John Tapp Racing

The enormous genetic influences in Kerrin McEvoy’s background were obvious from a tender age. In fact the native of Streaky Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, wanted to do nothing else but ride racehorses from age 9 or 10. Initially apprenticed to grandfather Bill Holland, Kerrin had a brief stint with Russell Cameron in Adelaide before seeing out his time with the legendary Hayes family. After 29 years as a professional jockey, Kerrin McEvoy boasts an amazing record- 2348 wins including 85 Gr 1’s, 83 Gr 2’s, 146 Gr 3’s and another 160 at listed level. In five seasons overseas he won 323 races in the UK and Europe with another 40 in Dubai. The 45 year old father of four, was enjoying his job more than ever when a recent starting gate accident left him with multiple fractures in the right foot. That little hiatus has given him the time to talk to me at length on our weekly podcast, and I can’t tell you how delighted I am. Kerrin begins by explaining the circumstances of the mishap and the extent of his injuries.

He reveals the opinion of specialists and a likely date for his return.

Kerrin agrees it was always going to be difficult to stay away from the racing game given his powerful genetic background. 

He talks of father Phil and uncles Darren and Tony, all jockeys early in life. Tony of course is still toasting his Caulfield/Melbourne Cup training double with Half Yours.

Kerrin remembers an early apprenticeship to grandfather Bill Holland and time spent sitting on a chaff bag pretending to be a jockey.

He looks back on a six month stint in Adelaide with former outstanding trainer Russell Cameron. 

The champion jockey talks about his transfer to Peter Hayes and the beginning of his riding career. He looks back on his first race ride and first win just a few weeks later.

Kerrin says he was thrilled when sent to Melbourne as the stable’s resident metropolitan apprentice.

He still can’t believe his luck in picking up the Melbourne Cup ride on Brew in 2000. A clever ride put him into the record books as the youngest jockey to win the Cup in 52 years. He still has trouble believing his first Gr 1 win came in Australia’s most famous race.

He remembers a Caulfield win that qualified him for work experience in Godolphin’s state of the art Dubai stable. 

Kerrin believes the connection gained him the ride on Beekeeper in the 2002 Melbourne Cup. He placed third with a flawless ride and things started to happen quickly from that point on.

In 2004 he gained the prestigious role of number two Godolphin jockey behind Frankie Dettori for the stable’s UK and European operation.

Kerrin was deeply moved when he rode the second placegetter Rule of Law in the historic English Derby at Epsom.

He remembers an all the way win in England’s oldest classic race on Rule Of Law. The St Leger was first run in 1776, and is four years older than  the Derby.

He speaks with great affection of Shamardal and Dubawi, two of Godolphin’s most celebrated horses. He won Gr 1 races on both gallopers.

Kerrin speaks of his disappointment when Godolphin’s Blues And Royals went amiss after winning the UAE Derby. The colt was programmed to run in the Kentucky Derby but it was not to be. 

At this point of the interview, Kerrin talks of wife Cathy’s successful riding career. He says Cathy rode regular work at Newmarket after their marriage in 2008.

He speaks fondly of his second Melbourne Cup win on Almandin in 2016. He takes us through the running of the race and the great duel he had with Joie Moreira on runner up Heartbreak City. The jockey says he was delighted to win another Gr 1 on the unsound horse 17 months after the Melbourne Cup triumph.

Kerrin only had to wait two years for his third Melbourne Cup victory on Cross Counter for Godolphin. He talks of the northern hemisphere three year old’s strong staying performance from a wide gate.

The much travelled jockey takes us through his three exciting Everest wins -two with Redzel and the third with Classique Legend.  He rates the grey’s Everest performance one of the best he’s ever been involved with.

Kerrin says he’s grateful to have added a Golden Slipper win to his big race CV. He takes us back to Sepoy’s dominant win in 2011, and further wins on the talented colt.

The jockey was chuffed to win the 2008 Caulfield Cup on Godolphin’s All the Good. He was most impressed with the stallion’s staying performance.

Kerrin talks of the likelihood of any of his four children following him into the racing industry.

He says he regards himself as having been relatively lucky in racing accidents.

Kerrin looks back on the unveiling of his bronze statue in 2022. While extremely grateful, he admits to having  mixed feelings at the time. 

This is a laid back chat with one of the most successful jockeys of his generation.

