John Tapp Racing

Michael expresses his delight at winning his second consecutive Melbourne junior title.   The twenty one year old talks of the enormous influence racing had on his early life. It was the main topic of conversation in the family.   Michael recalls the moment he knew he wanted to be a jockey.   He talks of early experience with the Stockdale stable and subsequent apprenticeship to Stuart Webb. He didn’t think he’d ever get to ride a racehorse.   Michael delights in telling the story about the budding superstar who gave him his first winning ride.   The young jockey talks of his exciting trip to France for the Longines Prix Future Racing Stars series.   He pays tribute to the great old horse who provided his first city win.   Michael talks of the generosity of champion jockey Craig Williams.   He acknowledges the horses who’ve helped him win two premierships.   Michael talks of his father’s influence on his career, and the reason he elected to ride under another name.   The young jockey speak

Saw a bloke called Dale Smith ride a few Brisbane winners over the last month and was curious about his background. It was obvious he’d had plenty of experience so I tracked him down for a podcast.    Dale and his partner Melissa Taylor made a snap decision to move to Queensland a couple of years ago. He talks about the reason for such an important move after two decades in Victoria.   He acknowledges the trainers who immediately offered him support once he started riding work at Eagle Farm.   Dale talks of a recent relocation to the Sunny Coast where he’s riding work  for several trainers and Melissa has procured stables for her ten horse team.   The jockey takes us back to childhood days in the Kimberleys and his late father’s  successful riding career. He reflects on his dad’s battle with cancer.    Dale recalls his schooling in Perth and an apprenticeship to a leading trainer. He’s very honest about an attitude problem he suffered as a teenager.   He looks back on a move to Victoria orchestrat

The young trainer looks back on his first Saturday night Menangle double recently.   He talks of his annual migration to sunny Queensland to escape the southern winter.  Dean looks at the four horse team he’s taken north this year.   The trainer pays tribute to Game Set Major, a horse he helped deliver at birth. He’s lost plenty of sleep over the gelding in recent times.   Dean goes back to childhood days at Moss Vale and his introduction to the standardbred horse.   He speaks with great affection of his early winning drives, especially his maiden win at the famous Harold Park track.   Dean pays tribute to his wife Rikki and children Lucy and Harry- all horse lovers.   He talks of his day to day training sessions on the little showground track at Gunning, between Goulburn and Canberra.   The trainer reviews the deeds of the horses who’ve helped his career.   Dean juggles his training commitments to accommodate a little floor sanding business he’s operated for some years. He explains how he mak

Adrian begins with his assessment of a first starter he rode for Gerald Ryan at Kembla last week. He was pretty impressed.   The jockey talks of the massive amount of travelling he undertakes each week.   Despite a huge workload he tries to get to trackwork regularly. He explains why he chooses to take on this extra commitment.   Adrian takes us back to schooldays, his apprenticeship to his father Neville and precious memories of his early years as a jockey.   He recalls a happy two years with the Les Bridge stable.   Adrian admits he got the “wanderlust” after coming out of his time.He looks back on his travels around Australia and overseas.   The popular jockey looks back on a couple of race falls- in the first he sustained a broken leg. In the second crash he came up with an impressive injury list.   Adrian pays tribute to his manager Greg Burke who does a terrific job juggling his country commitments.   He talks of family life, and his modest entry into the greyhound racing industry.

Ron recalls the telegram he received from famous Irish trainer Paddy Prendergast offering him a stable retainer. He remembers his early months in Ireland and an Irish 2000 Guineas win on Kythnos to get the ball rolling. Ron looks back on a successful Royal Ascot week in 1960, and a surprise offer from one of England’s most high profile owners. He pays tribute to the loyalty of the  Duke Of Norfolk who retained him for seventeen years. Ron looks back on the day he was able to deliver the Duke’s dearest wish- a win in the Ascot Gold Cup. “Hutchy” pays tribute to British racing legends John Dunlop, Harry Wragg and Lester Piggot. He looks back on his greatest racing disappointment. He expected to be on Charlottown in the 1966 Epsom Derby but lost the ride to fellow Australian Scobie Breasley. Ron explains that he almost certainly could have ridden Shirley Heights in the 1978 Epsom Derby, but had decided to retire at the end of 1977. He remembers his pride in donning the Royal colours. His very first ride

