Dedicated. Professional. Experienced. Benevolent. Battling. Exhausted. These words could be used to describe just about anyone who works in racing. Today, breeder Leeanne Smith is preparing to transport her draft of 13 yearlings to Melbourne for this Sunday’s Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale. After a quick post-Easter debrief, she ends our call with “Well, I’d better keep moving, if I stop I’ll fall asleep”. It’s a familiar ending to our regular phone conversations. Leeanne has been in my life for as long as I’ve been alive. Before I hit double digits, whatever I wasn’t learning in my father’s stable, I was being taught at her Wangaratta training stables during school holidays. Whilst my
Royal Randwick racecourse, 2004. The Queen Elizabeth Stakes would be Lonhro’s last race day before retirement and he was going for his fifth straight win that campaign. The sun was shining, the stands were bursting and the grounds were awash with the colour cerise. Promotional staff dressed as jockeys handed out cerise coloured Krispy Kreme donuts, visors and badges to racegoers as they streamed in the gates. Everyone had Lonhro fever! Alas the Black Flash, having to come to the extreme outside on the home turn and work overtime to close a big gap, would finish second behind Grand Armee. Nine years later, Royal Randwick racecourse, 2013. The T.J Smith Stakes would be Black Caviar’s 25th cons
Why do I love horse racing? Let me count the ways… The history - The stories and traditions. The record breakers and the trailblazers. The diversity - The rich and the poor. The movers and shakers. The heroes and villains. The celebration - The glamour and elegance. The champagne and socialising. The people - The boss and their team. The office workers. Friends. Family. Community. The dedication - The highs and lows. The laughs and tears. Rain, hail or shine. The passion - The love of the sport and of the animal. The thrill of the punt. The Horse - Majestic. Powerful. Gentle. Exhilarating. The athlete and the therapist. There is something really special about being in the presence of a horse
