John Tapp Racing

Thoroughly enjoyed my first chat with Bill Mitchell since he left the training ranks in 2005. He begins by outlining his reasons for relocating to Melbourne in his final years as a trainer. Bill talks of his surprise decision to relinquish his licence and the establishment of his own bloodstock consultancy business. The multiple Group 1 winning trainer looks back on nine years as racing manager for the Segenhoe Group. Bill reflects on the excitement of migrating from England with his family at age 11. His father Major James Mitchell had purchased Yarraman Park Stud from legendary jockey George Moore. He talks of school days in Australia and the affinity he developed with thoroughbreds at Yarraman Park.  Bill reflects on his return to England where he learned the basics of training from Fulke Johnson Houghton. Then it was back to Sydney for a stint with Neville Begg. Still feeling his education was incomplete, Bill headed to the USA where he landed a job in the stable of decorated trainer Neil Drysdale.

At last we catch up with one of the superstars of the Australian riding ranks. We launch straight into Glen’s memories of the freakish mare Makybe Diva who gave him three consecutive Melbourne Cup victories. He still gets goosebumps when he talks about the amazing staying mare. He talks of the 1998 Melbourne Cup when he hit the front on Champagne and thought he was home. Glen couldn’t believe it when Jezabeel fought back to win. The great jockey takes us back to childhood days at Beaudesert and his obsession with horses from an early age. He adored his years at Pony Club. Glen recalls the defining moment at Gympie races when he knew he wanted to be a jockey. He looks back on his two rewarding apprenticeships- the first with Terry Chinner at Gympie and the second with Kaye Tinsley on the Gold Coast. Glen talks about his fiery nature in those early years and the careless riding that brought him many suspensions. He looks back on the fateful day he met his future wife Sloane, the mother of his two children

Great to catch up with a young horseman who has already made his mark as a trainer and driver at the top level. Brad begins by pointing out the many advantages of being based at Goulburn. He reflects on the tutelage he received from his late grandfather Tom Hewitt, one of the most respected horsemen of his generation. Brad talks of the influence Tom had on his sons- David, Bernie and Mark, all highly successful in their own right. He says his Aunt Jenna, the only girl in the Hewitt family wasn’t allowed to drive in races. The young horseman talks of the trotting genes to be found on the maternal side of his family. Brad says his brothers have also chosen harness racing as their preferred livelihood- Sam as a trainer and breaker, Scott as a trainer and farrier. Sister Jess also gets a mention. The thirty year old looks back on the thrill of his first winning drive and his handful of winners at historic Harold Park.   Brad pays tribute to the special horses who’ve helped to launch his career. He speaks w

Great to catch up with John Morrisey, one of the most astute trainers of his generation. John talks about the move from Canberra to the Gold Coast which came as a surprise to many. The former trainer talks of his time at the well known Capricorn Park training property near Yass. John takes us back to his childhood on the Northern Rivers and his father’s Ramornie Hcp win with Flecked Marble. He looks back on the thrill of his own Ramornie win many years later. John remembers that Ramornie winner, the talented Kidlat. Morrisey pays tribute to his Gr 1 winners Camarena, Lachlan River and Rockdale with a few good stories along the way. John fondly remembers talented galloper Here’s The Prince who landed a well orchestrated plunge for the stable in the 1995 Villiers. He acknowledges the efforts of Here’s The Point, Digger Stakas, Miss Comanche and Kareden- all great money spinners for the stable. John recounts the story of the day Peter Pascoe arrived with four horses on his truck and told the trainer to s

It’s unlikely there’s a busier jockey in Australia currently than Hunter Valley based Mikayla Weir. As this podcast is posted Mikayla has had 32 race rides on 8 different race tracks in 10 days. Just for practice she rode in 11 barrier trials at Scone last Wednesday.  In an interview recorded on Good Friday she takes us through that horrendous schedule. The young jockey logs enormous mileage to honour commitments in the North Eastern corner of the state. She explains how she comes to terms with the travelling. Mikayla takes us back to early days on the South Coast and her introduction to rodeo. She explains the fundamentals of some of her favourite rodeo pursuits. Mikayla recalls the fateful day at a Cooma rodeo when she met her partner, professional rodeo star Jock Bone-Langdon. The 27 year old looks back on her first racing stable job with Kembla trainer Kerry Parker. It was a year before Kerry allowed her to ride trackwork. She was “hooked” from the first moment. Mikayla reflects on her successful ap

