John Tapp interviews the people who make racing tick.
Episodes
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tyler Schiller was always destined to make it to the ranks of Sydney’s top jockeys. After a flying start in the Riverina he was fortunate to gain a start in Sydney with Mark Newnham who had emerged as a master tutor of young riders. Tyler was champion Sydney apprentice in his second season, and has already established himself in the senior ranks. He begins the podcast by heaping praise on the flying Front Page, the horse to give him two Kosciuszko wins in twelve months.
Tyler shares a funny sidelight to the Kosciuszko win on October 14th. His mum Susan found an ingenious way to gain entry to the Randwick birdcage.
The young jockey talks of the first leg of his double on Everest day. He used great initiative to get Land Legend home in the historic St Leger.
He expresses great gratitude for the wonderful run he’s had in his first few months as a fully fledged jockey.
Tyler talks about early days in his hometown of Young, and his only sibling’s indifference to horses.
He talks of father Glenn’s association with harness horses, and his own involvement with the breed.
Tyler gives a shout out to grandfather Peter who’s also had a strong connection to harness horses.
He talks of having attained his permit to drive in races, and says he was ready to start when the opportunity arose to become an apprentice jockey.
The young jockey talks of his move to the stables of the late Phil Sweeney at Jerilderie, the tiny border town which has strong ties to bushranging history.
Tyler talks of the freakish motor accident which almost finished his potential riding career.
He remembers with great clarity the thrilling occasion of his first winning ride. The magic moment came at a non TAB meeting on the dirt track at Hillston in the western Riverina.
He says that Lucky Capri’s trainer has remained a close friend and associate.
Tyler recalls the occasion of his first winner at a TAB meeting. He revisits a Wagga win on Gold Touch for Luke Pepper, a trainer who has continued to support him.
He says bush jockeys rarely get the opportunity to ride top class horses. He pays tribute to one such horse trained by his master.
Tyler says he contacted a few Sydney trainers himself when the time was right to make the transition.
The jockey reflects on a magical moment at Rosehill on Golden Slipper day this year- his first Gr 1 victory on Mariamia in The Galaxy. He says the euphoria of his breakthrough win was overshadowed by news of his father’s cancer diagnosis a few days earlier.
Mariamia was one of two winners on the day. He remembers Opal Ridge’s brilliant win in the Darby Munro Stakes.
Tyler goes on to talk of Opal Ridge’s subsequent Brisbane form.
He acknowledges several horses who’ve helped him to gain a foothold in the ranks of Sydney’s senior ranks.
Tyler got a huge thrill to head back to the Riverina last year to win the Albury Gold Cup on Harmony Rose for his boss Mark Newnham.
Tyler Schiller is still very much a “bushie” at heart which shows through in this podcast. A nice chat with one of Australia’s most talented young jockeys.
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
I’ve long admired Robyn Freeman’s dedication to the craft she loves. She’s one of few female riders still active from the dedicated group who were flying the flag in the 1990’s. A recent Newcastle double on two long priced horses clearly showed why Robyn is still gaining support twenty five years on. She talks about the two fillies in question.
Robyn explains that her patient tactics on both winners illustrated her preferred style of riding.
She talks of her two young children, and the valuable support she receives from her own parents.
The dedicated jockey says she’s a regular at Kembla Grange trackwork, and acknowledges the trainers for whom she rides.
Robyn looks back on her equine management course at Armidale TAFE, and her first apprenticeship to local trainer Stafford Wain.
She explains the reasons for her many changes of stable affiliations. Her second job was with Gayna Williams at Bathurst.
Robyn reflects on brief stints with Colin Jeffries, Leanne Aspros, the late Max Lees and Graeme Begg.
Finally the move that was to give her a solid grounding and some notable success in the saddle. Robyn looks back on a long association with Gai Waterhouse, and acknowledges some of the nice horses she got to ride.
She looks back on the relatively small group of girls who were battling for recognition in the early 2000’s.
