“Cuddle one for Christmas” was the mantra that made Saturday’s The Ingham at Royal Randwick, going back to 1892 known and respected as The Villiers, superior in character to races of higher status.
Following the doldrums of Sydney racing last week, the old-time pizzazz has returned with a strong program headed by the Ingham but ably supported, for one, by the Christmas Cup in which Sea King with Melbourne Cup credentials promises to be a major influence.
Like all top events quality can fluctuate but this year, headed by topweight Private Eye, a $11,859,190 earner, with Nash Rawiller astride, looks a strong chapter.
Now 50, Rawiller may not be the best jockey but with the power reminiscent of Mick Dittman, the dash of Shane Dye and the cheek of Jim Cassidy, he adds appeal.
Weight or handicap has always played a role in The Villiers, equalising the topliners and not so greats. Until recent years it was the final Saturday program before December 25 and horses had been specifically set, get in light, to provide pelf to cover the festive season.
Proceeds of the punt were bigger than the prizemoney, in this inflationary year a reasonable $2 million. Due to horses being targeted for The Villiers the record of topweights is hardly flattering.
Vintage enthusiasts will recall the 1600 metre sprint as The Villiers. With time it will fade, but there is no argument here about the Ingham getting the title.
Big Jack and Mr Bob Ingham were major turf players of our time and formed the Woodlands Stud and Crown Lodge, breeding and racing empires, but their reputation is comfortable with the more raffish The Villiers than some Group one historically tagged after a whiskered official, long gone and mainly forgotten or some Pom silvertail.
Forming a racing empire comparable, but hardly as lucrative as their chicken enterprise, they were firmly entrenched in the punt; brothers with 50 percent in everything, wins, losses and even the settling for Big Jack’s divorces.
Big Jack, became an Australian Jockey Club committeeman, and rarely missed a city race meeting. Mr Bob seldom attended.
Around 1965 Big Jack came onto my radar when I returned from the U.K. I had been a disciple of Bob Jones, a Randwick trackman and the best judge in my time. Before I left, others in the group included Pat The Poultryman (Pat Barrett), and Malcolm Rich, who owned a furniture chain. Rich bet in thousands which makes current plunges resemble chicken feed.
After three years abroad a big bloke, only young, had joined the team. “Who is he?” I asked Pat. “Jack’s got chooks at Casula,” he replied.
Immaculately attired at the races and AJC member, Pat sold fowls at the Haymarket near Chinatown. Every Friday we would venture out there for the sport of seeing him negotiate with migrants over the worth of a boiler before adorning to the nearby Taiping to thrash out Saturday’s form.
With their mutual interest in chooks Pat joined Big Jack whose first horse, of thousands, was a filly, Tender Joy, trained by Ted Stanton. In the early days he also had horses with Tom Kennedy, Curly Edgar and Ray O’Sullivan as well as Theo Green. With the establishment of Crown Lodge others followed: Vic Thompson, John Hawkes, a master, and Peter Snowden.
Around the 1978 The Villiers Big Jack was a punter of substance and cleaned up with Dear John, trained by Theo Green. The gelding took the Christmas double with the Summer Cup, then 2400 metres, run on Boxing Day.
Perhaps Dear John didn’t bring the Inghams the glory of Octagonal or Lonhro, nor the financial return of their Golden Slipper successes, but was regarded as special by them.
Big Jack was one of the very few that won at the punt which takes, it could be argued, a shrewd touch. Despite our long association he could be misleading with the tip. Go there at your own risk. I was reared on “ask no questions and be told no lies”, strange I concede for my line of work, but if Big Jack told Pat and he, in good faith, passed it onto me. Well, there was influence and I didn’t cop it sweet backing one, not at full throttle, when Big Jack threw a dummy.
But he was responsible for great memories. Laughs overwhelmed rebuke on both sides. Perhaps it was rare but Mr Bob wasn’t as accessible but great to have a drink with after the last. A memorable giggle. And he played a role in Winx, part owned by his daughter Debbie Kepitis. Mr Bob identified the expertise early of Chris Waller.
Unfortunately the few racing writers left don’t get the opportunity to have a drink with the committeemen (no women then) and stewards following the race meetings at Rosehill and Canterbury.
Big Jack featured. We would all cut lose with the spleen of the day. “Now don’t write this …,” would proceed a Big Jack outburst. On one occasion he was critical of the Rosehill track. “They should dig it up and start again,” he frothed. “Can I use that?” I asked. “Yeah, why not?” he conceded.
Being an AJC committeeman, the manure hit the fan and next Saturday he bleated: “You shouldn’t have written it. I told you not to.” No, that wasn’t the situation and Don Storey, a Sydney Turf Club committeeman who was present the previous week, intervened: “Yes, you did Jack.”
Back to The Villiers, not The Ingham. Bernborough, who many consider superior to Phar Lap, triumphed in 1946 carrying 58kg, albeit on a lesser minimum, whereas Private Eye has 61kg and Gringotts 60.5kg this year under quality conditions. In the old days there could be a 44kg or lighter minimum, and small, powerful jockeys could make it count, whereas this year it’s 53kg.
However the record book shows topliners beating the handicapper. In 2015 Happy Clapper scored with 53kg while in 1984 Rising Prince dominated under 50kg. The following year Rising Prince won the Cox Plate, the weight-for-age championship of Australasia, at Moonee Valley.
So where do we look on Saturday?
I’m going for Estadio Mestalla, who carried 62kg to win in Kembla Grange track record time over The Ingham journey, 1600 metres, on November 23. The gelding drops top 53kg under Jay Ford, first home in the 2008 The Villiers on Takeover Target only to lose on protest to Honour In War that gave Waller his only success in the race, then over 1400 metres. Call it what you will but The Ingham has a history.
And so, too, does Big Jack. What about when he abused a jockey beaten on a horse he backed: “Now we know why they call you boof-head”. That’s another story.
3 Responses
Doubt there will ever be a Christmas Cup as exciting as that of 1984 won by Belltoller .
First met the Inghams when I was a poultry officer at Hawkesbury Agricultural College in about 1962.
They were just started in the meat chicken industry. Had many enjoyable experiences over the years.
Good read Max thank you.