Ashlee Grives nee Siejka left a  big imprint on the NSW race driving scene with an impressive tally of 800 winners. She trained many of them in her own right. In more recent years Ash has dabbled in the training of thoroughbreds largely with online purchases. It’s well documented that she has won a race or two with most of them. During her years in the trotting game the gifted horsewoman worked as a veterinary nurse for the famous Randwick Equine Centre, spending much of her time assisting in the operating theatre. Her interest in the anatomy of the horse has remained with her ever since, and played a part in her recent decision to go full time into Equine Rehabilitation. Ash joins us on the podcast to look back on her outstanding career in harness racing, a brief but successful stint as a gallops trainer and a recent transition into a brand new phase of her life. 

The Bathurst born horsewoman talks about the grind of horse training and travelling in recent years, interspersed by the arrival of daughter Dulcie and son Reggie.

Ash believes she was beginning to identify the symptoms of “burn-out” after more than twenty years of non stop racing involvement.

She says her interest in rehabilitation work surfaced when friends asked her to try her methods on a handful of unsound horses. She produced some excellent results.

Ashlee outlines the procedure she intends to adopt on horses coming through her practice. Vets will be working with her throughout every programme.

She talks of the unwavering support of Ryan Grives, her husband of ten years. Ryan, a bricklayer by trade, knew little about horses but learned very quickly.

Ash takes us back to early days when her father Michael Siejka was working as a concreter in Bathurst and hobby training a handful of pacers before and after work. She was in the trotting sulky from an early age.

She says the defining  moment came when her father sent her to Melbourne to look after a three year old he’d entered for the heats and Final of the Victoria Pacing Derby. By the time the teenager was back in Bathurst she was completely sold on the harness sport.

Ash still laughs about her maiden race drive at Bathurst. She thought she’d followed Michael’s instructions to the letter, and was bewildered by the blast that came her way.

The rising star made sure she didn’t make the same mistake on the same horse a couple of weeks later.

Ash talks about her first job away from horses. It didn’t take her long to realise office work was not for her.

She talks of a  move to Sydney soon after, and an appointment as a veterinary nurse with the famous Randwick Equine Centre. 

Ash says she had a couple of pacers in training during her time in Sydney. It wasn’t long before a handful of her veterinary colleagues joined the ownership of one of her horses- with happy results.

She remembers the thrill of being booked by leading trainer Paul Fitzpatrick to handle a talented mare in a race for all female drivers at Harold Park.

Ashlee looks back on her amazing season in 2009/2010 when she drove the staggering total of 160 NSW winners. Midway through that stellar term she became the first female to top 100 wins for a harness racing season in NSW.

We give Ashlee plenty of time to pay tribute to her all time favourite horse, and the best she’s ever driven. She takes us back to the Bathurst Yearling Sale in 2013 when she acquired a plain little filly for $3500. Ash recaps Ameretto’s stunning racing career and the horrific setback that would cost the bonny mare her life. 
In 2017 the unselfish decision was made to send Ameretto to champion Victorian trainer Kerryn Manning who would win ten more races with the daughter of Million Dollar Cam. In one special Gr 1 race Ash got the call to reunite with her wonderful mare. 

Ash looks back on a great winning association with prominent Gold Coast owner Greg Brodie. One of the horses in question, a gelding called Lochinver won 24 races including the Truer Memorial.

The talented horsewoman acknowledges the deeds of a few other notable winners to come through her stables.

Ash touches on her brief stint as a thoroughbred trainer.

It’s a pleasure to announce the launch of a brand new career direction for a very gifted young horseperson.

Lee Magorrian had never been on a horse’s back when he got a stablehand’s job with Joe Byrne in his native County Meath in 2009. He continued to work on the ground when he later transferred to legendary horsewoman Joanna Morgan. Lee’s life took an unexpected twist when he was encouraged by a friend to visit NZ where he made the snap decision to become an apprentice jockey. One hundred winners later, young Magorrian won a much sought after scholarship which springboarded him into a trip to Australia and a stint with premier trainer Chris Waller.
The much travelled young jockey is now firmly ensconced as a popular “go-to” jockey on the NSW provincial circuit. It’s a pleasure to share Lee’s story on our podcast.

