John Tapp Racing

Wayne Collison and Kylie Kennedy happen to be father and daughter but choose to operate individually from their stables in the idyllic township of Narromine 40 kms from Dubbo. Wayne started training about 25 years ago following a successful career as a jockey. His wife Robyn Douglas also made her mark as a trainer in the central west. Is it any wonder one of their four daughters inherited the racing genes. Kylie has won around 150 races  in her own right. We begin the podcast with Wayne who talks about his recent run of success. He reflects on a trip to the famous Louth meeting where one of his three runners was successful. The former jockey acknowledges the horses who’ve contributed to his recent winning trot. Wayne says he’s obliged to ride all of his small team in trackwork. He talks of the facilities at his disposal. Wayne reflects on his eighteen years as Narromine track manager. He talks of the strong points of the central western racecourse. Wayne looks back on his early childhood at Cassilis, and an i

Michael Travers joined an exclusive club in 2021 when he became one of a handful of NSW jockeys to acquire a dual trainer/jockey’s licence. A short time later he became the first to train and ride a winner in his home state, when successful with Estaverdi at Gundagai. A minor injury sustained at Leeton in April was enough to see Michael make the decision to train exclusively. We recorded this interview just a few days before his Gundagai double on Sunday. He talks about the reluctance of Racing NSW to issue dual licences a few years ago. He says Michelle Payne indirectly helped his cause. Michael says he’s a little surprised more jockeys haven’t availed themselves of the opportunity. He says attaining the licence was one thing- finding stabling in Wagga was another. Michael looks back on the thrill of his history making feat at Gundagai in 2021. He rode another winner on the day for an outside stable. He says it wasn’t easy to attract owners who were happy to have the same person training and riding their hor

It was great to catch up with John Wallace recently for the first time in several years. The veteran trainer has a great passion for the racing game, and it shows in his all too rare interviews. We pinned him down recently for a long overdue podcast about a career that started in St George more than 50 years ago. John begins by talking about his recovery from some pretty serious health issues. He talks of the nine horse team he has in work today- a far cry from the huge numbers he was training twenty years ago. He makes special mention of a certain 3YO. John talks about his early life as the son of a publican at Maryborough. He was eight years old when the family moved to another pub 600km away. The veteran trainer says he learned the language of racing from horsemen around the bar at the Metro Hotel. He recalls meeting a young man who was destined to become a very high profile steward in later years. John says he had to put his age up in order to acquire a Queensland trainer’s licence. He got away with it. H

NSW southern districts racing lost a loyal and dedicated servant recently when Darryl McLean called time on his 48 year career as a member of the SDRA Stewards panel. He officiated for the last time at the Corowa meeting on Monday July 31st and by his own admission left the course with very mixed feelings. It’s my great pleasure to catch up with Darryl on this week’s podcast to talk about his remarkable transition from furniture salesman to stipendiary steward. He attended a Sunday meeting at Wagga the following Sunday, but only as a spectator. He received a special surprise on the day. Darryl says his final day at Corowa was emotion charged. Wangaratta born and raised, McLean says there wasn’t a trace of racing in his family background. He talks of a boyhood fascination with Aussie Rules football.  Darryl looks back on his first job with Paterson’s Pty Ltd Furniture and Floor Coverings. He spent most of his time on the road canvassing business. He says it came as a big surprise when the boss informed him of

Great to catch up with a young jockey who’s endured the lion’s share of bad luck but keeps bouncing back into the winner’s circle. He’s riding work again following major shoulder surgery, and is champing at the bit to go to the races. Brock begins by talking of the newly arrived son who has helped him through a tough rehabilitation.  He talks of the transition into parenthood for he and partner Madison. Brock explains the surgery he recently underwent at Sydney’s San Hospital. He says he did plenty of work behind the scenes before returning to trackwork at Kembla Grange. The young jockey takes us back to early days at Yamba when surfing was his primary sporting interest. He joined the workforce at a local caravan park. Brock has never forgotten the first time he watched horse racing on television. He was instantly besotted and took immediate action. He says he couldn’t wait to become an apprentice. He started at Kembla Grange. Brock remembers the retired racehorse who taught him the basics. He parted company

