A WEEKLY REVIEW

The Good

On a day when saddle giants, Nash Rawiller and Craig Williams, rode supreme wee Molly Bourke was questioned by stewards for being their equal.

Again Rawiller came to the fore with bold tactics out of the barrier on Private Eye in Saturday’s Festival at Rosehill while Williams took off early in a bold ploy on Rumbled Again, a $25 chance, to score in the Summoned Stakes at Caulfield.

Private Eye and Rumbled Again launched from wide gates as did Floating, Bourke’s mount in the ATC Cup at Rosehill, all winning emphatically.

Alas after the race Bourke was grilled by stipes about “settling in a more forward position”, telling them she had been instructed to find cover near midfield but travelling strongly she figured the better option was to let Floating roll across with the eventual leader to settle on the pace.

Surely this comes into the category of adapting superbly to the situation, making a mockery of that change in tactics must be made prior to a race edict.

Rawiller and Williams, jockeys as adventurous as any present and previous, gained reputation out of making split second decisions.

On Floating Bourke was better than good. She is an apprentice with a two-kilo allowance which she couldn’t claim on Floating but replaced it with skill and expertise of which Zac Lloyd has in abundance.

Lloyd produced another highlight on the Rosehill with his first winner as a senior on Ring Me Up in the Garden Sprint, prompting the question of how he compares with greatest apprentices. My two champions are Malcolm Johnston (1975-1976) and Wayne Harris (1980-81). None will ever rival them, despite the changed circumstances.

Like them Lloyd is matching it with senior greats. Youngsters, though, are now learning their trade in better conditions; Generally given a much better education than those previously.

Of course Johnston had the benefit of a master, Theo Green, who imparted respect, discipline and horsemanship but most apprentices were cheap labour has-beens at 21 when they had to become seniors.

But being with the lesser category only great is considerable recognition. Many improved with age. Consider Ron Quinton and Darren Beadman, stablemates of Johnston. Their “c” rating came later. Lloyd, 21, so young is a major asset. Obviously his father Jeff Lloyd, a top jockey, has been an influence but the sons of champions George Moore (Gary Moore) and Bill Cook (Peter Cook) became greater jockeys, but as apprentices they were not superior as apprentices to Zac Lloyd.

Perhaps Lloyd didn’t make the esteemed Paul Richard’s top 10 this year recently in Winning Post: (1) James McDonald, (2) Craig Williams, (3) Damian Lane, (4) Mark Zahra, (5) Blake Shinn, (6) Jamie Kah, (7) Nash Rawiller, (8) Ethan Brown, (9) Tim Clark, (1) Michael Dee.

Maybe Richards is Melbourne centric: I haven’t seen enough of Lane to rate him so highly and would contemplate Jason Collett, Tom Berry and Kerrin McEvoy over Brown and Dee. Rawiller would be up in my batting order too. But it emphases the strength of Australian jockeys, particularly regarding Rachel King, so smooth on Arapaho in the Zipping Classic at Caulfield on Saturday, didn’t get a berth.

But Rawiller wins on horses others wouldn’t, including J-Mac. Williams? Craig is a revelation. The most cerebral on horseback. Still a wise guy commented recently: “Make him just ride, not talk”.

The Bad

Whether the reign of John Longmire at The Swans was good or bad is ponderable. Obviously making four Grand Finals and taking one in 2012 is impressive.

However The Swans must be one of the great sporting clubs in Australia and gave Longmire a strong foundation to mould.

Under Longmire the Swans produced many magic moments but the last Grand Final against Brisbane? Being a horse player and Redfern Oval Rabbitoh I am well-seasoned to defeat but still lose badly.

Going down to Melbourne and witnessing such a talented outfit being appalling as the last AFL Grand Final was my worst sporting experience.

Yes South Sydney were dismal last season. Did they leave their renowned spirit at Redfern Oval? Injuries played a role but the club management falls well short of The Swans. Anyway we look forward to the second coming of Wayne Bennett and hopefully Latrell Mitchell will be half as good for the Rabbits as Alex Johnston. The Rabbits have lost Damian Cook, brilliant to the end. Surely they are not going to let Alex Johnston, our greatest try scorer go, even if he has to take to the field with a walking stick.

The recent mention of late Keith Banks, a money rider, and thoroughbreds being water bound primed Ugly visions.

Banks was stable rider for Rosehill trainer Kevin Hayes, who struck bookmakers with cobra like venom. Hayes swam horses in the Parramatta River. “One sunk like a stone with Kevin holding the reins tugging him in a row boat,”, the racegoer at Rosehill on Saturday recalled. I don’t know about the horse but Hayes survived.

Dr Geoff Chapman had just kicked off training at Rosehill and told me he swam horses in the Parramatta River which, to my eye, would corrode a Holden so he volunteered to do a picture shoot with one.

On the morning the Doc came down with a “nasty wog” and Lindon O’Donnell, the Dubbo chemist, in a wet suit appropriate for Mars, took to the murk, no boat, paddling with the horse. Could have been The Doc’s topliner, Lord Ben, but I wouldn’t bet on it.