A WEEKLY REVIEW: The Good The Bad The Ugly

Amid the takeover bid for the Australian Turf Club by Racing New South Wales, Royal Randwick produced a turf spectacular, headlined by Chris Waller and James McDonald last Saturday, indicating the strength of Sydney racing far removed from the balance sheet.

Fangirl and Joliestar delivered outstanding performances. Michael Freedman’s three-year-old Apocalyptic, winner of the Tea Rose Stakes, looks set to follow in their hoofprints. With three events ending in nose finishes, it was better than GOOD.

Yes, the horses and humans that make them have never been better.

Alas officialdom lags badly.

Is it the ATC or an unfair financial modelling, the sling that comes from betting from which RNSW gets the lion’s share, that has brought about the current predicament?

The ATC has been given two weeks to show cause why the receivers should not be called in. Debts include $145 million to Racing NSW, $30 million to the Commonwealth.

But they were getting under way if not accumulated under the previous Peter McGauran administration. McGauran and CEO Matt Galenos have recently departed. McGauran was Government appointed as was Natalie Hewson who took her leave last week.

Racing was more effective when run by enthusiasts who earned their rank and not political favours.

Of course, the possible sale of Rosehill, about which McGauran warned regarding the current financial situation, was turned down by ATC members.

Taking away control of the four Sydney racecourses from the ATC to make it nothing more than a social club will be the ploy when Rosehill is eventually sold. And Racing’s Mr Big, Peter V’Landys, is sitting on a pot of gold. Members will get a meat pie and sausage roll handed out like baubles to the indigenous when they were being duped. BAD.

Why would directors, Ben Bayot was another to go last week, with earlier knowledge of the precarious balance sheet, dip out the week the Spring carnival is going to start? Does Mr Big want to be cracking the whip for The Everest?

Surely the new team chairman Tim Hale and interim CEO Steve McMahon should be given a chance to function.

Anyway, Waller again confirmed he is the foremost trainer ever of fillies and mares, with Fangirl taking the 7Stakes and Joliestar winning The Shorts, a race dating back to 1867. In my time, starting in 1957, I have never seen a more impressive winner than Joliestar and that includes Nature Strip (2022) and Classique Legend (2020).

Fangirl and Joliestar had the services of James McDonald, smooth as silk on Fangirl, messy with the reins over the latter stages on Joliestar but no matter.

J-Mac had to be centimetre perfect to get Fangirl home by a nose from stablemate Lindermann, benefitting from the full Nash Rawiller flurry, another highlight for aged sportsmen.

Earlier Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield, 35, was sensational for Geelong against Hawthorn. Yes, the demands of race riding differ from AFL but recent efforts justify how good old jockeys can be. Rawiller is 50.

Perhaps in a classic sense long gone but still remembered Peter Cook was a model. Rawiller looks so bad, but so effective. Veterans received another lift on Saturday with the canny and strong Craig Williams, 48.

Making a mockery of bad barriers being a major drawback Williams launched from 16 to win the Sir Rupert Clarke on Sepals and took the Underwood with his powerful handling of Sir Delius (11).

Meanwhile Waller’s Angel Capitol (Damian Lane) went back from the 13 gate on Sepals and was daylight deprived behind the placegetters. Still the Harry Angel stallion was impressive to the degree the trainer is touting him for The Everest in which he has another strong fancy Lady Shenandoah who had a similar Randwick experience a few weeks back.

Obviously Waller had a Lunar Park smile leaving Randwick on Saturday despite Lord Penman (J-Mac) the $2.25 favourite ending up seventh in the Shoot Out Mile when he should have scored.

UGLY?

No doubt the champion Tulloch in the late 1950’s mystery scouring ailment that almost killed him qualifies. Anything by Andrew Rule is worth reading and his “The Chosen Few: Australia’s 10 Greatest Racehorses” will be released on February 23. The Tulloch revelation came in last Saturday’s Weekend Australian magazine which had a magnificent picture of Tulloch (is that Bob Thomsen in the saddle?) on the front page.

The story presents a strong case that bookmaker Jack Mandel, owner of Prince Darius, the major rival, was involved in the nobbling of Tulloch.

Back in the 1950 I watched trackwork gallops on top of the old tote building at Randwick where Bob Jones, Mick Hayes, a former top pony jockey, and “Daddy” Graves, one of the great racing writers, clocked gallops for the newspapers.

Mandel would climb the steps to watch Prince Darius work, not occasionally but every morning. He gave me the impression of being an enthusiast who loved horses, and would not subject his or any rival to such misery. Twenty others I could recall would have had no qualms.

Maybe I was just an impressionable teenager.