I’ve had several requests over a period of time to organise a podcast with former high profile bookie Bruce McHugh. We actually did just that in August of 2019, but in those early days of the website many missed it. In the 1980’s this was the time of year when Bruce and Kerry Packer would go toe to toe at the big Randwick carnival. It’s an appropriate time to repost that podcast. Bruce talks of his current interest in racing, and the thoroughbred stallion he stands commercially- the fashionably bred Arlington. He shares memories of his grandfather Jim who arrived in Australia as a state ward in the late 19th century. Jim McHugh rode an Epsom winner. Bruce remembers him clearly. Bruce shares wonderful memories of his late father Bill who died in 1999. He remembers his father’s tenuous start as a bookmaker at bush meetings and his elevation to the famous Randwick Flat Enclosure.  He admits he was a born gambler, the prime prerequisite for a future bookie. Bruce talks fondly of his maternal grandmother Hild

Great to catch up with one of Sydney’s most popular jockeys. Tim talks of his recent Coolmore Classic win on Queensland mare Krone- his 16th Gr 1 success. Tim looks at his tremendous record with fillies and mares. He says he really hadn’t thought about it too much. The jockey looks back on his country upbringing and his first apprenticeship to Peter Clancy in the Riverina. Tim talks about the transfer of his indentures to John O’Shea at Randwick with whom he spent the last 18 months of his apprenticeship. He won the Sydney junior premiership in that season. The jockey vividly recalls the circumstances that led to his first Gr 1 win. Tim fondly remembers the wonderful mare Hot Danish who had to be put down in 2011 when she failed to respond to treatment for a massive hind leg infection. He remembers the exciting racing style of the daughter of Nothin’ Leica Dane. He reflects on his favourite Gr 1 win- the 2011 Doncaster Mile on the noted mudlark Sacred Choice. Following the passing of Hot Danish the joc

A timely podcast with John Messara as the Inglis Easter Sale approaches. John expresses his sadness that this sale will see the auctioning of the last yearlings by his iconic stallion Redoute’s Choice. John talks of three year old filly Miravalle whose recent success in the Kembla Classic gave Redoute’s Choice his 178th stakes winner. He talks of Arrowfield’s presence at the Inglis Easter Sale, and his long term association with the famous auction house. John looks back on the reasons he identified Redoute’s Choice as the horse to replace his own famous sire Danehill. The founder of Arrowfield profiles the sons of Redoute’s Choice who’ve followed in his footsteps at the famous stud. The story of John’s acquisition of the legendary Danehill is a great yarn. Nobody tells it better than John himself. John Messara’s life has been a fascinating journey. He takes us back to his childhood in Egypt and his arrival in Australia at age 11. The Arrowfield Principal looks back on University days and his acquisitio

I first interviewed Bev Buckingham at her Latrobe home in Tasmania during her rehabilitation from injuries received in the Hobart race fall that ended her career in 1998.  I saw her again on three occasions over the next few years, but lost touch thereafter. When I spotted a photo of Bev on Twitter recently I launched a successful search for her phone number and thankfully she agreed to this podcast. The trailblazing jockey explains how that photo materialised. Right off the top I should apologise for some audio glitches over which we had little control. I’m sure you’ll bear with us. She talks of her family’s move to regional Victoria following her initial rehabilitation, and her brief foray into horse training.  Bev reflects on our visit to the Benalla property where she actually rode a Clydesdale mare for the Sky cameras. It was an emotional moment for us all. She confesses to flirting with danger some time later when she tried to ride a thoroughbred yearling with disastrous results. Beverly takes us b

Jon Grisedale tried to quit the saddle when he suffered a complicated leg break at Kembla Grange in 2013. He actually announced his retirement but couldn’t resist the urge to start riding trackwork again.  Eight years down the track he’s enjoying his job more than ever. He begins by acknowledging the long priced winner he rode on the Gold Coast on Saturday for veteran trainer Lennie Wheeler. Jon explains the reason he and his wife Donna moved from Kembla to Coffs Harbour in 2018.  He talks of the wonderful facilities available to trainers at the Coffs racecourse and the nearby beach. The evergreen jockey talks of Donna’s ten year stint with the legendary Jack Denham. She credits her training career to the lessons learned in that decade. Jon talks of his passion for riding trackwork. Six mornings a week he handles 15 or 16 horses. One day recently he went beyond that number. The jockey talks of his English roots and his original apprenticeship to Bede Horan- the man who moulded his career.  Jon looks b