Lee says he’s been surprised by the ongoing support of  Chris Waller and several other trainers who patronise the Newcastle and Kembla Saturday meetings.

He talks about his patient style of riding and his efforts to look busy in tight finishes.

The jockey takes us back to childhood days in County Meath (IRE). He talks of siblings and the absence of racing in the family background.   

Lee says there was a time he had visions of becoming a primary school teacher but that ambition was quickly replaced by several sporting pursuits.                                                   

He admits to taking on his stablehand’s job for no other reason than to earn some pocket money. He pays tribute to two employers Joe Byrne and Joanna Morgan, both former outstanding jockeys.

 

He talks of a suggestion put to him by Samantha Wynne, an Irish jockey who was already working in NZ.

Lee looks back on his first apprenticeship to Roger James at his famous Kingscere Stables in Cambridge. Sadly the association didn’t work out.

He talks of a move to the stables of Shaun and Emma Clotworthy.

Lee remembers with clarity the thrill of his first winning ride at Ruakaka.

He reflects on a black type win at Te Rapa on a very smart horse called Barbaric.

Lee remembers an Ellerslie win on Rising Romance, almost certainly the best horse he got to ride in NZ.

The 31 year old hasn’t forgotten the thrill of his scholarship win, a whirlwind move to Sydney and a stint at the Waller stable.

Lee says he thought his first win for Waller would never come. He was immensely relieved to get home on Pianissimo at Warwick Farm.

He was thrilled to land a Saturday double at Royal Randwick not long after.

Lee talks of a win in an apprentice’s race on the ill fated Higher Ground. He had a big opinion of the gelding.

The jockey likes to claim some of the credit for the launch of Fangirl’s stellar career. He had the mount when Fangirl strolled home in a Goulburn maiden.

He recalls a win on Mo’unga when the horse was trained by Chris Waller.

 


Lee enjoys reminiscing about some high profile horses he got to ride in trackwork for the Waller stable.

He hasn‘t forgotten the thrill of his biggest single race day achievement, a four win haul at Newcastle.

Lee outlines his trackwork and barrier trial involvement.

He talks of a strong association with the Richard and Will Freedman yard.

Lee talks of a casual association with the Waterhouse/Bott stable. He recalls a Newcastle win on a horse destined for Derby success a few weeks later.

He talks of his connection with the Kris Lees stable.

Lee recalls the support he received from Blake Shinn in his early days in Sydney.

As a regular at the Saturday Kembla and Newcastle meetings, Lee says he’s formed strong camaraderie with a group of fellow riders.

It’s a laid back chat with a genial Irishman who followed his instincts after leaving the place of his birth.

With his team of gallopers now in single digits, Terry Robinson has few city runners these days. It seems like yesterday when he and a handful of fellow trainers were dominating the TAB Highway races on Sydney tracks. So great was Terry’s win rate in the first few years that he still occupies fourth place on the Highway trainer’s table with 21 wins. Prior to turning his hand full time to the training of thoroughbreds, T.JRobinson was one of the most respected drivers at the regular Friday night meetings at the now defunct Harold Park Paceway. His late father Kevin Robinson had also excelled as a dual code trainer over a long period of years. Terry was in the winner’s circle again recently when $51.00 “pop” Tai Lung greeted the judge in a midweek race at Warwick Farm. I gave him a call to offer congratulations and you could have knocked me over with a feather when he hinted at retirement. I couldn’t get him on the podcast quickly enough. Terry talks about his Warwick Farm winner and says Tai Lung is a high maintenance horse.

He talks about the inevitable scaling down of his Shoalhaven Heads training operation.

Terry pays tribute to the talents of his late father Kevin Robinson. He says lessons learned from his dad have served him well in his own long career.

The Robinson family have become famous for their ability to win races with unsound horses. Terry says the use of Seven Mile Beach at Gerroa has been their “ace card” over many years with both standardbreds and thoroughbreds.

 

Terry takes us back to his golden days at the trots and the wonderful horses he got to drive, with special mention of champions like Gammalite and Koala King.

He talks of Black Line- a freakishly talented young pacer who looked destined for stardom until a complicated spinal issue impeded his progress.

Terry talks of the special horses who’ve helped him to establish his reputation among thoroughbred trainers. He pays tribute to his favourite Art Cadeau, the late bloomer who finished up becoming the only horse to complete the Country Championship/Kosciuszko double.