Everybody wanted a piece of champion trainer Leon Macdonald when he saddled his final runners at Morphettville on July 29th, and we were on the list. We caught up with the SA racing legend a few days later and got him started on a sentimental journey. He begins by looking back on an emotional final day at the scene of some of his greatest moments. He says an on course video tribute tested his emotions.  Leon was philosophical about a winless final day. He pays tribute to the young man who’ll be filling his shoes at French Cotton Lodge, son-in-law Andrew Gluyas. The one Adelaide major to elude Leon was the historic Goodwood Hcp. He talks of his narrow defeat with Another Award in May. The former trainer acknowledges his long and successful association with veteran jockey Jason “Stubby” Holder. Leon talks at length about Dalasan, the horse who deserved a Gr 1 win but had to settle for four placings at the elite level. He talks of Dalasan’s promising half sister. The veteran recalls a freakish trackwork accident

The Australian racing industry continues to come to terms with the death of Dean Holland in a race fall at Donald in April. Ethan Brown, Jamie Kah, Craig Williams, and Blaike McDougall were all sidelined with serious injuries on either side of the Donald tragedy. Ethan Brown required multiple surgeries in the wake of his fall in the Australian Guineas in March. Cranbourne track regulars were amazed when the 24 year old reported for trackwork on July 10th and even more surprised when he resumed race riding at Sandown last Sunday (Aug 6th). Ethan joins us on the podcast to talk about his miracle recovery and to reflect on a short but brilliant career which began in his hometown of Alice Springs. He talks about that all important first day back at trackwork. Ethan says his body had to adjust following a long lay off from the saddle. He says the accident came at a time when he’d ridden 62 Victorian winners for the season. He has a philosophical attitude when it comes to the highs and lows of racing. Ethan has a c

Stephen Traecey recently told family and friends he’s unlikely to ride in races again but most didn’t believe him. The remarkable 67 year old last rode in a race at Coffs Harbour in June. His last winner was in March on the same track. It suited Stephen to just fade away unnoticed, but I was having none of that. This man has given tremendous service over many years to racing in northern NSW and deserves due recognition. I hope this podcast serves as a lasting tribute to a bloke who just loves riding racehorses. Stephen says family and friends have taken his retirement announcement with a grain of salt. He admits that he hasn’t yet made a clean break. He’s still riding up to eight horses in trackwork most days of the week. Stephen acknowledges some of the trainers who continue to seek his services at trackwork. He talks of the two year old filly purchased online recently by wife Donna. He doesn’t exactly rule out the possibility of a comeback if the filly gets to the races. The veteran looks back on his last r

  It’s only two and a half years since we last spoke with Jon Grisedale but much water has flowed under the bridge since, and he’s approaching a special birthday- special when you’re talking about an active jockey. He’ll be 60 on October 10th, but you’d never know it as the winners continue to flow including a couple over the recent Grafton July carnival. English born Grisedale was reluctant to do another interview so soon but I was able to talk him into it. Jon and his wife Donna remain delighted with their decision to move to Coffs Harbour in 2019. The jockey talks of a Lismore race fall soon after his arrival which was more serious than reported. He talks of the warm reception afforded him by local trainers. He established contacts by riding an enormous amount of trackwork. He’s had to regulate his track commitments to a sane level but still rides work for a handful of great local supporters. Jon says the competition on the rivers is ferocious. He compliments Ben Looker who’s approaching 120 winners for th

Michael Cahill had his first race ride on Red Affro at an obscure race meeting at Gooloogong in 1979. The horse ran second but Michael says he was beaten by pilot error. Since then he’s ridden with great skill to land a stunning total of 2600 winners in 4 jurisdictions. He’s coming up 59, and would love to ride in races until age 60. In our recent interview he talks about the style his late father Ossie helped him to develop during his apprenticeship at Cowra. Michael explains his reason for wearing two sets of goggles when riding in races. He says rides are still plentiful but the good opportunities are not what they used to be. Michael looks back on a simple fall on the Sunny Coast in December 2021 which sidelined him for seven months. Remarkably he rode a winner at Doomben on his first day back. He says he had a good run for nine months before another race fall halted his progress. This time he was back in a month. Michael takes us back to early days at Cowra NSW when he and brother Matthew were apprentice