Robyn remembers her sudden urge to try her luck overseas. She looks back on two memorable visits to Macau and South Africa.
She reflects on her return to Australia and a frustrating attempt to regenerate her career, starting off in Victoria.
Robyn remains grateful for the opportunity afforded her by Brett Cavanough who was Albury based at the time.
The mother-of-two remembers a return to the Waterhouse stable and her initial meeting with future husband Stuart Key.
She looks back on her association with Noel and Emma Mayfield-Smith and her connection with a very special horse.
You can hear the excitement in Robyn’s voice as she reflects on a surprise invitation to ride in a female jockey’s event in Sweden. It turned out to be a thrilling experience.
Robyn delights in telling the humorous story of a conversation she had one morning with Gai Waterhouse. The trainer gave her some motherly advice.
Following the birth of her two babies Robyn made the decision to return to race riding, but had difficulty in getting her weight back to the necessary level. She got some advice from another female rider.
She pays tribute to trainer Gerald Ryan who gave her great support on the comeback trail.
Robyn summarises an injury list which would have dampened the spirit of most jockeys.
She talks of her delight in riding alongside the great Damian Oliver on Newcastle Cup day.
It’s a nice chat with a lady who’s helped to bring Australia’s female riders to the prominent niche they enjoy today.
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
For the first few years of their training partnership Robert and Luke Price worked individually- Robert at Turpentine Park, a spelling and pre-training property at Cambewarra while Luke was based at the partnership’s Kembla stables. Circumstances have changed and the pair now operate in tandem from the racecourse. Rob joins us on the podcast to talk about the reasons for the change of format.
Rob talks of his love for the NSW South Coast and the passion for thoroughbreds he and Luke have in common.
He sees himself training horses long into the future.
The experienced horseman talks of the extensive refurbishments being carried out at Kembla Grange currently. He says trainers are feeling the pressure but are excited about the future facilities.
Rob talks of the unique premiership double he and Luke achieved last season.
He looks back on an early aspiration to be a jockey and his apprenticeship to Nowra trainer Fred Thomason.
Rob says he got as far as the trials, but the scales told him a riding future was off the table.
He talks of the interim job he secured while sorting out his future.
Rob looks back on the acquisition of his trainer’s licence and a low key start in the business. He talks of regular trips to the Berry Showground where he would meet his mentor and his future wife.
He and Patricia produced two sons and a daughter who have subsequently provided them with a big team of grand kids. Rob pays tribute to the family.
The South Coast horseman looks back on the valuable tutelage given by his late father in law Kevin Robinson. He extols the virtues of an extraordinary trainer.
Rob remembers his first win as a trainer at Kembla in 1990, and the lengthy wait before that first elusive city win came along.
He pays tribute to a few special horses who helped to get him up and running as a trainer.
Rob looks back on the professional riding career of his son and training partner Luke Price.
He talks of a nasty accident which halted Luke’s riding career in 2002, and the amazing comeback he made a year later.
Rob says Luke still enjoys riding trackwork especially when his mount happens to be stable favourite Cuban Royale.
The co-trainer pays tribute to bonny mare Jamaea, and reflects on some of her better performances. He talks of her recent sale on the Inglis Digital online auction.
Not surprisingly we devote ample time to Rob’s reminiscences about the ill fated Count de Rupee- the best horse to pass through the Price stables so far.
He comments on the bizarre reality that both Count de Rupee and his Golden Eagle conqueror I’m Thunderstruck are no longer with us.
Rob says Count De Rupee’s deeds lifted the profile of the Price stable overnight.
He makes special mention of the stable “war horse” Cuban Royale who’s still going strong as a nine year old.
The trainer talks of a recent affiliation with the famous Australian Bloodstock operation. He’s optimistic about a Brave Smash two year old he’s training for the syndication giant.
Rob gives us a “heads up” regarding a couple of unraced I Am Invincible fillies he and Luke are training.
He concludes with mention of the instantly recognizable Price stable colours. Some of his owners have taken the white and tartan theme to another level.
