Last week Marc Conners contributed to a successful trifecta, varied like few others with the influence of Anna Roper and Rachel Griffiths, who is branching out into a “Madam”.
A three-kilo claiming apprentice, Roper was brilliant with Saturday’s successful Rosehill Gardens double while Griffiths, a leading Australian actress, forgive the dinosaur description, comes to the fore playing different roles.
In this woke era where many scorn racing, Griffiths, now featuring as a playmaker in “A Touch Of Class” establishment for television, was good for a day at the track.
Marc Conners, though, added to what has been a significant racing dynasty that goes back challenging Cummings, Freedman and the Smith – Waterhouse longevity.
For instance grandfather old Clarrie Conners was a name respected for winning when the money was on during my early days, over six decades ago, followed by young Clarrie Conners, one of the best two-year-old trainers: consider four Golden Slipper winners. Young Clarrie was pretty good with any horses but Marc topped them both with Willaidow in the Southern Cross at Rosehill.
Not that Willaidow is a world beater or outstanding as many others his father produced. But Marc has primed the seven-year-old gelding to notch three in a row on Saturday and four out of his last five.
Willaidow was purchased, an internet transaction for $7,000, had a cannon break, and is still carrying three pins. Maybe early influence with backyard trainers around Kensington in Sydney slanted me to the hand tuned product in a period now of factory line horses. Currently hundreds replace once teams of 20.
Sure, winning sequences have now become commonplace and Roper handled Our Anchorage in the Ranvet at Rosehill taking him to three straight while she also did a commendable job on Grand Impact to out general champion James McDonald in the Inglis Classic.
Grand Impact jumped from 12 barrier, and Roper had him going smoothly as close to the fence as she desired. Inhibitions (J-Mac) drew inside him, was trapped three wide throughout and never looked comfortable.
Our Anchorage is prepared by Bjorn Baker who uses female jockeys and identifies saddle talent with an allowance. Roper caught his eye and promises to adhere to the successful punting system of Theo Green, the greatest tutor of apprentices.
Green maintained backing in form apprentices because they rode as good as seniors and had the benefit of a claim. Wise guys will reckon he was referring to his “boys”, including Darren Beadman, Ron Quinton and Malcom Johnston, but talented youngsters, of either gender that followed, fulfilled the theory.
Of course, that concerned the betting but there are other race day attractions. “I get a bit of shit sometimes loving the track,” Griffiths disclosed in the Sydney Morning Herald’s “Good Weekend.”
“It’s the only place I meet a lot of people whose lives are very different from my own,” she disclosed. “It’s where the country and city meet. You meet a lot of people from the country who don’t live in the left wing, creative industry bubble. Really good people leading very different lives.” Bookmakers have always been a major attraction, more so previously but Rob Waterhouse has broken new ground.
Despite warnings Waterhouse was still dispensing free cake like Gartrell White at Rosehill and those backing J-Mac needed sweetening. Bad yes, until Yorkshire was successful for him in the final event.
Before Saturday Dan O’Sullivan on BetSmart disclosed: “Despite his superstar status McDonald continues to beat market expectations. He’s showing a 10 percent profit on turnover from all rides in the last three months and plus 7.5 percent on turnover from over 600 rides in the last 12 months.”
Alas Tropic, ridden by J-Mac, finished last in the Canonbury on Saturday while Snitzel Miss (Widden) did better for a minor placing. Still the two-year-olds at Rosehill, if not bad, were common.
So, too, the attitude of Racing NSW to bush apprentices riding in town without the necessary grounding.
It made the ugly range after the recent Randwick fall involving Tom Berry and Teigan Worsnop, from Taree, making her debut on metropolitan courses.
Corey Brown, an outstanding former jockey and once mentor for apprentices in New South Wales, reckons the country-based youngsters should get more experience before race riding in Sydney.
“I advocated this when I was with Racing NSW,” Brown explained.
“Riding on country tracks, barrier trials and races is different. Not as demanding. The tempo and timing isn’t as tight or fast. I felt the apprentices would be better equipped if, when suspended in the country, they came to town, rode in Sydney barrier trials, and gallops with top jockeys as part for the education process.
“A transition period should be followed making them better riders, and safer for all concerned.”
Unfortunately, Brown left Racing NSW due to funding difficulties for his “students”. Brown hasn’t been replaced and that’s ugly: casting a blind eye to the education and well-being to the rising saddle generation. Does the board of Racing NSW know or care?