Twenty months ago Adam Campton was still working for the Hong Kong Jockey Club unsure of his next career move. He made the snap decision to return to Australia and take out a trainer’s  licence. A winner with his very first starter at Warwick set the scene for his immediate future. Since then he’s reeled off more than forty wins and is deadly serious about his future as a trainer. Adam begins by reviewing the short career of Deepour who’s won 5 from 7 since being sourced from the Inglis Digital On Line Sale.  The young trainer talks about his blueblood racing pedigree with special mention of his father Neil, a multiple Gr 1 winning jockey and successful trainer. Adam talks of his relationship with maternal grandfather, the late Les Coles rider of Even Stevens who won the Caulfield/Melbourne Cup double in 1962.  He talks of several other notable racing achievers in the immediate family. Adam takes us through the many and varied things he tried before settling on a training career. He talks of a short stint wor

Great to catch up with a man who’s had a more diversified background with horses than most Australian trainers. The former Olympic show jumping gun and respected horse breaker Greg Eurell turned to the training of thoroughbreds thirty years ago. Nine Gr 1 wins including a Cox Plate are testimony to his talents. Greg talks about the bustling Cranbourne training centre and the facilities available to trainers. He talks of his successful training partnership with Jim Mason. Greg talks of the availability of work riders and the time required to get 60 horses worked. He acknowledges he talents of his wife Danielle who rides daily trackwork before heading off to her day job in Melbourne- a very unlikely day job at that. Greg talks about the accessibility of his preferred race meetings. He takes us back to early days in Sydney’s Hills District and his involvement in pony club. The talented horseman is reluctant to talk about his inclusion in the Federation Equestrian team as a teenager. Greg was selected for the Aus

Always nice to catch up with one of the many young hopefuls trying to establish themselves in the training ranks. The hours are long and the disappointments are many. Ballina’s Ethan Ensby has the right mix of determination and talent to make a go of an unforgiving business. Ethan begins by reviewing his recent run of success on northern tracks. He talks of the promising Maximum Vortex who came to town after two brilliant Grafton wins. Ethan says the horse wasn’t mentally equipped to handle the task. The young trainer talks of life in Ballina, and the rapport between local trainers. There’s been a recent arrival from Scone. Ethan says there is no racing in his family background other than his mother’s role as a Racing NSW swab steward. The twenty eight year old talks of his pony club days in Casino and the young local horseman he knew, who was destined to become one of Australia’s elite jockeys. Ethan reflects on his early experience as a trackwork rider and the trainers with whom he was associated. He looks

Great to catch up with a highly qualified lady who couldn’t imagine a life without horses. Despite holding a Bachelor Of Arts and a Degree in Accountancy, Natalie Jarvis opted for a career as a horse trainer. Natalie and husband Luke are currently running a successful training operation at the beautiful South Coast hamlet of Moruya. She talks about Thorotek Racing’s headquarters. Natalie says she likes to keep all horses in an outside environment. She talks about the grass track facilities, beach and river swimming availability and the peaceful bushland riding trails. The trainer acknowledges husband Luke’s role in the operation. She’ll long remember the thrill of producing four winners on Moruya Cup day with 130 stable clients in attendance. Natalie takes us back to childhood days at Terrey Hills where she and sister Stephanie were riding horses from an early age. She talks of her parents who had little interest in horses as their daughters were growing up. Today they’re keen followers of Natalie’s horses. N

The popular north coast jockey knew something was wrong the moment she hit the ground in the early part of a Port Macquarie track gallop in April. She’d been back in the saddle for just three weeks following a lengthy break for the birth of her first baby. Belinda says she’s making good progress seven weeks after the spill. Belinda expresses her appreciation for the skills of her orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Cree. She says the horse she was riding in the track gallop was the quietest in the stable. Belinda outlines the cause of the fall, and her decision to remain completely still. The jockey talks of her first few rides back following extended “maternity leave”. Belinda says she’d been riding work for Port Macquarie trainer Paul Shailer for many weeks before taking race rides. She shares the remarkable story of her birth in Kempsey in the early 1990’s. Her arrival caught everyone by surprise. Belinda talks of her early life in Perth and a move back to Kempsey in 2002. When she made the decision to become a

