John Tapp interviews the people who make racing tick.
Episodes
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
In part one Gary talks of the job offer which brought him to Sydney. He was invited to train privately for a high profile owner who pulled out of the arrangement three months later.
He confesses he was ready to go back to the bush when a fellow trainer helped him out of a tight spot.
Gary talks of early days at Orange and the defining moment when he knew he wanted to train horses.
The trainer talks of the undying support of his parents Morveen and Joe. Morveen had a promising career as an entertainer in her teen years but gave it all up to marry Joe Portelli. Gary’s father is a jack of all trades who’s been a huge asset to the stable for many years.
Gary remembers his very first winner with a horse whose career began in Russia.
He talks of his first city winner. Mick Dittman was very keen to ride the horse.
Gary’s appraisal of the horses who helped launch his career was interrupted by his pet whippet who got caught in a fence during the interview. You’ll hear the drama unfold.
The trainer takes us through his wonderful ride with horses like Forest Express, Before Too Long, and Group 1 winners Rena’s Lady, Gold Trail and Rebel Dane. He elaborates on a memorable trip to Royal Ascot with Gold Trail.
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
In the 200th segment since our website began in 2018, Andrew Bensley looks back on his years with Sky TV and radio.
At last he reveals the origin of his well known nickname Hoss. People realised he bore a resemblance to actor Dan Blocker whose character of Hoss in the TV series Bonanza made him a household name. A top jockey was the first to give Andrew the nickname.
Andrew recalls the freezing Ballarat Cup day when he and I shared the Sky hosting.
He remembers the impact of TVN entering the racing media market.
“Hoss” looks back on the one and only time he was blacklisted by a racing stable. He gives his version of the event.
He’s usually talking to other people about top horses, great jockeys and trainers. This time we get Andrew Bensley to nominate his favourite horses and horsemen.
Andrew pays tribute to his wife and best mate Bernadette who has always understood his heavy workload. He makes special mention of his sons Keiran and Hayden.
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
In Part 1 Andrew outlines his reasons for bringing down the curtain on his long career with Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio.
He talks of his childhood in Wangaratta and the elderly neighbours he called Nan and Pa. They introduced him to the excitement of the racetrack.
Andrew talks of his adoption to foster parents Bruce and Leila Bensley. His Dad was an engineer and wanted Andrew to follow in his footsteps.
He remembers his first job in radio at 4VL Charleville, and a short stint at 4LM Mt. Isa.
Andrew takes us through his time at 3TR Sale and later at 3DB where he worked with legendary caller Bill Collins. He pays special tribute to the man.
He recalls his time at 3UZ and his move into television at GTV Channel 9 in Melbourne
He reflects on the many roles he filled at Channel 9 before getting a phone call from Graham McNeice. Sky had just introduced its now famous home service and needed a Melbourne correspondent.
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
In Part 1 Darren talks of a lifetime in the Bankstown harness racing precinct. He remembers the days when hundreds of horses were worked from stables in the Condell Park area. Today it’s a ghost town.
He remembers the day a Channel 10 TV crew filmed a story on harness horses for Simon Townsend’s Wonder World.
He reveals his reasons for never wanting to train big teams of horses.
Darren talks about his relationship with high profile owner Emilio Rosati who was once his next door neighbour.
He talks of his grandfather Jack a highly regarded trainer in the boom years at Harold Park.
Darren reflects on life with his late father John who died in 1999. He talks of the many good horses to come through John Binskin’s hands.
The trainer remembers the occasion of his first drive out of a mobile barrier. It was at Rockhampton in Queensland and he had to beat a pretty good horse to win.
Darren looks back on his first trip to the US in 2001. Based in Ohio he quickly made a name for himself as a race driver. Everything was going swimmingly until he was involved in a freakish accident.
He pays tribute to a handful of special horses he’s had the pleasure to train during his career.
Darren looks back on a low point in his career. The innocent administration of a harmless paste to pacer Gaius Caesar resulted in the horse being scratched by the stewards from the Miracle Mile.
He says his love of the standardbred has never diminished. He’s as dedicated today as he’s ever been.
.Darren makes special mention of his mother Rita who rarely missed a meeting at Harold Park.
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
In Part 2 the NZ born jockey pays tribute to some of his 42 Gr 1 winners with special mention of the ill fated Unworldly. She won 5 from 6 before being put down after a training accident. Larry says she was an exceptional filly.
He pays special tribute to Saintly. He rode him only twice for a win and a close second in the 1996 AJC Derby. He remembers him with great affection.
Larry talks of his years as number 1 rider for Crown Lodge and the stresses involved with maintaining the standards set by John Hawkes and Jack Ingham.
He pays tribute to some special jockeys for whom he has great admiration, and to a handful of Brisbane trainers who continue to give him strong support.
Larry talks of his much loved family, wife Michelle, son Luke and daughter Jade. The kids have some lofty ambitions.
He reveals his current levels of health and his hopes for the future. Enjoyed every minute of my long chat with a gentleman jockey.
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
In part 1 Larry talks about his career tally of winners. He reveals that he’s maintained records of his race rides from the beginning of his career in NZ.
