John Tapp Racing

When an Adelaide podcast listener contacted me recently about a potential interview with Glynn Pretty, I couldn’t get things under way quickly enough. In the 60’s and 70’s this man’s reputation was as solid as any top jockey in the nation. He spent a lot of time out of Australia fulfilling contracts in Singapore and Hong Kong, but whenever back in Adelaide he promptly reminded owners and trainers why people like Bart Cummings were so lavish in their praise. A dreadful fall in Hong Kong in 1978 was expected to terminate his career. Six years later he made a comeback and rode 50 winners in a year before quitting for good. Glynn put a lot back into racing following his official retirement, and at age 80 is still involved with the SA Racing Appeals Board. He’s also enjoyed the thrill of horse ownership, especially an involvement with talented mare See You In Heaven. The daughter of Divine Prophet won six races for her ownership team, all at stakes level. We begin by talking about Glynn‘s love of the game of golf. The former star jockey looks back on 15 years as President of the South Australian Jockey’s Association. Glynn’s very proud of the part he played in the establishment of the SA Jockeys Academy in conjunction with TAFE. He explains how it works and acknowledges some of the great riding talents to come under his tutelage. He looks back on his inclusion in a team appointed by Stereline in the 90’s to visit the USA on a promotional tour. The goal was to showcase the starting gates and running rails manufactured by the company in Australia. While in America Glynn saw jockey’s safety vests for the first time. He quickly floated the idea in Australia. He talks of his collaboration with the Australian Jockeys Association in introducing a better form of indemnity insurance for injured jockeys. Glynn talks of childhood days in Adelaide and his battle with asthma. He was actually allergic to horses. He talks of his original apprenticeship organised by his father Stan. Things went terribly wrong soon after he started at the Morphettville stables of Bob Burrows. Glynn says he left racing altogether for more than a year but later regenerated an apprenticeship with trainer Bert Kenny. The legendary Colin Hayes came into the equation at one stage. Pretty remembers his first ever race ride at Strathalbyn and the magic of his first win at Cheltenham. There was enormous sentiment attached to this win. He recalls the traumatic circumstances under which his father lost his life in a motor accident. We simply let Glynn reminisce about some of the better horses he got to ride early in his career. Galilee and Light Fingers make for a good start. Dayana also gets an honourable mention. He speaks fondly of Hampton’s Pride, one of the most expensive yearlings sold in Australia in the 1960’s. Glynn speaks of wins in the famous Adelaide double the Goodwood Hcp and Adelaide Cup. His wins came one year apart. He looks back on wins in races like the SA St Leger, Port Adelaide Cup and SA Oaks. Glynn remembers his flying start the first time he took on a retainer in Singapore. He rode for just 9 months of the season but finished second in the premiership. He looks back on 4 consecutive years as Singapore’s champion jockey. Glynn was stunned when awarded a rare honour after so little time in Singapore. He talks of wins in some of the jurisdiction’s most important races. He says SA premierships were never on his radar because of the time he spent out of the country. He was however proud of a South Australian premiership after returning from Singapore in the 1970/71 season. He talks of three amazing retainers he was forced to decline during his career. One of them came from the UK. Glynn talks of the success he enjoyed in HK and his injury toll after the fateful 1978 accident at Happy Valley. He looks back on two other interesting feature wins in the early 70’s- one in Queensland the other in Melbourne. Both winners were trained by Bart Cumm

You don’t see too many $61.00 “pops” generating ovations like the one Rothfire and Brad Rawiller got after the recent Doomben $10,000. The horse all but written off when he broke down almost six years ago, and the tough-as-teak veteran jockey served up a fairy tale story in winning the famous sprint after a very wide run. It was Gr 1 number 26 for the hard working Rawiller who hadn’t won at the elite level since scoring on Elite Street in Perth’s Winterbottom Stakes five and a half years ago. Brad, who makes a habit of “walking racetracks” when track conditions are suspect, went out with a set plan. He answers all of the questions that people have pondered in this week’s podcast. He begins by explaining how he secured the ride from a stable he hasn’t ridden for previously. The jockey takes us through the tactics he employed in the big sprint. He talks of Rothfire’s unlucky seventh in the Kingsford Smith Cuptwo weeks later. Brad pays tribute to his remarkable dad Keith, a versatile horseman who enjoyed success as a jockey both on the flat and over the jumps. Rawiller Snr also made his mark as a trainer and driver of harness horses. The jockey gives a shout out to his mum Elaine who closely monitors the progress of brothers Nash and Brad. Brad makes special mention of brother Todd and sister Stacey, both highly efficient horse people in their own right. He makes no secret of the fact that brother Nash is his primary inspiration. Brad goes back to his initial apprenticeship to Alan Bowell at Bendigo and a later transfer to Tony Noonan at Mornington. In his final year with Noonan he won the Victorian country jockey’s premiership. He’s never forgotten his win as a 19 year old in an Apprentice’s Cup at Belmont in WA. He formed an instant attachment to Perth racing. Brad was thrilled to win his first Gr 1 in Perth for high profile trainer David Hayes. He looks back on a national jockey’s title in the 2007/2008 season. His win tally was extraordinary. Brad recalls the unfortunate circumstances that brought him a Golden Slipper win on Phelan Ready in 2009. He looks back on a brief association with the grand stayer Viewed. He enjoyed a freak run to win the Caulfield Cup on the handsome stallion. Brad reminisces about his exciting journey with the talented galloper Weekend Hussler. He won 11 races on the gelding including 7 Gr 1’s. Only one other horse even gets close to Weekend Hussler in the jockey’s affections. He pays homage to the remarkable Black Heart Bart, a horse he partnered in 6 Gr 1 wins. The last of those wins triggered high emotion. Brad looks back on his snap decision in 2020 to try his luck on a permanent basis in Perth. There were several highs and one devastating low. The 47 year old is greatly inspired by older brother Nash but there are two other Victorian jockeys for whom he had special admiration. Brad makes special mention of daughter Cleo (14) and son Lucas (11). A nice chat with one of Australia’s hardest working jockeys who hopes to enjoy similar longevity to brother Nash.