Tuesday Oct 03, 2023
Tuesday Oct 03, 2023
It was the mid 1970’s and Hilton was on a flight from Dublin to Sydney after completing a three year stint with Irish trainer John Oxx. He turned to wife Marilyn and calmly announced that his riding days were over. In this podcast replay the former ace jockey explains why he quit at the top of his game, and recalls the new life he forged back in Australia. Hilton begins by talking about his lifelong love of golf.
He also reveals a love for fishing, a skill he learned from his great mate, the late Norm Munsie.
Hilton talks of his amazing mother Vera who was 102 years of age when this podcast was recorded. She’s now 106 and still right on top of her game.
The former outstanding jockey has never forgotten the day his father came home with an undernourished pony mare called Flicka- the pony who would trigger his love for riding.
Hilton talks of the horse dentist who looked after Flicka’s teeth. That dentist also had racing connections and was the catalyst in arranging Hilton’s apprenticeship to Rosehill trainer Vic Thompson Snr.
He remembers everyday life with a trainer who was tough but fair.
Hilton recalls his forgettable race riding debut, and the thrill of his first win at his 15th ride.
The veteran horseman recalls the humbling experience of being selected Dux of the AJC Apprentice’s School- quite an honour in 1960.
Cope was only 17 when he rode his first Gr 1 winner. He recalls the circumstances under which he picked up the ride on Red Wind in the 1960 AJC Metropolitan.
Right at the end of his apprenticeship Hilton teamed up with a special 3YO filly. He remembers his AJC Oaks win on Jane Hero.
He reflects on an association with a brilliant horse called Broker’s Tip. He won the Canterbury Guineas on the horse and hoped to be retained for the AJC Derby but was usurped by a glamour jockey of the day. The story had a happy ending.
Hilton recalls renewing his partnership with Broker’s Tip in the autumn of 1970 for a great Gr 1 double.
The former jockey looks back on a brief association with the much revered Tails. He won his second AJC Metropolitan on the handsome chestnut, a decade after Red Wind.
Hilton remembers his handful of rides on one of Australia’s best loved horses, the gallant Gunsynd. He talks of a racing peculiarity jockeys needed to be aware of.
He hasn’t forgotten the exciting experience of his first and only ride in the Melbourne Cup.
Hilton says he was in trouble controlling his weight at just 18 years of age. He confesses to some irresponsible behaviour on Saturday nights.
He says dehydration sometimes generated cramps during or after races. He cites a couple of examples.
Hilton was 26 when offered a contract in France which turned out to be an unhappy experience. The owner was happy to have him on her horses, but the trainer wanted nothing to do with the Australian jockey.
He says a former champion Australian golfer was instrumental in getting him to Ireland.
His three seasons with John Oxx more than compensated for the nightmare experience in France. Hilton reminisces about his happiest days as a jockey.
On returning to Australia he began the development of a spelling farm in the Hunter Valley. Before long he had 150 horses on the property. Hilton looks back on his resident herd of cattle and a successful venture into lucerne farming.
He talks of his love for thoroughbred breeding and the enjoyment he gets out of racing a horse from time to time.
Hilton remembers his mixed feelings when the decision was made to sell Kelvinside to the Darley empire. He says it was quite a wrench.
I thoroughly enjoyed this chat with a very old friend. If you missed the podcast in 2019, here it comes again!
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
John Powell was at a loose end when he returned to Australia in 2021 after calling time on his long riding career in Singapore. It wasn’t long before Racing NSW enlisted his services as a mentor for northern NSW jockeys, and more recently Gary Kliese has snapped him up for a co-hosting role on Sky Thoroughbred Central’s coverage of northern rivers racing. It’s almost forty years since John Powell began his apprenticeship with Helen Page at Warwick Farm. In a 37 year riding career he rode 1400 winners in five jurisdictions, more than half of them in Singapore. We were able to pin him down recently for a lengthy chat about his fascinating journey in racing. John begins by explaining how his opportunity with Sky Thoroughbred Central came up.