In Part 1 the former legendary jockey talks about the frustrations of Covid 19. He loves to drive himself around Melbourne but just lately never gets his car out of the garage. Ron talks about his present day racing interests. He delights in telling us about his frequent visits to the track. “ Hutchy” talks about his four children, daughters Susan and Sally, sons Peter and Raymond. Peter was a Gr 1 winning jockey- Ray a former trainer and nowadays a busy vet. Ron looks back on early days when his parents opposed his ambition to become a jockey. He talks of his first master Claude Goodfellow. He talks about a nine month stint at a property owned by famous old time jockey Bobby Lewis whose last Melbourne Cup win was in 1927, but he still shares the Cup riding record. Ron recalls with amazing clarity his first winning ride at Mentone in 1945. He looks back on his first major winner Spectre in the 1945 Australian Cup. The former champion jockey reflects on his 60 wins in Cup races all over Australia. He wa

Great to catch up with likeable Michael Rodd who talks of his recent return to Melbourne, where he’s enjoyed some of his greatest moments in racing. He says it’s been a battle to re- establish against some strong opposition. Michael hints at his likely plans for the future. He does confirm that he’d like to stay in Melbourne for the duration of the Spring carnival pending Covid 19 developments. The top jockey looks back on a happy childhood on the Central Coast where he began a building trade apprenticeship. He explains why he abandoned the indentureship. Michael talks of his lifelong love of surfing. Some of his friends talked him into considering a future as a jockey. He reflects on his first job with Gosford trainer Kerry Walker, and his move to Bryan Guy at Rosehill. It was Bryan who supplied his first race ride and his first winner. Michael talks of his move to Queensland when Bryan Guy acquired stables on the Gold Coast. He looks back on 3 junior riding premierships. The jockey has fond memories

Good to catch up with successful Queensland trainer Stuart Kendrick who made a life changing move from Mackay to the Sunny Coast in 2013.He currently has a 60 strong team. Stuart talks of the benefits of a 40 acre farm close to town where he’s able to give his horses a break from stable life. It’s something he always wanted to do. He talks of the involvement of family. Sons Nathan and Bayley are involved in the business. Daughter Paige has other interests. Stuart’s wife Trudy plays a major role. Stuart talks of Eric The Eel recently sold to HongKong. He knew he was setting the bar high in bringing him to Sydney for the Australian Derby, but was immensely proud of his effort. The trainer takes us back to his early days in Mackay when he worked in a Business Broking firm. The owner of that company got him started in racing. Stuart remembers his first winner- a horse purchased from NSW. He talks of his first move South when he was able to acquire stables at Eagle Farm. He stayed for ten years with plenty o

In Part 2 Michael profiles two wonderful horses sent to Australia by Sheikh Hamdan. He reflects on his association with At Talaq- a Melbourne Cup winner who could sprint like an Everest horse. He remembers the brilliant but unsound Almaarad, one of his two Cox Plate winners. Michael reminisces about his role model, the late Roy Higgins. This is a lovely trip down memory lane with a jockey who was one of Australian racing’s main players during the heady days of the. 80’s and 90’s.

Despite having posted a podcast with Michael Clarke 15 months ago, we’re still getting inquiries about the whereabouts of the former top jockey. It’s our pleasure to give that podcast another run this week.Michael retired in 2002 , but actually spent the last few years of his career overseas.  He talks of his final years out of Australia. He talks of the emergence of his son Michael Poy as one of Australia’s best apprentices. Michael reflects on the accidental association with Colin Hayes which was destined to change his life.  He pays a heartfelt tribute to the champion Better Loosen Up who took him to dizzy heights in Australia, and gave him one unforgettable experience in Japan.