The girls have had an extraordinary impact on Australian racing in recent years. A current emerging talent is twenty five year old Coriah Keatings who just recently won her first race at black type level. Coriah, apprenticed to Nick Olive at Canberra has a very impressive 135 wins on the board after just four years of race riding. Born and reared on her family’s farm just outside Albury, Coriah was in the saddle at a very early age and went on to become highly successful in many equestrian pursuits. Her entry into the racing industry happened almost by accident.This is an absorbing chat with a country girl who would have excelled in any one of several sports, but her innate love of horses influenced her decision to become a jockey. Coriah says she’s still on cloud nine after winning her first stakes race on Spicy Lu at Eagle Farm. The young jockey explains the origins of her intriguing given name. Coriah says her early passion for horses was encouraged by mother Kerrin, herself an avid horse lover. She says her father Craig had little interest in racing, but has become one of her staunchest fans. Coriah joined pony club at four years of age and was still heavily involved into her late teens. The 25 year old says she had little difficulty with academic studies but much preferred school sporting activities. The young jockey was all set to enrol for a university course when Covid got in the way. She earned some pocket money at a Zambrero Restaurant in Albury. At the suggestion of a friend Coriah made enquiries about a job with former successful jockey Jodi Bohr who was training horses in Albury at the time. She openly admits to being all at sea when she began riding trackwork. Coriah looks back on two other jobs she undertook, one in hospitality the other in retail. At one stage she was working both jobs at the same time. She recalls an invitation from leading Albury trainer Ron Stubbs to join his team. Coriah says Ron wasn’t in the position to offer her an apprenticeship, but knew of another trainer who was. She looks back on a very happy stint with Donna Scott who became a valued tutor and friend. Coriah looks back on her first race ride. She finished second but believes she should have won. She got the shock of her life after passing the post. She was delighted to win her first race on a horse trained by Donna Scott. Coriah looks back on a relocation to Canberra and the transfer of her indentures to her current boss Nick Olive. The jockey talks of her partner Matthew Kelly, a young Canberra trainer who’s beginning to make his mark. Coriah pays tribute to some of the horses who’ve kick started her riding career with special mention of the Nick Olive trained mare she regards as her favourite to this point in time. She says there’s one member of the Olive team she’s “busting” to win a race on. Coriah speaks fondly of talented mare All Adore and makes mention of two other metropolitan winners she’s ridden for Canberra trainers. She talks of her versatility in being able to use the whip in either hand. Coriah agrees she’s on the tall side as jockeys go, but appreciates the luxury of being able to ride on the limit weight. She clearly remembers two occasions when she came away from the races with winning trebles, one at Cowra and the other at Canberra. It’s a nice chat with one of the rising stars of the female riding ranks.

Please forgive my deviation from our usual interview format but the discovery of some very old broadcast tapes has set me upon a sentimental journey and rekindled memories I’d like to share with you. The centuries old proverb “handsome is as handsome does” has never been better exemplified than it was by the celebrated racehorse Tobin Bronze. He ticked every box as a thoroughbred type and endeared himself to racing fans in four magnificent seasons on Australian tracks. His few disappointing performances always came with a legitimate excuse. His finest moments are still revered by those who were around in the days of the horse they called the “Bronze Bullet”. We’ll get back to our usual podcast format next week, but for now I’d like to invite you to join me on a trip down memory lane as we look at the racing life of a deep chestnut stallion who captivated Australia’s thoroughbred lovers in the 1960’s. Sincere thanks to Melbourne historian Dennis Najin who made available Bill Collins’ graphic calls of Tobin Bronze’s wins in the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate of 1967.