He says his main focus is on the characteristics of horses and tactics employed by jockeys.
John says he’d barely settled back in Australia when he got a surprise phone call from Corey Brown on behalf of Racing NSW.
The former top jockey takes us back to childhood days at Campbelltown and talks about the family friend who introduced him to Helen Page.
He recalls his delight when Warwick Farm trainer Frank Bacon gave him his very first race ride.
John hasn’t forgotten his very first winner at Gosford for his boss Helen Page. He admits the ride wasn’t pretty. The chief steward spoke to him on the day about an entirely different matter.
He fondly remembers his magical first city winner at Canterbury in 1987.
Powell recalls multiple wins on the Guy Walter trained Prince Invader- a very important horse to the young rider in those early days.
He has never forgotten a pick-up ride on brilliant sprinter Show County. He got the ride during a jockey’s strike when every runner at a Warwick Farm meeting was ridden by an apprentice.
The recently retired jockey looks back on his affinity with Kembla Grange racecourse. In one season in the late 80’s he was champion Kembla apprentice.
He talks of Shane Edmonds, another talented apprentice who was with Helen Page at the same time.
John talks about his addiction to diuretics, the demon pills used by many jockeys in days gone by to help them excrete water through the kidneys. Diuretics gave jockeys a simple way of losing weight on race days. They were very dangerous long term.
He looks back on several short term contracts in Mauritius- a unique racing environment.
John talks of his very successful stint in Macau. It was here a Panamanian jockey helped him to fine tune his riding style.
He looks back on some of the outstanding horses he got to ride in Australia including a few of Bart Cummings’ topliners.
John talks of his association with John Hawkes which led him to a full season in Brisbane. The champion trainer once entrusted John with a barrier trial ride on champion Octagonal. He still talks about it.
He looks back on his appointment as stable jockey for Don Baertshiger in Singapore- a partnership that would last for many years.
John says he got away to a “flyer” in Singapore by winning the Gr 1 Derby on Hello And Goodbye. It was Kiwi trainer Bruce Marsh’s first Singapore win.
He talks of his first win in the Kranji Mile and a second Singapore Derby.
John reflects on a Kranji Mile win for Laurie Laxon and a QE2 Cup success.
The former ace jockey talks openly about his cancer scare. The discovery of a lump on his neck during a routine medical check led to further scans. Thyroid cancer was detected. Covid enforced travel restrictions delayed John’s return to Sydney for crucial surgery.
He says the thyroid complication sent his weight on a spiral, and he knew his riding days were numbered. John remembers the shock he received to read about his retirement on social media, long before he’d made any announcement.
It’s a laid back chat with a talented jockey who spent 25 of his 37 riding years out of Australia.
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Wayne Collison and Kylie Kennedy happen to be father and daughter but choose to operate individually from their stables in the idyllic township of Narromine 40 kms from Dubbo. Wayne started training about 25 years ago following a successful career as a jockey. His wife Robyn Douglas also made her mark as a trainer in the central west. Is it any wonder one of their four daughters inherited the racing genes. Kylie has won around 150 races in her own right. We begin the podcast with Wayne who talks about his recent run of success.
He reflects on a trip to the famous Louth meeting where one of his three runners was successful.
The former jockey acknowledges the horses who’ve contributed to his recent winning trot.
Wayne says he’s obliged to ride all of his small team in trackwork.
He talks of the facilities at his disposal.
Wayne reflects on his eighteen years as Narromine track manager.
He talks of the strong points of the central western racecourse.
Wayne looks back on his early childhood at Cassilis, and an involvement with the under 5 stone Rugby League side.
He talks of the circumstances leading up to his apprenticeship with prominent Newcastle trainer Roy Hinton.
The 69 year old has vivid recollections of a winner at his very first race ride. He pays tribute to the rider of the runner up.
Wayne looks back on a winning association with the smart sprinter Brother Smoke.
He explains that Brother Smoke won many races despite a chronic windsucking habit.