Great to catch up with an ever enthusiastic Todd Smart who’s based at Canberra’s Thoroughbred Park with his fifteen horse team. A welder by trade, Todd graduated from bull riding to thoroughbreds when he sustained a serious shoulder injury. He’s sure it was meant to happen. He talks of early mornings in the bleak Canberra winters. Todd says he began his training career at Wagga but was talked into a move to Canberra by a fellow trainer. He talks of his early life in Gundagai and early education on his favourite pony. Todd pays tribute to the local trainer who taught him the basics of horse management.  He remembers his reluctance to join the family butchering business, and the completion of his welding apprenticeship. Todd looks back on an unlikely connection with bull riding and his relocation to Canada in quest of big prize money. He doesn’t remember a lot about his major accident. The trainer talks of his return home for surgery, and a subsequent trip to London with a group of mates. This is where he deplo

In a way it’s a pity this podcast was recorded ten days before Crafty Eagle’s brilliant win in Saturday’s Midway. I’m sure syndicator Steve Vardy would have been very excited by the dominance of the win. Steve worked for some years as a plumber and car detailer before biting the bullet and acquiring his syndicator’s licence as recently as 2020. Steve begins by revisiting the magical morning at Warwick Farm trackwork when he fell in love with thoroughbreds. He talks about his years in the trades, and the nagging desire to do something in the racing industry. Steve recalls his very first venture into horse ownership- a small share in a horse called King Lear who was destined to win seven races. His admiration for King Lear led him to the purchase of a half brother. He syndicated the youngster among friends and associates and had the thrill of seeing him win at Port Macquarie for trainer Kristen Buchanan. He talks of another Port Macquarie win provided by Kristen, who’s one of Vardy Thoroughbreds’ regular traine

Craig Rixon was one of those jockeys who flew under the radar for most of his twenty year career. He concentrated largely on provincial and country tracks, but lacked nothing against the top riders whenever he came to town. He quit the saddle in 2006 and immediately joined the ranks of jockey agents. He took to his new career with ease. Craig talks about some of the jockeys he’s managed in recent years.  He makes special mention of talented apprentice Anna Roper who was making headlines before she suffered a complicated knee injury last November. Craig speaks highly of Donovan Yeo, a former South African jockey who’s getting close to making his Australian debut.  He says he was very small when he began his apprenticeship with Kevin Wallis at Hawkesbury. Craig had more than the required number of barrier trial rides before applying for his ticket to ride in races. He was shattered when he got a refusal at the first attempt. He looks back on his first race ride at Newcastle. Craig talks of the ten year old boy

Tracey is still punishing himself over a momentary lapse of concentration which could have cost him his life. The former jockey and multiple Gr 1 winning trainer committed the sin many horse people are guilty of when trying to cut corners. He got in the way of a cranky mare whose double barrelled kick missed another horse and connected with him. Eight weeks and five operations later Tracey is relieved to be back at work and making a good recovery. He’s the first to admit the accident shouldn’t have happened. Tracey says he learned what pain was all about in his riding days, and when he suffered a serious medical issue in 2006. He says the pain resulting from his recent accident was the worst he’s ever experienced. He shudders to think of the likely outcome had his wife not come to the rescue.  Tracey looks back on his tiny stature when he first became  apprenticed to the late Frank Penfold. He says he weighed 36 kgs when he rode his first winner. He says he wasn’t the first jockey in the family. Tracey pays a

Great to catch up with a lady who’s more than making up for her late start in racing. Connie dabbled with show horses during the decade in which she worked as Bakery Manager at Woolworths Emu Plains. She later gained a job with a Hawkesbury thoroughbred trainer and her life changed dramatically. Connie talks about her frantically busy lifestyle at Dubbo. She explains that she and business partner Michelle Jones own most of the horses in the stable. The trainer says she rides many of her horses in trackwork but is ably assisted by jockey Ken Dunbar. Connie talks of her commitment to keeping her horses outdoors. She talks of recent wins at professional race meetings in the west. Connie explains her move to the picnic circuit and comes up with some interesting statistics. She acknowledges the welcome increase in amateur prize money in recent years. She talks of the one anomaly confronting picnic racing- a worrying shortage of jockeys. Connie acknowledges the successful partnership she’s formed with Brazilian bor