The respected trainer talks of some of the horses who’ve helped him win 21 TAB Highways since the inception of the series in 2015.

Terry’s reputation as a work rider is well known. His long time involvement hasn’t been without its setbacks. He remembers two monumental “busters”- one at the Nowra racecourse, the other on Seven Mile Beach.

It’s well documented that Terry was one of twelve children. He hasn’t been able to emulate the deeds of his late father, but has posted a respectable score of six in the fatherhood stakes- four from his first marriage and another two with second wife Monique.

He talks about the 12 acre property at Shoalhaven Heads which has served as his training base for many years. His wife Monique runs a very successful beach and trail ride business from the same property. Monique looks after 18 saddle horses. Her former involvement as a trainer and work rider have given her a thorough understanding of the tough grind of professional horse training.

It’s been a pleasure to welcome a sequence of popular country trainers to the podcast lately and we’re going “bush” again in our first interview for 2026.  Our guest is respected horseman Paddy Cunningham who’s currently the only trainer based at the Glen Innes racecourse in the NSW New England district. He and wife Kathy achieve consistent results with a team of just twelve horses, and are happy to travel long distances to find the right races for them. Paddy Cunningham put together a tidy record as a race rider before ongoing weight problems saw him transition to the training ranks. After two lengthy stints at Grafton and another at Caloundra, Cunningham returned to his native Glen Innes in 2016  and you’d need the army to shift him again. Paddy talks about the well appointed property he and Kathy share close to the Glen Innes track.

He looks back on his early days at Ben Lomond, a unique little village situated so far above sea level that snow isn’t uncommon in the winter months.

Paddy talks of his parents and siblings and the little pony that first introduced him to the sensation of speed on horseback.

He looks back on the circumstances that led him to an apprenticeship with local trainer Hunter Kilner and the unforgettable thrill of his very first day of race riding at an Inverell meeting. He made a spectacular start.

Paddy talks of consecutive Armidale Cup wins very early in his career. 

The jockey turned trainer says he quickly tired of continual wasting and ventured to the Northern Territory in search of a complete change of environment. He found employment at the famous Wave Hill station.

Paddy talks of his return to Glen Innes after a two year sabbatical and a resumption of trackwork duties for his old boss Hunter Kilner.

He talks of the mare who regenerated his interest and motivated his return to race riding. The same mare would later provide his first winning ride at Royal Randwick.

Paddy says he couldn’t believe his luck when another winner came along at Canterbury the very next day. Two weeks later the same horse was involved in a spectacular fall at Canterbury. Paddy was lucky to escape serious injury.

He remembers a wild ride he had on a Grafton Cup day in the 1970’s. Despite doing everything wrong the horse in question was able to score an amazing win.

Paddy talks about “the one that got away”. He regarded a horse called Final Say as the  best he’d ever ridden and was bitterly disappointed when the gelding went amiss.

He says unstable weight eventually hastened his retirement from race riding but has never regretted his brief but exciting few years in the saddle.

Paddy unhesitatingly nominated the  country jockey who inspired him the most.

He looks back on the low key beginning to his training career. Surprisingly he can’t remember his first win as a solo trainer. 

Cunningham talks of his training career to date- two stints at Grafton and a decade on the Sunshine Coast. His move to Caloundra coincided with daughter Kylie’s decision to become an apprentice jockey.

Paddy says he often travelled to faraway Queensland destinations in search of the right races for his horses.

He looks back on a return to Grafton in 2010. The winners flowed over a six year stint but he decided on yet another move when synthetic training tracks came to Grafton. He’s pretty vocal in his opposition to them.

Paddy elaborates on the talents of several nice horses who helped to forge his reputation as a very serious horse trainer.

He talks of Jodi Worley who rode work for the stable for close to five years before deciding to become a jockey. Paddy signed her up and the young rider got away to a spectacular start.

Paddy has always been one to support the jockeys who’ve supported him. He makes mention of a few special favourites.

Paddy pays tribute to best mate and devoted supporter wife Kathy whose behind-the-scenes work for Cunningham Racing has been unwavering. 

He and Kathy are the proud parents of four daughters. He brings us up to date on the whereabouts and current activities of the girls.

This is a laid back chat with a dedicated country horseman who can’t imagine a life away from horses.