The veteran horseman recalls the transfer of his apprenticeship to respected Walcha trainer Ron Martin. He says the winters were ferocious.
Wayne recalls some of the handy horses he rode for the Martin stable.
Collison talks of a stint with a Canowindra stable which led him to an association with a very smart horse, and a chance meeting with the girl destined to become his wife and the mother of his four daughters.
An offer to link up with the Jack Walsh stable brought him to Narromine. Forty years on he’s still a proud resident.
He looks back on his days as a jockey in western NSW. He got to some far flung places.
Wayne remembers two prominent trainers with whom he had a strong association. He also remembers the rogue horse who gave him a torrid time.
He looks back on Robyn’s success as a registered trainer. He pays tribute to some of her better horses.Wayne remembers the loyal support of owner/breeder Les Gibson who raced a very special horse in the 1950’s.
He talks of Robyn’s retirement from training and the special job she took on at a local retirement village.
Wayne reveals his reasons for quitting the saddle and a seamless transition into the training ranks. He acknowledges the handy horses who’ve helped him along the way.
Wayne’s daughter Kylie Kennedy comes on line to talk about her three sisters and the valuable early support she received from her parents.
Kylie talks of her seventeen years of training and her favourite horses.
She has nothing but praise for her partner, champion amateur rider Ricky Blewitt whose contribution to her stable is immeasurable.
A laid back chat with members of a dedicated country racing family.
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Michael Travers joined an exclusive club in 2021 when he became one of a handful of NSW jockeys to acquire a dual trainer/jockey’s licence. A short time later he became the first to train and ride a winner in his home state, when successful with Estaverdi at Gundagai. A minor injury sustained at Leeton in April was enough to see Michael make the decision to train exclusively. We recorded this interview just a few days before his Gundagai double on Sunday. He talks about the reluctance of Racing NSW to issue dual licences a few years ago.
He says Michelle Payne indirectly helped his cause.
Michael says he’s a little surprised more jockeys haven’t availed themselves of the opportunity.
He says attaining the licence was one thing- finding stabling in Wagga was another.
Michael looks back on the thrill of his history making feat at Gundagai in 2021. He rode another winner on the day for an outside stable.
He says it wasn’t easy to attract owners who were happy to have the same person training and riding their horses. He pays tribute to great supporters Robyn Tatham and Peter Knight.
Michael looks back on the heavy workload associated with his dual career. He knew he couldn’t keep going forever.
The experienced horseman looks back on teen years when his grandfather introduced him to racing. He was quickly besotted by the atmosphere of the track.
Michael nominates the two horses who whetted his appetite for the game.
He talks of work experience gained with two high profile Rosehill trainers of the early 1990’s. One of those trainers told him he’d never make a jockey.
Travers looks back on the university studies which brought him a Bachelor Of Education Degree.
With his desire to be a jockey still bubbling under the surface he gained a start with Noel Mayfield-Smith who was then training at Hawkesbury. He couldn’t get the hang of it.
Totally discouraged, Michael decided to put his teaching degree to good use. He talks of his time at two Sydney schools instructing in three subjects.
The jockey/trainer talks of his fondness for the piano. He learned the art early in life.
Michael says he was 24 years old when he approached Racing NSW apprentice coach Maurice Logue. The ever helpful Logue arranged a pre vocational course for young Travers with Albury trainer Rob Wellington. Just when Rob was about to sign him up, Michael’s dad became seriously ill. He returned to the teaching trade.
He says he later returned to the Wellington stable and his riding career began. He went within a nose of a win on his very first day.
Michael talks of a transfer to Newcastle trainer Paul Perry. He recalls the champion sprinter he got to ride work, and some early wins for the Perry stable.
He talks of his all time favourite horse Piracy who just happened to be owned by his mother Rae.
The popular Riverina horseman looks back on his career injury list. He regards himself as relatively lucky.
Michael talks of his intention to continue riding trackwork, and acknowledges the good recent run he’s had with in form Jean Van Overmeire.
