John Tapp interviews the people who make racing tick.
Episodes
Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Phillip Stokes so we did the next best thing and chatted on the podcast. The trainer talks of his runners in two states last Saturday. No winners but a few super efforts.
Phillip talks of the fruition of a long term plan to establish a Victorian stable, and the reason he settled on the new Pakenham complex.
He describes the available facilities and the 16 acre property he purchased just 5 minutes down the road.
Phillip reflects on a happy childhood growing up on a cattle station near Marree at the top end of SA. His father Ron introduced him to thoroughbreds at an early age.
He remembers his apprenticeship in Adelaide to John Hall who had been a stable foreman for Bart Cummings in the maestro’s early days.
Phillip recalls his move to Alice Springs when his weight got out of hand. He remembers his new boss Viv Oldfield with great affection. This larger than life character is one of the Territory’s most famous businessmen to this day.
The forty nine year old recalls his first overseas stint with top trainer John Hammond at the famous Chantilly training centre near Paris.
Phillip looks back on his job with Taiki Farm in Japan and the moment he met Ayumi, the girl destined to become his wife and the mother of his two sons.
He cherishes memories of his time with Hall Of Fame trainer Bill Mott at the famous Belmont track on Long Island (NY).
The trainer looks back on the horses to get him up and going in the unforgiving business of horse training. Squillani, Marju Snip, Maybe Discreet, Hucklebuck and Eclair Surprise all get special mention.
Phillip talks of his magical day at Flemington on the final day of the 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival when he won three races including the Gr 1 Emirates.
He runs through the future prospects of some promising horses he has at Morphettville and Pakenham currently.
Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
Great to catch up with one of the hardest working jockeys in Australian racing. Much to his frustration, Grant is currently on the sidelines with a broken collarbone. He has an update on his likely return date.
He talks of the fall on March 31st which came at a time when he was enjoying a winning run.
Grant discusses the amazing statistics he’s accumulated in the last twenty years as provincial and country jockey.
He pays tribute to his father Clarrie Buckley who enjoyed Group 1 success in the 1960’s and 70’s. He highlights some of the good horses his Dad got to ride.
Grant talks of his early days as an apprentice in the Hawkesbury precinct and the trainers who supported him. He’s never forgotten his first winning ride on the Gary White trained Impossible Mission.
He pays tribute to Paul Cave, the trainer who gave him some opportunities on better class horses.
Grant looks back on his fleeting association with the brilliant mare Private Steer- a three time Gr 1 winner.
He looks back on his transition to the provincial and country tracks which have become his life.
Grant pays tribute to his wife Chantelle, a former jockey and trackwork rider for Godolphin’s Agnes Banks operation. He talks of Chantelle’s strong racing background.
He looks back on no less than nineteen race falls- not so bad when you consider the massive number of rides he’s had.
Grant outlines his association with the Godolphin operation at Newcastle and Kembla Saturday meetings.
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
In part 2 Gary talks of stable favourites Single Bullet and Testashadow.
He tells the story of the $20,000 yearling who gave him victory in the Golden Slipper of 2017. He was thrilled to win for a large group of owners who’d been brought together by Darby Racing.
Gary tells some good stories about two members of the She Will Reign syndicate who added to the whole amazing story- one of them won a fortune on the punt, while the other bought a new fishing boat which he called the “She Will Reign”. That boat met a bizarre fate.
The trainer talks of his Everest experience with She Will Reign and the mare’s subsequent sale to a Japanese breeder.
Gary speaks with affection of the remarkable veteran Marwin Gold who won 20 races for the stable. He reveals the old warrior’s current home.
He talks of his eleven year marriage to Kelly and her strong racing background. Kelly and Gary have an eight year old son Harper whose current interest in horses is far from obsessive.
Gary gives Kelly credit for getting him back on track when he “hit a flat spot” a few years ago.
This is a good yarn with a hard working Aussie horse lover who’s had a fantastic journey in an unforgiving business.
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.