He talks of the factors that prompted his decision to move to Queensland twelve years ago.
Larry recalls his one and only ride on the champion Winx in the 2015 Sunshine Coast Guineas. He surprised many by declaring her to be the best he’d ever ridden.
The popular jockey reflects on a horror period a few years ago when meniscal tears in both knees stalled his career. He talks of the boredom and frustration which put him into a state of depression.
Larry remembers his first morning back at trackwork after his long layoff. His legs were like jelly, and the pain was intense.
He talks of his very first Gr 1 win on Coronation Day, and his wonderful Autumn Carnival in 1997 when he won the Doncaster-Sydney Cup double for Gai Waterhouse.
That Sydney Cup winner was the genuine Linesman. Larry was very fond of the horse and felt he should have been right in the finish of the 1997 Melbourne Cup.
He talks of his 14 or 15 rides in the Melbourne Cup. He loves the race and the spectacle of the day.
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
In this segment Fred looks back on the frustrating years when he struggled to gain a WA Thoroughbred trainer’s licence. He’d just about given up when a race club committeeman came to his rescue.
He remembers the thrill of saddling up his first winner at the gallops. The horse was Little Hero at Belmont in 1989.
Fred takes us back to the day he bought a half share in a yearling with ordinary conformation, because he happened to like the youngster’s sire.
He takes us through the extraordinary career of Northerly who went on to win 19 races including 9 Gr 1’s for $9.3 million dollars. He was a life changing horse for the Kersleys.
Fred pays tribute to other outstanding gallopers he’s had in the stable. Horses like Marasco ( $1.7 million ), Grand Nirvana ($1.1 million), and Itzahym ($1.2 million).
He speaks fondly of his four children and the support he’s had from wife Judy through the years. He reflects on daughter Kelly’s winning drive on Norm’s Daughter in a Miracle Mile, and on the progress of his jockey grandson Fred Kersley.
This is a laid back chat with one of Australia’s most respected horsemen.
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
The first segment of this special interview reviews the master horseman’s long and brilliant career as a trainer and driver in the harness racing field.
Fred tells the story of his grandfather taking two pacers from Adelaide to Perth by ship, while the rest of the family crossed the Nullabor in an old Buick car. The Kersleys have been in Western Australia ever since.
He reflects on the brilliant training and driving career of his father Fred Kersley Snr, who had never been able to win a WA Pacing Cup.Towards the end of his career, young Fred was able to give him the winning drive on James Eden in the historic race. It was a night of high emotion.
Fred looks back on his very slow start as a trainer/driver. He couldn’t have imagined that he’d go on to win 16 metropolitan premierships.
The master horseman recalls his association with the great pacer Pure Steel. He won the WA Derby with the up and coming champion, but later lost the horse following a disagreement with owner Russell Roberts.
Fred pays tribute to Classic Garry, perhaps the fastest horse he ever drove.
He has some nice things to say about this brilliant racehorse and hugely influential sire.
He acknowledges some of the great drivers with whom he competed on Western Australian tracks.
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Harry pays tribute to the super sire I Am Invincible who has been a sensation on the Australian breeding scene in recent years.
He reveals the chain of events which led to the purchase of a half share in I Am Invincible, when a new stallion was required for the Mitchell family’s Yarraman Park Stud near Scone(NSW).
Harry remembers the first time he saw the horse at the Victorian stables of Peter Morgan. He was “blown away”.
He talks of the humbling experience of having I Am Invincible selected as the consort for two of the greatest mares in Australian racing history.
The respected breeder reminisces about his late father’s acquisition of Yarraman Park from its previous owner, legendary jockey George Moore.
Harry acknowledges the courage and vision of his father Major Mitchell who left England to start a new life in Australia with his wife and three young sons.
He talks of the tough days when Yarraman Park stood a number of mediocre sires.
Harry pays tribute to Catbird and Magic Albert, the stallions to put Yarraman Park “on the map”.
He talks of the sad demise of brilliant stallion Hinchinbrook following a bizarre accident on the property.
Harry pays tribute to his brother Bill who trained successfully for more than twenty years, posting 11 Group 1 wins.
The co-manager of Yarraman Park talks of the stud’s long association with Inglis. He recalls the day when the stud supplied the top colt and top filly at an Inglis Easter sale.
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
In part 2 Rod talks of Keith Noud’s ability to call a race, before dashing to the press box to file a story on the same race.
He takes us through some very funny incidents during his race broadcasting days. Incidents like the amorous liaison taking place in a bunker on the infield golf course at Laidley.
He recalls the unwelcome guest he had in the broadcasting box at Gatton, and the day a number of calves were asleep on the course proper at the same track.
Rod talks of his time as a trots caller at Albion park and his hosting role at a famous night club.
He remembers his days as the host of Channel 7’s Sportscene programme, and one memorable incident.
The veteran nominates his favourite Queensland jockeys and trainers.
Rod looks back on his transfer to the Sydney Telegraph and his later life with Sky Channel and Sky Racing Radio.
In conclusion he pays tribute to Kay and his much loved children and grandchildren. Rod Gallegos is a terrific listen!