He acknowledges the support of wife Jodie and makes special mention of 10 year old son Maverick and step children Cameron and Alaska.
It’s a laid back chat with one of Australia’s most versatile horsemen.
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
It was great to catch up with John Wallace recently for the first time in several years. The veteran trainer has a great passion for the racing game, and it shows in his all too rare interviews. We pinned him down recently for a long overdue podcast about a career that started in St George more than 50 years ago. John begins by talking about his recovery from some pretty serious health issues.
He talks of the nine horse team he has in work today- a far cry from the huge numbers he was training twenty years ago. He makes special mention of a certain 3YO.
John talks about his early life as the son of a publican at Maryborough. He was eight years old when the family moved to another pub 600km away.
The veteran trainer says he learned the language of racing from horsemen around the bar at the Metro Hotel. He recalls meeting a young man who was destined to become a very high profile steward in later years.
John says he had to put his age up in order to acquire a Queensland trainer’s licence. He got away with it.
He clearly recalls training his very first winner at St George and a subsequent move to Dalby.
Wallace says he jumped at the opportunity when stables became available in the thriving racing town of Toowoomba. He was there for a long time.
He remembers his neighbour, the iconic trainer Jim Atkins.
John responds to a question about his uncanny ability to identify talented horses and buy them cheaply early in his career. He says Court Rush was the first of several to come to his notice.
He talks of his 1982 Queensland Oaks winner Mother Of Pearl- his first win at the elite level.
John looks back on his achievements with other bargain basement buys
He pays a special tribute to Mitanni, one of his all time favourites. Twenty wins and twenty six placings. He says you don’t get many like Mitanni in a lifetime.
The seventy seven year old rates Dynamic Love as one of the best mares he’s trained. He talks of her three Sydney wins.
John says NZ race caller Tony Lee was instrumental in his acquisition of Oompala who’d won only two small races before coming to Queensland.
He looks back on a string of Queensland wins by Oompala before finishing third in the Metropolitan at Randwick.
John relives the excitement of Melbourne Cup day. For one wild moment he thought Oompala had the big race in the bag.
We reserve plenty of space for John’s reminiscences about Shoot Out a $15,000 Gold Coast purchase. He went on to win seven races with the horse including the Randwick Guineas and the AJC Derby.
He sadly recalls the sudden passing of Shoot Out’s regular jockey Stathi Katsidis on the eve of the W.S Cox Plate. He pays a warm tribute to Stathi’s great talent.
John looks back on the shattering experience of losing Shoot Out to another stable.
The veteran trainer talks of associations with Zac Purton and the late Aaron Kennedy.
It’s a laid back chat with a horse trainer from the old school.
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Monday Aug 28, 2023
NSW southern districts racing lost a loyal and dedicated servant recently when Darryl McLean called time on his 48 year career as a member of the SDRA Stewards panel. He officiated for the last time at the Corowa meeting on Monday July 31st and by his own admission left the course with very mixed feelings. It’s my great pleasure to catch up with Darryl on this week’s podcast to talk about his remarkable transition from furniture salesman to stipendiary steward. He attended a Sunday meeting at Wagga the following Sunday, but only as a spectator. He received a special surprise on the day.
Darryl says his final day at Corowa was emotion charged.
Wangaratta born and raised, McLean says there wasn’t a trace of racing in his family background.
He talks of a boyhood fascination with Aussie Rules football.
Darryl looks back on his first job with Paterson’s Pty Ltd Furniture and Floor Coverings. He spent most of his time on the road canvassing business.
He says it came as a big surprise when the boss informed him of a transfer to the company’s Wagga division.
Darryl says his passion for football led him to a coaching job with the Wagga TIgers Under 16’s side.
It wasn’t long before new found friends talked him into joining the crowd at the Wagga races. He says he was hooked from the moment he heard those drumming hooves.
Darryl says his lifelong interest in thoroughbred breeding developed in those early days.
