John Tapp Racing

In this segment Steve reflects on a short riding stint in Mauritius which ended on a very sour note. He looks back on his return to the saddle after knee surgery and his new association with trainer Terry Courtney. The top horseman has never forgotten his wonderful partnership with powerhouse sprinter Mighty Avalanche. He takes us through a last to first win in the Gr 1 Oakleigh Plate. Steve remembers with affection a wonderful six year stay in Macau. He rode 300 winners and bagged a Macau Gold Cup on sand track specialist Kenny, trained by former Sydney horseman Darby Armstrong. He talks of his move to Singapore as assistant trainer to Claude Charlet. He stayed on when Charlet returned to Macau never dreaming he’d still be there 25 years later. Steve takes us through several assistant training jobs he had before finally gaining his own licence. He remembers the circumstances under which he met his second wife Julie, a former English jockey who was visiting Singapore. He tells the story of Julie’s quick trip