Now in her final season as an apprentice 27 year old Jessica is totally focused on maintaining her current lead over Todd Pannell on the SA premiership ladder. She transferred from Melbourne to Adelaide in the hope she might pick up a few more rides. She has to pinch herself to realise she’s Adelaide’s top jockey halfway through the season. Jess says she’d received a few offers from Michael Hickmott to move to Murray Bridge before she finally bit the bullet.  The young jockey reflects on her childhood at Mt Waverley in Melbourne and her formative years at Monash and Nunawading pony clubs. Jess looks back on her first job with trainer Danny O’Brien and subsequent stints with Mick Kent and Mick Price. She says it was Mick Price who encouraged her to become a jockey. She talks about her inauspicious debut, her first win at Avoca and her first metro win. The latter happened in the most unlikely place. Jess talks of later apprenticeships with Brett Cavanough and the O’Sullivans at Stawell. She reluctantly rec

Great to catch up with Bart Sinclair OAM who retired from his role as Racing Editor of the Brisbane Courier Mail in 2012, after four decades of trusted racing journalism. The Racing Queensland Hall of Fame Inductee begins by outlining his current role with the Brisbane Racing Club. Bart pays tribute to his father and namesake Bart Sinclair Snr who had great success as a jockey and trainer. Young Bart never saw his father ride, but learned of his talents from old time racing men as he was growing up. He talks of his Dad’s association with Berborough. Bart Snr thought he had the mount on the occasion of Bernborough’s Sydney debut, but was doomed to disappointment. Bart remembers a betting coup his father orchestrated in Brisbane with an unsound horse called Bindana. Bart Snr. patched up another unsound horse called Mullala to win the 1963 Stradbroke. Bart Jnr reflects on his father’s Derby win with Minto Crag and the many races he won with Oxford King- a horse he bought for 300 guineas. The eminent journal

Danny’s family and friends were surprised in 2017 when the popular jockey quit the saddle with 2000 wins under his belt. They were even more surprised recently when he announced a comeback. He talks of his reasons for returning to the saddle, and reviews his first day back at Kranji on Saturday. He explains that he’s been riding trackwork and in barrier trials during his four year hiatus, enabling him to keep his weight in check. Dan talks about some of the great riding talent he’ll be facing every week at Kranji. The 18 time Gr 1 winner recalls his very first win at Corowa in 1993 and looks back on apprenticeships with Peter Maher at Wodonga and Lee Freedman at Flemington. He acknowledges the support of Freedman’s neighbour David Hayes. Dan has never forgotten the day he was contacted by Graeme Begg who offered him two rides at Rosehill. Both horses won, and Danny finished up completing his apprenticeship with the Randwick trainer. The jockey talks about his experiment with the European riding style, an

Great to talk to Tony Erhart who could be the only 73 year old in Australia who’s still riding regular trackwork on a metropolitan racecourse. He says he’s never enjoyed it more. He talks of his unexpected heart bypass surgery in 2014. He didn’t see it coming! A year after his major surgery, Tony went close to becoming the oldest winning rider on a Queensland metropolitan track  when he was beaten narrowly on Top Tone at Doomben.  Tony retired from race riding to become chief work rider for his wife Lorraine. He had barely started his new role when a freak accident left him with a broken femur. He says he intended to stay out of the saddle but last October it got the better of him. Tony talks of childhood days at Gympie, his happy times at pony club, and the disappointment he experienced the first time he tried for an apprenticeship. He approached another trainer and got the job. He has never forgotten his debut at a defunct Gold Coast racecourse. Nor has he forgotten the buzz of riding his first winner

Great to catch up with one of Australian racing’s most respected figures. Sandy speaks to us from Gunnong- Jugrawah, the family property near Gundagai where all of the Tait champions first saw the light of day. Please note this interview was recorded on Sunday Feb 7th prior to Cherry Tortoni racing in the C.S.Hayes at Flemington in which he finished fourth. Sandy begins by summarising the career thus far of the promising Cherry Tortoni, the most recent metropolitan winner to carry the famous red and white silks. He takes us back to a sprinter called Stirrup Cup who wasn’t an elite performer but a genuine little sprinter whose flashy markings made him a crowd favourite in the 1950’s. Sandy shares his memories of Fil Allotta, the talented Randwick trainer who prepared horses owned by his parents for almost four decades. The popular owner talks of Dark Jewel’s lacklustre racing career. Nobody in the family expected her to reach such dizzy heights as a broodmare. Sandy acknowledges all of Dark Jewel’s winnin