He looks back on the advertisement in the Daily Advertiser calling for expressions of interest in a job as a cadet steward. He applied and was given a one month probationary period.
He says he combined stewarding duties with his job at Patersons Pty Ltd for close to a decade.
Darryl remembers his early days in the new job working at race meetings as far away as Balranald.
He pays tribute to the stewards from whom he learned his craft.
Darryl’s sense of humour comes to the fore as he tells the story of the real reason he took to wearing a hat.
He acknowledges the good advice he received from Bill Armstrong who was then Chairman of the SDRA. He’d previously been a high profile race starter in Victoria.
He tells the humorous story of the jockey who told the starter at a Non TAB Griffith meeting that his mount may not get around the first turn. The rest of the story is very entertaining.
Darryl shares memories of a certain overweight clerk of the course who devised a novel way of mounting his pony.
He talks of the days when stewards didn’t have the luxury of modern technology as an aid to assessing race interference.
The respected steward talks about the downside of having to ban licenced people who’ve been involved in malpractice. He had his own way of coping with it.
Darryl talks of some outside business interests he pursued while working as a steward.
He talks of his property close to Wagga where his wife Pauline runs half a dozen thoroughbred broodmares.
He talks of a Wagga Cup win in 1990 which brought tears to the eyes of most spectators.
The veteran pays tribute to a handful of special horses who’ve raced in the Riverina under his watch.
Darryl acknowledges the talents of some of the leading riders and trainers he’s known during his tenure.
He predicts a bright future for a young female apprentice who only recently went on loan to a top Sydney stable.
Darryl says southern districts racing is in the hands of some outstanding young stewards.
An enjoyable chat with a man whose contribution to NSW country racing will be long remembered.
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Great to catch up with a young jockey who’s endured the lion’s share of bad luck but keeps bouncing back into the winner’s circle. He’s riding work again following major shoulder surgery, and is champing at the bit to go to the races. Brock begins by talking of the newly arrived son who has helped him through a tough rehabilitation.
He talks of the transition into parenthood for he and partner Madison.
Brock explains the surgery he recently underwent at Sydney’s San Hospital.
He says he did plenty of work behind the scenes before returning to trackwork at Kembla Grange.
The young jockey takes us back to early days at Yamba when surfing was his primary sporting interest. He joined the workforce at a local caravan park.
Brock has never forgotten the first time he watched horse racing on television. He was instantly besotted and took immediate action.
He says he couldn’t wait to become an apprentice. He started at Kembla Grange.
Brock remembers the retired racehorse who taught him the basics. He parted company with the mare more than once.
He recalls with some amusement his first official barrier trial.
Ryan looks back on his first serious accident. Like most of the others he had no control.
He looks back on his first race ride at the Sapphire Coast and his first win at Adaminaby.
Brock talks of the day he won on the budding stakes horse Jungle Edge.
He speaks with affection of the wonderful support he received from the late Gwenda Markwell.
The talented rider talks of a freak mishap on Wellington Boot day 2017. It happened past the winning post but left him with a serious injury.
He talks of the anguish he suffered from a medical condition unrelated to racehorses.
Brock looks back on a short stint at Randwick with the John O’Shea stable and a run-in with the law which left him without a driver’s licence.
The jockey reflects on his decision to turn his back completely on racing, and a return to Yamba. He says it wasn’t long before he was missing racing.
He talks of his association with father and son training team Rob and Luke Price. Rob has been his valued tutor.
Brock looks back on an early association with the Team Hawkes stable who put him on a couple of very talented horses.
He looks back on his association with brilliant filly Jamaea. He was preparing for his first ride in a Golden Slipper when lady luck deserted him again.
Brock has indelible memories of the day he rode four winners at a Rosehill Saturday metropolitan meeting.
The jockey talks of the highs and lows of his association with the ill fated galloper Count de Rupee. A close second in the Golden Eagle and a win in The Gong took him to racing’s biggest stage.
Brock talks of the support he was getting from a wide range of stables before his shoulder surgery.
A nice chat with a very likable young man.