When I Think Back

Interesting how a chance remark by one poster (Bayman) can bring out common background interests in others. I was literally raised with horses. My earliest memories revolve around my father breeding, breaking in and training them, for various delivery men who still used them, just after the war. Bakers, milkmen, carriers, bottle-ohs and the like. It wasn't until later, when he became friends with Stan Messenger, an early legend in the trotting game, that he became interested in racing. As much as I love horses, I never really got into racing very much. I guess it's just not in my blood. I was always just the sidekick to my father and I always preferred just quietly riding through the hills around Blackwood, where I grew up. I've still got the last mare I bred, some 20 years ago, when one of our daughters showed a bit of interest. But these days I keep her just to eat down the grass on my little hobby farm at Murray Bridge. The horse that is, not my daughter.  

My family has been involved in trots forever CC. I dabbled with training and driving (think I was ok at the former, awful at the latter) but moving to Melbourne has meant that I don't have land so other people look after my horses now.

Most of them I race with other people but my sisters and I still breed a foal every couple of years from a descendant of one of my grandfather's mares.

At the moment I've got a 3yo, two 2yos and my mare had a foal this season. To date none of those have raced but the 3yo trialled last week and one of the 2yos will trial in a fortnight.

My favourite horses when I was growing up (other than our own) were Pure Steel, Gammalite and a trotter by the name of Big Jake.

I don't remember races at Wayville but I did drive one of my horses there in one of those exhibition races at the show in the 90s. I can't imagine fields of 20 on such a tiny track!!

I was at Primary school [1965]
I had a tranny in class , with the ear plugs , listening to the Melbourne Cup
I can still remember the finish
" Dead heat dead heat in the Cup."
That famous  finishing call of the late great race caller Bill Collins

Light Fingers got the photo over Zeima
The man known as the accurate one, actually got this finish wrong though

Light Fingers was one of my real favourites, Scrappy, along with Storm Queen (won the Slipper), Manihi (Newmarket) and Tobin Bronze.

IATW, among my favourites were Gramel and Hondo Grattan. Only went to Harold Park once, saw a horse having it's first start there get tailed off, but won by plenty. Name - Paleface Adios.

Watched the last race on a cold winter night (I think) at GDP years ago. A trotter was backed in to long odds on, missed the start, caught the field, gallopped again, tailed iff, won by a street.

Maori's Idol.

countrycousin wrote:Interesting how a chance remark by one poster (Bayman) can bring out common background interests in others. I was literally raised with horses. My earliest memories revolve around my father breeding, breaking in and training them, for various delivery men who still used them, just after the war. Bakers, milkmen, carriers, bottle-ohs and the like. It wasn't until later, when he became friends with Stan Messenger, an early legend in the trotting game, that he became interested in racing. As much as I love horses, I never really got into racing very much. I guess it's just not in my blood. I was always just the sidekick to my father and I always preferred just quietly riding through the hills around Blackwood, where I grew up. I've still got the last mare I bred, some 20 years ago, when one of our daughters showed a bit of interest. But these days I keep her just to eat down the grass on my little hobby farm at Murray Bridge. The horse that is, not my daughter.  

There was a Messenger that was a milkman in the Western suburbs in the now Arndale area, for at least in a period of the 1960's
Would that be Stan Messenger or a relation perhaps ?
If memory serves me correct , he would deliver milk by horse and cart in those days
Other naughtier boys than me would pinch the milk money change

redandblack wrote:
IATW, among my favourites were Gramel and Hondo Grattan.  Only went to Harold Park once, saw a horse having it's first start there get tailed off, but won by plenty. Name - Paleface Adios.

Maori's Idol.

All great horses R&B, the mare I'm breeding from is out of a mare by Lord Grace- a son of the great Gracie (Gramel). My grandfather was great friends with Silky Jones (owner of Gramel) so I remember going up to Kersbrook and looking at her with awe as a kid. I never saw her race live but I grew up hearing all about her. She was a cantankerous old girl who would kick you as soon as look at you. I think that basically she knew she was better than everyone so she wouldn't put up with anything/one she didn't like.

Lord Grace was by Aachen and you can see a bit of him in the horses I've bred over the years. Unfortunately we've had incredibly bad luck with the foals and I only breed one every second year so only a few have actually made it to the races. Those that have can certainly trot but none as well as Gracie yet!!

IATW

Scrappy wrote:

There was a Messenger that was a milkman in the Western suburbs in the now Arndale area, for at least in a period of the 1960's
Would that be Stan Messenger or a relation perhaps ?
If memory serves me correct , he would deliver milk by horse and cart in those days
Other naughtier boys than me would pinch the milk money change

Scrappy- obviously the 60's is a bit early for me but my grandfather was friends with both Stan and Wally Messenger so could have been either of them?

I remember Lionel Coggins delivering milk in the western suburbs (??- perhaps Allenby Gardens where my nursery school was) area when i was a very young kid. He was friends with my parents and had a lovely skewbald horse that he used for delivering milk. Just can't think of it's name.