John Tapp Racing

There was one common thread among the hundreds of tributes paid to Ross Stitt after his recent retirement. Unequivocally, friends and fellow horsemen agreed that the 83 year old had been an ornament to his profession as a man and a professional horse trainer. I’d like to add my sentiments by plucking from the archives an interview we recorded with Ross almost six years ago. He was in reminiscent mood on the day, and took us on a nostalgic journey through his life with horses. Ross began by reflecting on childhood days on the family dairy farm in the Manning Valley. He was milking the cows from age 9 before going to school. He says showjumping was his first equine passion, and it appears he was pretty adept at the sport. Ross recalls that his first thoroughbred idol was the legendary broodmare Dark Jewel. He formed the attachment simply because he had a show jumper called “Jewel” at the time. It’s not widely known that Ross Stitt could easily have pursued a career in harness racing. His earliest tutor was trots trainer Ned Coleman. He says he was very close to acquiring his licence to drive in races. Ross says he was 24 years old when he bought his first galloper Bold Pirate from an Inglis Mixed Sale. He initially gave the maiden performer to a local trainer, but later took over the training himself. He remembers ex Sydney gallopers Gold Optic and Royal Kirk as the horses to get him up and running on north coast tracks. The retired trainer rates Critic’s Pride as his first headline horse. That’s no surprise when you consider Critic’s Pride won a whopping 29 races for his up and coming trainer. Ross Stitt had the amazing ability to keep horses up for lengthy periods and to keep them winning. Half brothers Our Ambition and Gilded Blue are two prime examples. They won 48 races between them. He acknowledges the support of owner Ron Shaw, a former accountant who settled in nearby Old Bar following his retirement. He and Ross enjoyed a great association. Ross talks about his infatuation with Sir Dapper, a brilliant racehorse who later became a successful sire. The trainer won multiple races in the late 90’s and early 2000’s with Dapper Spirit, Just Dapper and Chilli Dapper. He pays a heartfelt tribute to former record breaking jockey Robert Thompson who retired just under three years after our podcast was recorded. Thompson rode more winners for the Stitt stable than any other rider.   Ross looks back on his pleasing record in NSW Country Cups. Surprisingly it took him 35 years to win a Kempsey Cup.   The veteran trainer was fairly emphatic in declaring Precise Timing to be the best horse he ever trained. An inveterate trier, Precise Timing won a total of 18 races including the 2006 Launceston Cup. Ross explains what prompted him to venture all the way to Tasmania.   He delights in telling the story of Heavenly Glow, the $10,000 Gold Coast purchase destined to win two Gr 1 races. When he realised the filly was good enough to run at the elite level, Ross had no hesitation in sending her to a Sydney trainer.   Ross tells the story of Youthful Jack, the unfashionably bred gelding who would win 18 races and $1.15 million in prize money. He placed him with other trainers at varying stages with great results- Rex Lipp at Toowoomba, Allan Denham in Sydney and Adam Trinder in Tasmania. Ross himself won 7 races with Youthful Jack including the Grafton Ramornie Hcp.   The recently retired trainer pays tribute to some of the talented riders with whom he was associated over the years.   This podcast has been in the archives for quite some time but remains relevant  by way of our tribute to a country training marvel.

It came as a surprise recently to learn that I hadn’t interviewed Scott Seamer since 2003 when he flew from Ballina to be a guest on Sky’s Inside Racing programme. At the time of the interview the former northern rivers jockey had posted an amazing 15 Gr wins in two years following on from a Queensland Oaks victory on Ethereal in 2001. A few months later Scott landed the coveted Caulfield and Melbourne double on the same wonderful staying mare. Since quitting the saddle in 2011 the former ace jockey has joined the ranks of Australia’s commercial breeders. I was delighted he was able to find the time to join us on our regular racing podcast and equally delighted  to find him in reminiscent mood.  Scott was thrilled to see Ethereal’s trainer Sheila Laxon win her second Melbourne Cup with Knight’s Choice in November. He talks about the transformation of his Fernleigh property from a macadamia farm to commercial breeding enterprise. Scott says his first duty as a breeder was to find the right foundation mare. He’s now breeding from four of her daughters. He talks of his breeding share in a high profile Queensland stallion. The multiple Gr 1 winning jockey previews his four horse draft being prepared for the Inglis Classic Sale in February. Scott remembers his unhappy departure from race riding at Doomben in late 2011. He takes us back to his first time on a racecourse in the late 1970’s. He tagged along with his mother and stepfather to a Bowraville meeting, and was instantly hooked. Scott looks back on a stablehand’s job with Coffs Harbour trainer John Hennessy, and the offer of an apprenticeship from Grafton trainer Ron Gosling. Very clear in his memory is the occasion of his first race ride at Lismore. He tipped the scales at 32 kgs. Scott talks of his thrilling first win at Casino and the transition to a metropolitan win at Eagle Farm in 1987. He pays tribute to Protester,  the genuine bush galloper who gave him an amazing twenty wins. The former ace jockey looks back on his relocation from the northern rivers to Glen Innes. He enjoyed a very successful five years from his tablelands base, and forged an association with a champion country trainer. Scott talks of his decision to give Brisbane racing a serious shot. He was encouraged to make the move by outstanding jockey manager Trevor Lansky who brought him unexpected opportunities.  