postman” he’s an earthy country bloke, with a great love of the harness horse.

Episode 96: Tappy chats with John Caldow

Episode 96:  Tappy chats with John Caldow

The champion harness horseman talks about the tragedy that turned his family upside down early in his life. He reflects on his first win at Echuca and the thrill of his first Moonee Valley win. John talks of his long and happy marriage to Maree and his wife’s success as a trainer.

Episode 85: Tappy chats with Darren Hancock

Episode 85:  Tappy chats with Darren Hancock

Darren Hancock joined an elite club when he won at his very first race drive. He was just 16 and drove a horse called Sportsman Talk at Bankstown.

Episode 60: Tappy chats with Jodi Quinlan

Episode 60:  Tappy chats with Jodi Quinlan

Jodi Quinlan was pretty sore and sorry when we recorded this podcast, but you’d never pick it. Only a week earlier she had a confrontation with an ill-tempered maiden trotter in the Melton float parking area, and came off second best.

Episode 51: Tappy chats to Fred Kersley (Part 2)

Episode 51:  Tappy chats to Fred Kersley (Part 2)

In Part 2 Fred Kersley talks about the struggle he had to gain his thoroughbred trainer’s licence. It’s a treat to hear the maestro reminisce about the champion Northerly, who catapulted him to the upper echelon of galloping trainers.

Episode 50: Tappy chats to Fred Kersley (Part 1)

Episode 50:  Tappy chats to Fred Kersley (Part 1)

It’s hard to believe Fred Kersley is approaching his 80th birthday. The remarkable horseman is just as passionate today, as he was at any stage of his career.