Shane looks back on his association with a very good horse called Prince Salieri, who gave him 2 Gr 1 wins. He said Prince Salieri raced in a tough era, but held his own against some outstanding horses. He talks of his fleeting association with champion Rough Habit. He had one ride for one unforgettable win on the legendary galloper. He can remember every step of the 1995 P.J.O’Shea Stakes- Rough Habit’s last run in Australia. Shane looks back on his association with the last top liner he got to ride- West Aussie Scenic Shot. They combined to win two Doomben Cups and a McKinnon Stakes. He pays tribute to favourites like Oppressor, Buck’s Pride, Burdekin Blues and Consular. Shane was happy to talk about his most disappointing day as a jockey. He talks of the amazing circumstances under which he got a last minute ride on Octagonal in the 1995 Victoria Derby. He says he’d love another crack at that one. The former outstanding jockey reflects on his “brain fade” at Ipswich, when he lost his whip and politely

In Part 1 the former champion jockey talks about life out of the saddle. He has spent almost 8 years with Racing Queensland, counselling and mentoring jockeys in need of a helping hand. Shane looks back on the days when he had to take short breaks from riding in order to retain his enthusiasm. He looks back on his childhood involvement with horses. His sister loved the more elegant riding disciplines. Shane loved the speed events at pony club. Shane recalls the first trainer he approached about an indentureship knocked him back. He eventually got a start with an astute Eagle Farm trainer called Tom Dawson. The former star jockey recalls his first winner. He rode a double in fact, and one of the races was restricted to quarter horses. Scriven had to come to Sydney to win his first Group 1, on a filly called Tingo Tango trained by Doug Bougoure of Strawberry Road fame. He talks of the trainer destined to be his father in law.

Sydney’s lone race caller reflects on a happy association with the Moss Vale Greyhound Club. They raced 40 Saturdays a year with morning and afternoon sessions. Darren looks back on his first job with 2KY( now Sky Sports Radio). He and the late Steve Cairns co hosted the Saturday night trotting and greyhound service.  It wasn’t long before he was calling Nowra dogs, and the trots at Bathurst and Lithgow. He reminisces about a two year stint with the famous publication Greyhound Recorder. Darren has fond memories of his early involvement with Skychannel. He hosted or co hosted programmes like Late Mail, Setting The Pace( now In The Gig) and The Catching Pen. The commentator first learned of a job opportunity in Hong Kong from former top Brisbane caller, the late Wayne Wilson.He got the job and landed in Hong Kong with $300 to his name.  He covers many aspects of the racing fabric of Hong Kong. He elaborates on his media role and pays tribute to the best horses and horsemen he saw. Darren talks of his per

Sky’s chief Sydney caller talks of the circumstances behind his return to Australia in 2014, after 16 years in Hong Kong. He talks of his first race call back in Sydney, and the budding top liner who happened to win it. Darren looks back on the unfavourable comment he received at the hands of tweeters in the first few months of his new career in Sydney.  The race caller’s return to Sydney coincided with the beginning of the Winx era. He got to call the wonder mare in 24 of her 33 straight wins. He pinpoints his favourite Winx races. Darren says Chautauqua’s win in the 2017 T.J.Smith Stakes is the most exciting race he’s ever seen. He talks of the surreal experience of calling to empty houses on Sydney racecourses. Darren talks of his childhood at Clemton Park, just a stone’s throw from Canterbury racecourse. He got to the Canterbury races with school mates as often as possible. He quickly developed the love of a punt. He acknowledges the deeds of his two favourite horses of the 1980’s. The fifty one y

Josh recalls those frightening moments when he lost the strength in his left arm after passing the post on a winner at Warwick Farm in May. He talks of the extensive tests the following day which revealed a rare condition called Brachial Neuritis. The jockey explains that he’s not a good patient when injury keeps him out of the saddle for any length of time. Josh talks of the added problem created by increasing weight during long layoffs. He’s well known for his unabashed reaction when he wins a big race. He explains why he was more animated than usual when he won the Randwick Guineas on Shadow Hero earlier this year. Josh talks of his disappointment when Shadow Hero was sold to Hong Kong recently. He says he was equally disappointed when Nakeeta Jane broke down last year. The popular jockey looks back on early days at the races with his jockey father Steve Parr. He admits he missed a few days at school. Josh reflects on his teenage hero worship of champion jockey Damien Oliver. He looks back on the t