Seamer talks of Ethereal’s outstanding win in the Queensland Oaks. She came with the barnstorming finish destined to become her trademark. He admits to chasing the ride on the bonny mare when she resumed in NZ in the spring of 2001. He offered to pay his own way across the ditch. Scott recalls his tense battle with Sky Heights in the Caulfield Cup, and the wet weather leading up to the Melbourne Cup. He takes us through Ethereal’s brilliant Cup win. He talks about a McKinnon Stakes win on Derby day. Thanks to his new NZ connections Scott was able to land some plum rides over the 2001 Auckland summer carnival. He looks back on a memorable Derby/Oaks double at Ellerslie.  The former jockey started the new year with a bang winning the Magic Millions on Lovely Jubly. He recalls the race. Scott remembers a successful autumn carnival in Melbourne highlighted by wins in the C.F Orr and Australian Guineas. The former talented horseman still shakes his head when he thinks about a four win haul on Golden Slipper day 2002- two Gr 2’s and two Gr 1’s. He remembers the wins by Ethereal and Calaway Gal. Seamer’s dazzling autumn win sequence earned him a short term contract in Hong Kong. He later wished that invitation hadn’t arrived. He fractured two vertebrae in a nasty fall and was out of action for several months. Up to this point in time, Scott had been treated very kindly by the racing media. That changed when he was beaten on Bel Esprit in the Manikato Stakes. He handled it philosophically. He says he felt the need to make a statement when the 2003 autumn carnival got under way in Sydney. He made the best kind of statement by winning the Australian Derby on Clangalang with a 10/10 ride. The former jockey talks of another Derby win a short time later. He was thrilled to win the Queensland Derby for Bede Murray on Half Hennessy. Scott talks of another Gr 1 win at the same carnival on Picaday in the T. J Smith Classic.  He says he was delighted to win the 2004 Epsom for Tulloch Lodge on Desert War. Scott looks back on his final Gr 1 victory. He made the trip back to NZ to win another Derby on Coniston Bluebird for the late Bede Murray. The jockey turned commercial breeder pays a heartfelt tribute to Louise, his wife of twenty nine years and to twenty one year old daughter Caitlin who’s currently chasing a Uni degree in Business and Law. This is a laid back chat with a former jockey whose story is an inspirational one. The tiny northern rivers apprentice who dared to dream. He worked hard and didn’t squander a single opportunity. His emergence to ride 22 Gr 1 winners is one of Australian racing’s most endearing tales. You’ll enjoy our trip down memory lane with Scott Seamer.

I’d lost count of the number of country racing fans who’d requested a podcast with retired jockey Graham Power. Whenever the subject of top Riverina jockeys had come up over the years, Graham’s name was always on the list. A phone call to check his availability and some quick research followed, and we were good to go. Great to present a podcast with a horseman who never rode a winner as an apprentice, but sure as hell made up for it later. Graham begins by looking back on his final day as a jockey at Wagga in 2000. He says he was delighted to ride a winner on a very emotional day. Graham talks about the way in which he handled the withdrawal symptoms. He talks about his current involvement with the famous St. Vincents De Paul charity organisation in Wagga. The former ace jockey refutes the theory that he’s a native of the Riverina.  Graham talks about his childhood in Tamworth. He says there was no racing in his family background, but reveals that his grandfather Tom worked as a street sweeper in the 1920’s using horse and dray. He remembers his first job on the ground in a Newcastle stable before a return to Tamworth and a short lived first apprenticeship. Injuries sustained in a race fall saw him walk away from racing and find a job at the local abbatoirs. Graham recalls the chance conversation at a Tamworth race meeting that led to the renewal of his jockey’s licence. He looks back on his friendship with trainer Bede Delaney whose move to Gundagai would change his life.   Power reflects on the deeds of one of the best horses he rode for the Delaney stable, prolific winner Aurilandy.  He talks of Aurilandy’s two wins down the famous Flemington straight and the opportunity to ride the horse in the famous Epsom Hcp. Nothing went right at his only Gr 1 ride. Graham talks about his move to Wagga. He acknowledges some of the handy horses he got to ride over the next few years.  