“In the end it is all about the horses” the departing Robin Oakley, for three decades a must read in “The Spectator”, declared in his final column.
While the racehorse is an equine art form, it’s the people who make them—on ground level and in the saddle—who resonate. But it’s the characters who have elevated the Australian turf. John Jeffs qualifies.
Jeffs graced racing in town, firstly for the Sydney Turf Club from 1972, to Hong Kong for five years then the Australian Jockey Club, and later at yearling sales, far and wide.
Thomas ended a 35-year stint with the Daily Telegraph in a blaze of stories last week, maintaining my earlier claim if Rupert Murdock had to pay him a dollar word he could not settle.
Thomas is a racing writer while Oakley, like our Les Carylon previously and Andrew Rule at present are outstanding with any subject, and the turf is fortunate to have their involvement.
Still racing writers, and I am a fellow traveller, report most days on the subject and that’s the difference, Thomas had to find stories. The greats can pick and choose.
Oakley?
“Working for BBC and CNN and lecturing around the world on cruise ships I have been lucky enough to experience racing in Ireland and in France, in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, even Cyprus and Mauritius,” he wrote.
Included in his best memories was “an impromptu invitation with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for tea in the royal box.
“She asked for my assessment of Prime Minister’s Question time performance and yes, I am sure she liked a bet.
“Much of our conversation focused on her undisguised envy of her chauffeur having backed the first three winners.
“As I depart the sport has serious worries including falling foal attendances and poor prizemoney shared among too few,” Oakley expressed last week.
No doubt Saturday’s stand alone at Kembla Grange is an example of just how superior Australian racing is to the U.K. counterpart and The Gong, worth a $1 million, this year promises a vintage chapter.
Gringotts, carrying the grandfather power of Nash Rawiller on a Ciaron Maher machine under 61kg takes on the expertise of Joe Pride’s Estadio Mestalla from a wide gate with the assistance of Adam Hyeronimus, so good under the circumstances.
Gringotts won it last year and while up in weight is still the horse to beat. And Rawiller is still a major plus. But to back?
Even from the demanding launch Estadio Mestalla, buoyed by the Pride factor, is a worthwhile gamble. Consider last Saturday’s The Hunter. A second opinion from Betsmart’s Dan O’Sullivan: “Ran +1.3 lengths above standard time for the 1300m trip, finishing 2.1 lengths behind Coal Crusher in The Hunter. His closing sectionals, given an above-standard overall time, were outstanding: +9.9 lengths for the final 800m and +7.7 lengths over the last 600m — strong indicators of real talent.
“Drawn wide in barrier 16, he was still 7.5 lengths off the lead at the 400m, and that position with just an even pace up front cost him a higher rating than the 95.6 figure he achieved.”
Maher and Pride are master of their craft, getting to the category of the exceptionals, but characters, like Jeffs, are thin on the ground.
Hailing from outback Jeffs did stints on country clubs before being lured to town by the STC as an assistant racecourse manager.
The STC always had an eye for bush talent: Pat Parker, a CEO in the golden years, and John Nicholson, the racing manager, being examples.
The Australian Jockey Club were more Big Smoke: squatters, and landed gentry. However, Tony King from good bookmaking stock at Orange made CEO and John Schreck, the chief stipe in the most testing period, often reflects on his toil in shearing sheds, difficult to imagine: Scheck wrestling a wayward ram.
Jeffs arrived with little experience with ground cultivation, more personality than grass roots. Made racecourse manager, Rosehill was then sizzling with irate trainers.
Punters, too, were more critical of track bias, but couldn’t dent the Jeffs smile. He employed the Super Soppa and helicopters to distribute loose water in an attempt to get the best surface.
After Rosehill Jeffs made Hong Kong who only employed the best. Following five years there he returned to Sydney and the AJC. The Randwick cutaway rail, seen as a disaster by some and a saviour to others, came into play, but did not survive.
Finally he quit racecourse management in 1998 for horse dealing, yearling sales and the like. Jeffs was a natural, more comfortable with horses than grass. Until the end he was a presence, big as Lunar Park, under the title of “J.J.”
Lovely tribute to John Jeffs Max – the man that excelled in almost every facet of racing – so good also to see reference to my friend Tony King – a gentleman hard to equal.