Great to catch up with a man who’s been a household name in the Queensland training ranks. He begins by dismissing the popular belief that he’s close to retirement. Rex talks of his love for the Darling Downs and the reasons he’s never wanted to train elsewhere. He looks back on a rural childhood and his three earliest pursuits- dairying, the raising of beef cattle and the harvesting of grain. The veteran trainer talks of his twenty years in a variety of roles at Queensland’s well known Eureka Stud owned by Col McAlpine. Rex decided to go training when Col’s son Scott took over from his father. Rex pays tribute to two special horses who got him away to a flying start as a trainer in his own right. He recalls his association with the legendary Jim Atkins. He remembers a trip to Sydney and some memorable conversations with legendary trainer Neville Begg. Rex looks back on two Weetwood Hcp wins and four Toowoomba Cups. He pays tribute to several of his all time favourite horses including Star Shiraz who pr

Hard to believe it’s coming up 13 years since Greg Childs brought down the curtain on a career that brought him a special place among the top riders of his generation. He begins by outlining his current role as a manufacturer and distributor of equine safety vests. Greg takes us back to his apprenticeship at Hawera on the North Island, and pays tribute to the first top horse he got to ride. He also makes mention of another “gun” apprentice who was rising rapidly through the ranks. He talks of his first trip overseas at the invitation of an American friend. He rode 7 winners in a short time and competed on some iconic race tracks. Greg recalls his very first trip to Melbourne with trainers Ray Verner and Peter Hurdle. He ran third in the 1990 Melbourne Cup which really whetted his appetite for Australian racing. The former champion jockey reminisces about the horses and horsemen who got him started in a new country. It was a three months trial period. He never returned to NZ. Greg talks of a Hong Kong win

Great to catch up with 83 year old Les Bridge who has maintained an amazing winning strike rate throughout his long career. Les found an unattended TV monitor to watch the running of the TAB Everest by himself. He talks of the circumstances that brought Classique Legend into his stable and the short but spectacular racing career of the horse he rates the best he’s ever trained. Les says he knew he’d be losing the horse after The Everest but will now concentrate on other horses in his stable owned by Bon Ho. The veteran horseman talks of his family’s friendship with the legendary broadcaster Ken Howard who died in 1976. He remembers spending many days in Ken’s  broadcast box in the days before commentators were allowed on course. Les goes back to his days as an apprentice jockey. He rode a few winners but didn’t rate himself at all as a race rider. He does recall two well known horses he got to ride. He talks of the flying start he made as a professional trainer. At first he seemed to have a stableful of

There was plenty of excitement at the Inglis Classic sale a few years ago, when a new vendor sold a sale topping grey colt by Not A Single Doubt. That colt has since won 6 races including last year’s TAB Everest. That seller Linda Monds is much better known today. Linda talks of the apprehension she and husband Laurence felt when they took on the well established breeders. She talks of her original purchase of broodmares which included Pinocchio, the grey mare destined to become Classique Legend’s dam. Linda talks of Classique Legend’s half brother Aethero who went to a Hong Kong buyer as a yearling. He’s already a Gr 2 winner. She also sings the praises of another half brother, the unraced Fairy Legend who’s in the care of John and Gary Moore. She talks of her involvement in the Behemoth story. The giant gelding was born and reared at Linda’s Tyreel Stud before being sold as a weanling. Linda talks of her husband Laurence who plays a major role in the day to day running of Tyreel Stud in the Hawkesbury

Great to catch up with a trailblazer of the early Sydney female training ranks. Helen talks about her move from Warwick Farm to the Gold Coast in 1997- a decision she has never regretted. She talks of the loyal new owners who supported the stable when she arrived in Queensland, and three new acquisitions from the Gold Coast Sale. The talented horsewoman highlights two outstanding horses she’s had the pleasure to train from her Gold Coast stables. Helen takes us back to her childhood days at Warialda (NSW) and her earliest introduction to horses. She pays tribute to parents Bob and Rosalie who loved horses as much as she did. She tells the story of the wonderful Xmas day when she and her brother got the surprise of their lives. Helen talks of Uni days at Armidale and her subsequent experience as an Infants School teacher- she loved every minute of her work at some remote country schools. The trainer looks back on a transfer to Sydney and her second job as a trackwork rider for Tommy Smith. Helen’s love