All kinds of stuff about horse racing, yes, but also other stuff that we find interesting and which maybe you will, too.
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Let’s hear it for Robbie!
He entered an entirely new world, he did everyone who cheered for him proud by doing his best, he went far and despite his journey on The Voice Australia having ended, it was good to hear that jockey Robbie Dolan plans to pursue his love of music and record some original material.
We wish him only the very best with the advice being to guard his publishing as there are many sharks swimming in today’s music streaming world.
If Hong Kong reaches something close to normality and becomes the vibrant city that it was, there’s no doubt there would be an special invitation extended to Robbie Dolan to be a guest performer at a reboot of one of those quite splendiferous Happy Wednesday nights.
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THE DEPARTMENT OF THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND
Was it a case of the blind leading the blind or the telling of small porkies?
Though talking about Hong Kong racing on Sunday vanishing from channel 68 and the home of racing.com, apparently to make way for an “important steeplechase” race at Sandown, this was the fifth race and shown at around noonish, Hong Kong time.
Following the running of the important steeplechase, the time was spent showing the rest of the nine races at Sandown plus the races from, er, Gawler.
Apparently, the Hong Kong races started being shown from the sixth race.
We say “apparently” because when seeing that the Hong Kong races had gone walkies from channel 68, we had switched over to the usual ping ponging between Sky1 and Sky 2. Now you see it, now you don’t.
At least we got to see the farcical start to the Japanese Oaks and some weird racing stuff from Korea.
But, hey, none of the above involving contracts and Rights issues have anything to do with us. We’ll just let uncommon common sense prevail and shake our heads and smile that at a time when technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, the presentation of horse racing remains stuck in the barriers of the Metapast.
Anything else to smile about? How about Jockey Silvestre de Sousa, below, said to be doing somersaults to return to Hong Kong after slamming the door on his promise to ride in the city at the start of the current season, and instead deciding to ride elsewhere because of the, er, pandemic.
Why the change of heart now? Nowhere else to go? Needing some quick ka-ching ka-ching?
Here’s where we often see through the ugly truth- Hong Kong racing continuing to be used to make multimillionaires of many with no loyalty to anyone except looking after numero uno.
Nothing really wrong with this, it happens everywhere.
Still, with Hong Kong slowly chilling out and a new hardline Chief Executive about to take over from the hapless housewife, it might be the best time for the HKJC to take stock and consider those who have put up with the “racing bubble” for over two years and continue to race in front of half empty grandstands.
Often in Hong Kong, and not exclusive to the racing game, gratitude is in short supply and too much is taken for granted.
Getting back to horse racing, one understands that Blake Shinn, very possibly the most popular jockey riding in the city at the moment, won’t be the only name exiting Hong Kong racing at the end of the season.
That revolving door might be spinning so hard that many things could become unhinged and fly off in all directions.
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We can only dream...
What if...
*Lyle Hewitson and Douglas Whyte are signed up for an entirely new take on the adventures of Harry Potter with writer JK Rowling personally handpicking the Batman and Robin of Hong Kong racing.
Their voices will be dubbed by Morgan Freeman and Kevin Hart.
Apparently, there will be cameos by Willo, Dylan Mo, Paul Lally and The Man Called Hats.
Lyle Hewitson will be billed simply as Lylo and with a massive global marketing programme asking, Who Is Lylo?
*Following almost an entire race meeting in thick fog at Kilmore on Thursday and where race caller Ric McIntosh resorted to saying that a brown horse had just won a race, it’s decided by some forward thinking individuals to introduce Fogged Up Racing.
This is where punters see nothing and know nothing and simply bet blind. Pretty much like what happens everyday.
*After seeing most of the horses during a race parade before a race, Jenny From The Paddock sighs, throws her notes in the air, and finally says those immortal words, “They’re all absolute crap”.
*To give those tedious presentation ceremonies that have been taking place at the races everywhere a smidgen of pizazz and some bump and grind, exotic dancers are introduced to shake their good things and offer free lap dances. All races are put back a few hours.
*At a hastily gathered press conference, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announces that all race meetings will take place in a travelling bubble. The idea is hailed by the racing media as “awesomely bubbly”.
*Following the Group 1 successes of his star galloper Russian Emperor, Trainer Douglas Whyte has new name cards printed with his new title being Czar.
With regular rider Blake Shinn leaving Hong Kong, the Czar announces that there’s only one rider he would want on Russian Emperor: Himself.
*Billy Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s man for all reasons, comes up with the unique idea of jockeys wearing neon lit helmets with their names flashing in different colours during night racing.
*Racing clubs finally get some younger people to take an interest in horse racing.
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The ongoing adventures of John Didham, the original Magic Man.
Many out there will remember John Didham, dubbed the Magic Man by former racing writer Lawrence Wadey when he rode in Macau and ran away with five Champion Jockey titles.
He rode with considerable success when he returned to Australia before becoming a mentor to apprentices until realising that working for Racing Victoria was just not for him.
Not exactly hurting for a quid after investing his winnings wisely and staying married to the one woman- Andrea- Johnno is the thinking man’s jockey.
Sometimes he’s so quiet one doesn’t even knows he’s there. But he is, observing it all and probably chuckling to himself at all the crap he hears. He’s seen and heard it all.
Frankly, he could write a book on some of us and our adventures in Macau when the place was still a Portuguese enclave and riders and trainers included Tony Ives, Geoff Allendorff, Peter Leyshan, Gary Moore, Sammy Hyland, David Taggart, Stevie Arnold etc etc.
These days, he’s the manager of a newbie Syndicate that races the galloper Sebastian The Fox who raced at Morphetville last Saturday and came eleventh- beaten around eighteen lengths. Good friend David Taggart is more than happy to mention this.
Ask Johnno about the run and he’ll tell you that the run was “encouraging” and how the galloper is “looking for further”. Maybe three miles.
The former Magic Man also heads up a fledgling punters club.
Again, comprising some enthusiastic members, the club is making, well, steady progress having returned a profit of around $200 after something like six years of being together.
One cannot stop progress.
Right, Johnno?
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From Living Legends...
There is much to love about Pakistan Star and our weekly visits from Ben. Pakistan Star's strong chemistry with people was demonstrated when Ben, our regular Wednesday visitor, walked up to Pakistan Star’s fence. Ben is on the autism spectrum and nonverbal. Ben has a set routine that he likes to follow with a small number of horses he bonds with and allows into his inner circle. Pakistan Star approached and linked up with Ben, welcoming each other into their inner circles. It's early days with lots to learn about Pakistan Star, but clearly there is lots to love.
