WHERE ARE THE NEW RACING PERSONALITIES…ACTUALLY WITH PERSONALITIES?
It’s about personalities. In any industry, especially sports, they are the torchbearers. The image builders. Who are the personalities in horse racing- not the riders and the trainers and the owners, but those promoting the game other than the usual suspects on Twitter, who often get scary?
There are plenty of Yesterday’s People around who’ve very quickly lost their relevance, and lost their choppers, meaning they’ve lost their bite, and are human versions of elevator Muzak. Jeez, even that grand old man of Australian racing Shaneo has quickly become the invisible man and seems content to tow the corporate line leaving his old bro Wayno to carry the can.
And then there’s Gareth Hall. Though there is quite a big divide between those who really can’t take The Voice of Perth’s TAB Radio for more than five minutes, he’s won us over. Who?
Well, being on TAB Radio, which recently has been hit by a number of technical gremlins and is mainly heard by those in Western Australia and alien to most Eastsiders, Gareth Hall, below, formerly with Sky, who initially reminded us of an excited chihuahua, has grown on us. It’s kinda like ignoring a dog constantly humping your leg.
He’s still all over the place, guffaws at his own jokes, talks over almost everyone including the recent interview with Marvin “Monty” Roberts aka The Horse Whisperer, who we swear said he’d been knighted, Hall is enthusiastic, he’s knowledgeable and he has something to say about everything in a voice that’s reminiscent of an Okker Terry “Del Boy” Trotter, below from “Only Fools And Horses.” He’s entertaining in an odd way.
Speaking of fools and horses, despite some thinking he’s a bit of a loose cannon, Matt Stewart, one of the old brigade, might say a few silly things, but is probably the only person in the Australian racing media with the gonads to question and go “Hmmm” to a few sacred cows.
Looking at the future, a real young future star for racing is also in Perth- Brittany Taylor- well-spoken, knowledgeable, engaging, a fashionista, a very very good presenter, and the best when conducting post race interviews. She should be snapped up by any major racing club- IF the girl is willing to leave home.
EXCLUSIVE PHOTO!!! THE MAN FROM THE NORTH AND THE SLOTS FROM TEAM EVEREST!
MIA: Nash Rawiller.
There’s no point asking us or Zac or anyone in Hong Kong where he is, because we simply don’t know what’s going on with our old friend. With his passport apparently still with the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Gnasher must still be in Hong Kong. Yes? No?
With the recent passing of passionate racing man, close friend and astute barrister Kevin Egan, who was part of the legal team looking after Nash, there’s absolutely no one we can ask about the jockey who’s very unfortunately facing a worldwide ban of fifteen months.
THE COSMO CONNECTION
A tip to those new to the Hong Kong riding ranks: Stay well away from anyone named Cosmo and turn down all invitations to meet at the Emperor hotel, especially in its karaoke lounge. Yes, the name is Cosmo.
KEEPING TABS ON JOAO IN JAPAN…
Summary of the showdown in Sapporo after Round 1 (Saturday) Lemaire today : 174112 and has 8 rides on Sunday Morerira today :1132721 and has 9 rides on Sunday Trebles to both Jockeys today, expect more fireworks on Sunday! #freemoney pic.twitter.com/YC5Lcu2KyA — G (@LongBallToNoOne) July 28, 2018
LADY GAI GAI THROWS BRODIE A KIRBY BALL…MAYBE.
Guess it’s both surprising and good for inexperienced WA apprentice Brodie Kirby to receive a call up from the dynamic duo of Adrian Bolt and Gai Waterhouse. It’s good for the 22-year-old’s curriculum vitae. Isn’t it?
Let’s just hope that the call up helps Kirby more than it did a stint with the lady trainer for Chris Caserta and a few other young riders. We hope it works out for the the young rider but we’re not holding our collective Falcon Island breaths. Anyone else watch the run of the Bolt-Waterhouse-trained Falcon Island at Rosehill yesterday which led, went like the clappers before falling into a rabbit hole with Alice like most of the stable’s recent batch of runners.
PARTING SHOT
Is there really any point in interviewing good old “Weiry”, that great knockabout bloke who’s such a straight shooter about the chances of his horses on a race day? Anyone kept score of the win rate of his “tips”? Why should he even bother unless it’s a $1.60 pop? The man certainly train and knows what jockeys suit his runners, so can we just let him get on with his business? His “information” only confuses the grey matter.
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