“My son will not follow me into racing,” the trainer exclaimed regarding his occupation as corrupt and unsavoury. He excelled.
When I started, just before Bernborough and during the Tulloch reign, there were few fathers and sons, brothers and definitely not daughters involved officially preparing racehorses.
Yes, there was young Frank McGrath, son of Frank McGrath who trained three Melbourne Cup winners, and out west at Warwick Farm “Pop” Conners was tuning son Clarrie for greatness while Jack Daniels and Mark were at Rosehill.
But now dynasties have evolved with the acceptance of partnerships being a major contributor.
Consider, too, the Hawkes with patriarch Hall Of Famer John, followed by sons Wayne and Michael. It’s like yesterday when John Hawkes arrived in Sydney (1970’s) from Adelaide then with jockey-trainer’s license preparing Toltrice. Thousands of winners followed.
Of course Gai Waterhouse with the energy and eye of her father Tommy Smith, coupled with the grace of her mother Valerie, maintained the family turf prominence. I recall when she was an aspiring actress and flirted (as a presenter) with the media.
And what about the Hayes boys, now of Euroa? It started with Col Hayes, a genius. I recall when he espoused the conditioning horses on the beach at Adelaide. Tommy Smith commented when there were races over the English Channel he would train near the sea.
Hayes developed Lindsay Park in the Barossa Valley, one of the most impressive training and breeding establishments, on the doctrine “the future belongs to those who plan for it”.
Son David followed. Making an early visit to Randwick with his father, young David looked better suited to being a recruit for the Swans.
David Hayes, very successful in Hong Kong, then built a training establishment at Euroa where his sons churn out winners with hopes of upsetting the juggernaut of Waller, a strapper from New Zealand with a team the size and quality that would even have made Col Hayes gasp.
Waller has the two favourites Wodeton ($3.80) and Autumn Boy ($4.60) in the $3 million Group one Caulfield Guineas while Ben, Will and J.D Hayes takes them on with outsider Romantic Encounter. Wodeton for mine on the assumption Sydney form is superior. But the colt will need a pearl from James McDonald from the 10 gate.
Again Waller has a strong hand in the $1 million Group one Toorak with Lazzura ($7) and Leica Lucy ($8.50) against the erratic Evaporate, a last start winner for the Hayes boys. Evaporate will carry a norton bit as a remedy. Blake Shinn should give him the run of the race for barrier six.
However I am going for Leica Lucy, a mare Waller picked up from New Zealand. First-up she was fourth to Lazzura at Flemington, getting a “wins if goes straight” assessment from Racenet.
As usual Waller, too, is strong at Rosehill, particularly in the $2 million, Hill Stakes, an example of a race with excessive prizemoney.
Group two yet a $1 million more than the Might And Power at Caulfield. Surely a $1 million less would not deplete the quality or numbers in the Hill Stakes.
Still they would be chuckling at the Sussex Stakes, the eyrie of Racing’s Mr Big, as the Might And Power, once called the Caulfield Stakes and a top spring event, has only four starters at the last count, including Waller’s Buckeroo and the talented mare, Treasurethe Moment. Either would start favourite in the Hill Stakes.
Waller’s Lindermann ($2.40) is the Hill hotpot, strong and in peak form. Under Nash Rawiller, Lindermann launches from an awkward (14) and goes forward. With Craig Williams, Rawiller is the best navigator in weight-for-age races where pace judgment is vital but Linderman is a risk. Surely rivals won’t submit to Rawiller’s guile.
Also Lady Gai, with the assistance of partner Adrian Bott, has waved the Tulloch Lodge magic wand, so evident over other imports, on Elamaz who will improve while Tom Berry from the one gate on Waller’s Kovalica, tuned with blinkers, appeals at $7.
A Waller import from the USA, Pounce making her Australian debut in The Nivison at $15 should be kept safe. The Hawkes team has the favourite Gangsta Granny ($2.80). Pounce was eye-catching in a recent barrier trial.
Even with the domination of Waller, Bjorn Baker, son of the renowned Kiwi horseman Murray Baker, is having a great spin but Michael Freedman is on the boil, emphasised by his Royal Randwick double with Incognito, and Apocalyptic.
Freedman has Rosehill’s shortest priced favourite Marhoona in the Roman Consul in what is a Waller free zone.
Marhoona takes on the family’s Beskar, trained by his brother Anthony and son, Sam Freedman, while the Hawkes have Gallo Nero against them.
But Beadman, a magnificent colt, is the selection. Last start he went down by under a length when third to Marhoona in the Heritage over the Rosehill 1100 metres on September 27. Beadman, from the Peter Snowden stable, had more scope for improvement.
Behind the scenes politics, around Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club, continue to bubble but racing is strong.
G’Day Max, hope you’re well, when i was at News i knew all the drivers, they all loved the punt, johnny was one, i think an old boxer, he’d drive out to the races, he even used to shine Harto’s shoes! At Rosehill once he was standing next to John Hawkes when his horse Arena ran second to Tie The Knot, ‘bad luck’ Johnny said, Hawkes replied : ‘yeh one’s a champion the other’s a cat (Arena) – Arena won over 2.2 million and 3 Group Ones!!