“Why was Albo out there?” resonated in a week to remember, particularly because of Alex Johnston’s try breaking record.
It was the heading that came atop of a story by Malcolm Knox, always a must read in the Sydney Morning Herald, on the momentous occasion last Friday when Johnston topped Ken Irvine 212 touch downs, the highlight of an enthralling period for horse and human.
On Saturday at Rosehill Gardens world champion James McDonald and his partner in fame, Chris Waller, notched the Group One Coolmore Classic with Lazzura, four in a row for the trainer.
I never figured I would witness domination in Sydney racing to overwhelm the Tommy Smith-George Moore era. Gai Waterhouse, too, was incredible but without the grip of Waller.
Wise guys, particularly the Godfather of the Intelligentsia, operators who’ve replaced the Table Of Knowledge and The Wit’s Row, who remain obsessed with finding my many errors, like the recent claim the Bluebags were Newtown and not Canterbury Bankstown. My counter? The Bulldogs’ colours were only a lighter shade.
The Intelligentsia operate computers which their predecessors were racebook and pen users.
“The two-years-old are common and the Coolmore Classic was weak,” the Godfather maintained. “What about Autumn Glow (the apple of my eye)?” I argued. “Beat nothing”- Godfather. And Peter Moody’s Sheza Alibi? “Are the three-year-old any good?” – Godfather.
Anyway, Rosehill on Saturday is a must, even if legging is necessary from Woy Woy, a train service suitable for cattle.
From elsewhere queries arose about Johnston, magnificent Alex who produced a glorious sporting memory to equal the best I’ve seen. Name a champion horse, Lindwall and Miller opening the Australian attack, Lionel Rose on the boil against Rocky Gattellari, and Buddy, brilliant Buddy.
So the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, walked onto Alliance Stadium during the celebration on Friday night. “If he had joined the melee like a normal person that would be understandable and excusable,” Knox wrote.
After his pussy footing around the leprechaun (Alan Joyce) who made a fortune out of Qantas, before leaving it in a quandary, I am no Albo fan.
However I support his walk on the score he was there in support of Johnston. I only wish I had the agility even to hobble down the sideline.
Narks grizzle what has Johnston done on the international front, one match was it, and what about the State Of Origin?
Johnston made South Sydney Mighty, with the club spirit. My first Rabbit winger was John (“Wacka”) Graves followed by Ian Moir, who had the benefit of Clive Churchill, aptly tagged the Little Master. Giving wingers a break was a specialty.
Many outstanding flank men followed. But especially Nathan Merritt, currently battling cancer. He was great when the Rabbits were weak.
Johnston, too, hasn’t played with the inside assistance of Ken Irvine, “Mongo” as he was known in his era of working for the Daily Mirror. Latrell Mitchell? Eleven game Latrell. Brilliant when his passing finds the mark.
Sure, Irvine kicked off with North Sydney, later the Sea Eagles. With him they dominated. Wing play though was different. Mongo never had the workload of Johnston but no doubt would have adapted. Mongo once raced horse at Kembla Grange. Was the sprinter Fuss?
Yes Mongo was a champion. Johnston to us, and Albo, is special, worthy of a statue. GOOD.
However J-Mac, 34, gets the “c” rating. On 128 Group one successes from 679 rides, he chases Damian Oliver’s 129 at Rosehill on Saturday. Considering his vintage, J-Mac will establish figures never to be equalled.
Should he achieve it on Saturday will racegoers surge over the fence at Rosehill? Perhaps being a New Zealander costs J-Mac the acclaim he deserves. After all he is a world champion and how many are there Down Under? Racing has basically lost the mainstream media and gets, mostly, what it pays for.
Alas not as serious as Errol Gulden’s dislocated shoulder, sustained on Saturday against Brisbane and to what degree it will take the razzle dazzle out of the early season Swans.
Still BAD is the appeal by Racing NSW against the Supreme Court decision to deny its takeover bid for the Australian Turf Club, wilting under lack of justifiable funds.
The decision was made “due to the precarious position it places Racing NSW funding race clubs across the state and supporting the 50,000 participants who rely on the NSW thoroughbred racing industry for livelihoods”.
The ATC is the major contributor, it puts on the show, brilliant racing evidenced by the Golden Slipper program on Saturday.
The current management under Tim Hale and Caroline Searcy, with Steve McMahon CEO, should be given a chance to shine. Royal Randwick is derelict. Bad previous management or being denied the rightful wack of funding that comes from the betting it generates? By the time this sorry episode ends I’m tipping legal bills the wrong side of $3million, put to better use at Randwick.
On an otherwise stimulating weekend Banjora was indeed UGLY in the Provincial Mid Championship at Gosford on Saturday.
Starting at $1.80 Banjora, under Pierre Boudvillian, missed the start by two lengths and ran into dead-ends galore. According to stewards the highly promising Banjora went “to the line unable to be full tested”. Banjora was downed a length and a half in the minor placing.
Horse sense: “They’ve either just got it and we’re lucky we’ve got a few mares like that,” McDonald on Lazzura. The mares are so good, when the tough gets going they get going. Just that tenacity to find the line, you can’t teach that.”
Max – I don’t think the ‘Wise Guys’ are as smart as they might think. As a teenager me and my mates were committed Canterbury-Bankstown supporters. No Bulldogs back then: we followed the Berries! Our second team was Newtown – the Bluebags as you rightly recalled. By the by I was a cadet at The Sun in the mid sixties (started my cadetship the same day as my schoolmate Sid Cassidy started his) when you were gracing the racing pages.