I was thrilled to meet David Taggart for the first time at the recent Sydney premiere of the “J.Mac Story”. Like many Aussie racing fans I was well acquainted with his story. The story of a distinguished riding career being abruptly halted in 2007 by a freakish fall at Stony Creek- a career which had brought him more than 800 wins including 48 black type races. Included in that impressive tally are six Gr 1’s. “Tags” as he’s affectionately known, suffered years of post accident trauma before a stroke of good fortune changed his future direction. He’s still battling a few issues but occupies his mind with the task of preparing and presenting four weekly segments on Melbourne’s SEN Track. I quickly pinned him down to a podcast and we got the job done this week. David begins his inspirational story by talking about his current immobility problems and the way he overcomes them. He talks about the lucky break that led him to a radio career. David pays tribute to his SEN sidekick Gareth Hall. The former successful jockey takes us back to the freakish Stony Creek fall that ended his career. He talks about the injuries, the rehabilitation and the emotional aftermath. Dave looks back on his apprenticeship to legendary trainer Frank King, the man described as Melbourne’s answer to Theo Green. He remembers Frank’s undying devotion to his apprentices. “Tags” remembers the thrill of his first winning ride. He talks of the overwhelming experience of being engaged for a Gr 1 ride by none other than Bart Cummings. The 52 year old shares recollections of a very special day. David speaks glowingly of Greg Mance, the trainer who supplied his second Gr 1 winner. He enjoyed great success for the Mance stable over a lengthy period of time. His Stony Creek accident was bad enough but he looks back on another freak mishap at Moonee Valley that put him out for eight months. Dave pays tribute to Seascay, a high quality horse who gave him two wins and several placings at the elite level. He looks back on another Gr 1 win in the famous Goodwood Hcp at Morphettville for legendary trainer George Hanlon. He shares memories of a special day. David looks back on a successful stint in Macau. He originally planned on a three month term which stretched to four years. He elaborates on the Hollow Bullet story- the $10,000 filly who gave him his sixth Gr 1 victory in the historic Oaks at Flemington. He shares several great stories surrounding the filly and the running of the 2004 Crown Oaks. Dave pays tribute to his 25 year old daughter Grace. He’s already introduced her to the AFL and to his favourite team. This is an inspiring interview with a personable little bloke who’s learned to blend the good with the bad in life. Keen racing people will find him very entertaining as he looks back on the highs and lows.

Former champion jockey Wayne Harris speaks glowingly of his former “stablemate” Neil Rae. Both were apprenticed to the late Pat Farrell, and while Harris concentrated on metropolitan racing for most of his career Rae opted to stay in the Hunter region where he enjoyed a productive 23 years- productive enough to give him a total of 8 Hunter and North West riding premierships. Wayne Harris suggested I call the former lightweight jockey and talk to him about a possible podcast. A little reluctant at first, Neil finally agreed to join us for a chat about a career that brought him a very impressive 1370 wins. He begins by talking about the excavators and compactors he operates for the Lake Macquarie City Council. Always a natural lightweight, Neil says he’s still pretty fit. Rae was given a nickname by workmates very early in his career. He says it’s still widely used by racing people. Neil talks about a racing accident at Gosford that left him with a shocking ankle injury. He talks about a short lived comeback. He was delighted to ride a winner on his final day in the saddle. Neil talks about early days in Newcastle and his intense dislike of school. He talks of his first experience in a racing stable followed by his indentureship to the late Pat Farrell. The retired jockey clearly remembers his first race ride at Muswellbrook, and the thrill of his first win just a few weeks later. He actually landed a double on the day. Neil remembers his first provincial and metropolitan wins on the same horse. He recalls being driven to the races by Wayne Harris on the occasion of his first city win, little realising he’d later buy the car in question. He talks about the valuable tutelage he received from Harris, one of the greatest riders of his generation. Neil talks affectionately of Irish Flyer, perhaps the most important horse in his early career. He remembers the brilliant but headstrong Proud Knight. The son of Vain had enormous ability but often refused to race tractably around the turns. There was one unforgettable occasion at Randwick when Proud Knight’s gate opened prematurely. Neil says his tendency to try too hard early in his career resulted in many suspensions. He talks of successful associations with leading Newcastle trainers like Paul Perry, Max Lees and later Kris Lees. Neil says his ability to ride at a featherweight sometimes cost him rides. He looks back on his eight riding premierships, three of them as an apprentice. Neil says he was thrilled to be invited to ride two former champion racehorses in exhibition gallops. One was a legend, the other a dominant two year old in the early 80’s. Neil had only a handful of Gr 1 rides. He was pretty chuffed to ride the third placegetter in the 1989 Sydney Cup. He says the race was run under deplorable conditions. He talks about fatherhood and the inevitable progression to grandfatherhood. Neil Rae is well remembered as a jockey of unwavering work ethic. His career win tally of 1370 tells the story. Great to have him on the podcast.

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

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.