Graham looks back on a Cootamundra Cup win on a future Melbourne Cup winner. He thought very little of the horse at the time. He remembers with affection wins in the Albury and Wagga Cups. Graham remembers the Richard Freyer trained Prince Tone, a talented horse provided he didn’t have to travel too far to race meetings. He pays tribute to several other bush Cup winners. Graham delights in telling the story about his two rides on champion Kingston Town. The former outstanding rider looks back on some special race days when he rode multiple winners on the programme. He reels off some of the many jobs he’s had away from racing. He talks of some of his favourite Riverina trainers and delights in the fact that he rode the first winner ever trained by Gary Portelli, now entrenched in the top bracket of Sydney’s trainers. Graham pays tribute to a select group of his favourite country jockeys. He looks back on some serious race falls including one in which he appeared to suffer no injuries.  By the time he got home the situation had changed dramatically. The 79 year old talks of past involvement in racing administration and a current “on call” role for Racing NSW. The versatile veteran talks back on his experience driving harness horses and a stint as a newspaper columnist. He looks back on one of his proudest moments as a jockey-the occasion of his 1000th win on SDRA tracks. Graham looks back on his two marriages and a double tragedy in his life. He pays tribute to daughter Tracey, and sons Steven and Ben. A nostalgic  trip down memory lane with a man dubbed “the George Moore of Riverina racing” in his era by Sky Thoroughbred Central host Graeme White.

We catch up with Wagga based trainer Gary Colvin who added to his metropolitan record when Cambar scored a tradesmanlike win in the TAB Highway on Nov. 30th. Gary’s hoping Cambar will emulate the deeds of stable favourite Another One who won a Championship Final  in 2022 after having finished second the year before. Gary begins our podcast by talking about Cambar’s two early wins at Wagga when ridden by stable apprentice Holly Durnan. He looks back on his purchase of the little colt at the Inglis Premier Sale in Melbourne. He got a second opinion from Warwick Farm trainer Greg Hickman who’d trained the colt’s sire Pierata. Gary says Cambar has been a thorough professional from the day he was broken in. The trainer retained a part ownership of the horse while the remaining shares were snapped up by old friends. He says one of the quartet is a first time participant. Gary looks back on childhood days growing up with his six siblings on the family farm at Tullibigeal. He says his father was never without a horse or two on the property. He pays tribute to uncles John and Noel Colvin, both very successful jockeys. Gary says he was 17 when he joined three of his siblings in Wagga. He pleased his parents greatly when he registered for an apprenticeship in joinery. He talks of his progress in the old world trade. He talks of his passion for Australian Rules Football, and reflects on his involvement with the Wagga Tigers and the Collingully side. He plays down reports that he was a very accomplished player. Gary remembers his short stint in a coaching role. He looks back on Fred Colvin’s move to Wagga and a renewal of his trainer’s licence. He assisted his father for eleven years while training a small team of his own. When Fred retired in 1997, he was ready to train in his own right. Gary hasn’t forgotten the mare who provided the first win of his full time training career. He acknowledges the special horses to get him up and running as a commercial trainer with special mention of Baltra and Lock the Key. The accomplished trainer takes us through the circumstances leading up to his purchase of Another One at an Inglis Classic Sale. He’s never forgotten the instant he first saw the chestnut colt.  Gary talks of Another One’s pedigree and the 15 strong syndicate who got together to race the horse. The trainer recalls setting the talented horse for a maiden 2YO at Wagga. He and the owners were stunned when a Randwick trained youngster from the John O’Shea yard turned up for the same race. He takes us through Another One’s progression to his first tilt at the Country Championship. Gary followed a similar path the following year and the gelding again made the final at Randwick. This time he prevailed in the highly prized event.  He pays tribute to Another One’s regular rider Nick Heywood who wages a fearsome battle with weight to stay in the saddle. Gary talks of Another One’s Kosciuszko failure and his most recent wins in the Riverina. The trainer speaks highly of Danny Beasley who rode the horse to victories in the Canberra National Sprint and the Wodonga Cup. Danny recently joined the Wagga training ranks and is situated right next door to the Colvin stables. Gary talks of wife Karen’s picture framing business in Wagga, and his willingness to lend a hand in the early days of the operation. He says his assistance was not needed.  Gary talks of daughter Gabby who’s currently a highly regarded member of the Melbourne Women’s AFL side. Her dad’s pretty chuffed. He makes mention of sons Brodie and Matthew. One prefers the thrill of trying to back a winner- the other enjoys being around the horses. Good to catch up with yet another talented member of the country training ranks.