David talks of his association with owner/breeder John Camilleri and his cousin John Cordina who still has horses in the stable. Their association began with a bonny mare called Gallant Tess. The trainer remembers the ill conformed Centennial Park who belied his problems to win 8 races with 12 placings and $1 million in prize money. David recalls a Gr 1 win with a horse nobody wanted. Australian Bloodstock took the gamble and purchased the horse from WA. David won the T.J.Smith with Master Of Design. He looks back on some exciting times with Ace High who carried the John Cordina colours. The colt won a Gloaming Stks, Spring Champion Stks, Victoria derby and was beaten a whisker in the Australian Derby. He amassed almost $2.3 million. David is full of praise for the wonderful Criterion. He trained the stallion for the first half of his career to win a Black Opal, a Todman Stakes, Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby. David recalls his unlucky 7th in a Cox Plate.

In segment 1 David talks about his many moments of doubt when he arrived in Sydney in 2002. He didn’t have a single horse on his books, and stabling was almost impossible to find. He talks of the tough early years as he struggled to re establish with average horses. David takes us back to childhood days in South Africa and recalls the moment he fell in love with thoroughbreds. The respected horseman shares memories of his apprenticeship to Herman Brown and the highlights of his riding career. He looks back with great affection on his win in the famous Durban July Hcp, the dream of most trainers and jockeys in South Africa. David talks of his heartbreak when increasing weight brought his riding career to a premature end.  He pays tribute to Norman Ferguson, a wealthy owner who gave him a flying start as a trainer. David speaks with great reverence of In Full Flight, the horse he regards as the best he’s ever put a bridle on. The trainer discusses the strength of the South African riding ranks, and pays

It’s a pleasure to catch up with a quiet achiever in South Australian racing. Todd Pannell talks about his best ever season in 2019/2020. He’s got the SA premiership all tied up, and with ordinary luck will win the metro title as well. Todd talks about the giant horse Behemoth who’s rarely far away in top grade races. The jockey says the gelding was desperately unlucky in the recent Goodwood Hcp. Pannell profiles Bella Vella winner of the Gr 1 TAB Classic over the recent Adelaide carnival. He pays a high compliment to Bella Vella’s trainer Will Clarken who’s emerging as a very astute horseman. Todd speaks of the strong riding ranks in Adelaide currently. The popular jockey remembers his apprenticeship to his father David who was the Adelaide stable foreman for John Hawkes in the Crown Lodge days. Todd talks of his transfer to the Melbourne stable and the enormous number of trials he contested before his first race ride came along. He looks back on the thrilling occasion of his first winning ride. The j

This is a comprehensive look at the life of one of the brightest young men in the Australian riding ranks. Sam Clipperton talks firstly about the three riding zones created by RNSW to help combat the spread of Covid 19. He looks back on a last stride defeat in the recent Doncaster Hcp. He agrees a Gr 1 win would have had a positive impact on his career. He looks back on almost three years under contract in Hong Kong. He was only 22 when the offer came from the Jockey club- an offer too good to refuse. Sam reflects on his successful opening season in HK and his fall from grace with owners and trainers. He’s still not sure how or why it happened. He pays tribute to the handful of good horses he got to ride, and the expat Aussie trainer who continued to support him. Sam talks of an exciting trip to Japan where he rode a horse for John Size in a Gr 1 event. He didn’t win but says the experience was unique. He talks of a quick trip back to Australia for his marriage to Morgan, a former member of the ATC Mark

In this segment Craig talks about his sudden emergence as a TV star. He was one of a group of apprentice jockeys who auditioned for the principal role in a new Telecom TV commercial. He got the part. Craig remembers the very first time he sat on a horse at Tamworth. He was instantly hooked. He looks back on his apprenticeship to Rod Craig and the friendship which is stronger than ever today. Craig reflects on his association with trainer Les Bridge - an association destined to lead him to his first Melbourne Cup ride. He looks back on his three rides on the gallant little horse Stylish Century. One of those rides brought him a Group 1. The former jockey pays tribute to a strapping grey filly who gave him one hell of a ride. He recalls the simple surgery that was to claim the life of the talented Angst. Craig looks back on his time under retainer to the powerful Nebo Lodge training conglomerate. We allow plenty of time for the popular horseman to acknowledge the deeds of his once in a lifetime horse Int