John Tapp Racing

John Hutchings was one of the most gifted country jockeys of his generation. Between the mid 1960’s and mid 1990’s John rode 1470 winners and won nine jockey’s apprenticeships, three of them while still an apprentice. Now in retirement at Grafton, he was happy to reminisce on the podcast. John says he’s not much heavier than he was at the end of his riding career. He talks of his Grafton property...

As this podcast goes onto the website Chris Alford is closing in on an astonishing 7650 career wins which include 124 Gr 1’s. To put those figures into perspective we should look at the Australian riding record held by NSW jockey Robert Thompson who retired last year with a record of 4447 wins. He’d been riding for 48 years and was 63 years old when he quit the saddle. Chris Alford is approaching...

We introduce a hard working Queensland jockey who more than holds his own in the fiercely competitive Brisbane riding ranks. Michael reflects on a milestone win at a recent Gold Coast meeting- his 700th since his riding career began under amazing circumstances. Michael acknowledges the emergence of young trainer Indiana Turner who was in the winner’s circle for the first time. The jockey says he h...

Great to catch up with Bill Prain who called it quits in 2018 when his great friend and valued client Fred Peisah succumbed to illness. Bill had been adamant for some time that he’d retire if ever Fred left the racing industry. He talks of Peisah’s unwavering loyalty over three decades. Now in retirement on the Gold Coast, Bill says he’s still an avid race watcher. He talks of childhood days in Pa...

With the 2022 Inglis Easter Sale upon us we thought it timely to chat with long time vendor John Muir. The former high profile car dealer runs Milburn Creek, a boutique breeding farm at Wildes Meadow on the Southern Highlands. John begins by talking about the 2018 sale of the landmark Muir’s Motors  dealership on Parramatta Rd. Ashfield.  John reveals that his late father Les Muir had predicted th...

Great to catch up with Robert Morris, one of Australia’s busiest harness racing drivers. The thirty year old has driven 100 winners or more on NSW tracks for the past ten seasons. Rob’s wife Kerry Ann trains a 50 horse team at Menangle, and is already a two time premiership winner. She takes her horses where they have the best chance of earning prize money. Robert talks of his role as Kerry Ann’s...

When Colin Little walked away from his Caulfield training base late last year, he knew that retirement wasn’t too far away. He intended to keep training at Pakenham in the immediate future, but an ironic twist of fate intervened. Early in March he made the snap decision to relinquish his licence. He joins us on the podcast to explain the reason for his hasty departure.  Colin talks of his attachme...

Bob Lapointe was just 26 years old and didn’t know a soul when he arrived in Australia in 1967. Within a few years he’d become the king of fast food dining in this country. He ventured into varied business interests including horse racing. It wasn’t long before he was leaving his mark on the turf. We caught up with Bob at his beloved Muskoka Farm which he established more than fifty years ago. Wit...

Gary Kliese has been a fixture on the Skychannel service from NSW northern tracks for 23 years. He was appointed and tutored by Graham McNeice who remains his greatest supporter. Gary begins by sharing his sadness about the recent flooding which has seriously impacted his hometown of Ballina. He remembers the fateful phone call to Graham McNeice which resulted in a career after race riding.  He ta...

Great to catch up with the popular Kembla Grange trainer who is enjoying a magical ride with Think It Over, the horse rated by many as Australia’s most improved galloper. He begins by heaping praise on Kembla Grange as a training centre, but doesn’t dismiss the possibility of a move to town if the right opportunity comes along. Kerry talks of Think It Over’s first win for the stable in a Cl 2 at H...

Great to catch up with 88 year old Brian Forrester, one of the elite harness drivers of his generation. NZ born Forrester learned his craft from master Christchurch trainer George Noble before going on to work for several leading horsemen. He fondly remembers his first winning drive at Blenheim, and his initial metro win at Addington. Brian pays tribute to two close relatives who emerged from Worl...

We present a replay of one of our favourite interviews from the early days of the website. Our guest is that great raconteur Johnny Letts whose stellar riding career brought him 2300 wins including two Melbourne Cups. John talks of his recovery from some serious health issues. John reminisces about his twenty one years as post race interviewer for two networks over the four days of the Melbourne C...

This is a podcast for older racing enthusiasts and for younger fans who are simply curious about the deeds of previous generations. I’ve always been aware that a man called Lou Robertson was one helluva horse trainer, but I really didn’t know why history has treated him so kindly. Lou’s grandson David Robertson knows the story better than anyone and is happy to share it with us. David explains his...

Maddie Raymond has been training in her own right for just two years but has already given notice that she has arrived in the Victorian training ranks. A Gr 3 with Earlswood, a Gr 2 with Turaath and a sequence of country Cups with Wentwood have brought her under notice in recent months. Maddie joins us on the podcast to talk about her journey with horses, from Warrnambool pony club to racing’s big...

We catch up with Bryan Guy who called time on his training career recently when Gold Coast developers secured his training property at Bundall. Bryan explains his decision to retire earlier than expected. He talks of his twenty two year training partnership with son Daniel. Should Daniel not proceed Bryan is acutely aware that the Guy training dynasty will evaporate. The 67 year old goes back to e...

Great to catch up with the young jockey who’s been breaking records since his career began in NZ  in 2007. James begins by assessing the merits of Coolangatta’s win in the recent Magic Millions. He says he hasn’t yet committed to the Golden Slipper ride. He talks of the enviable choice of rides he has in the Gr 1 Lightning Stakes between Nature Strip and Home Affairs. James explains that Nature St...

Nobody was happier than Jean Van Overmeire when the NSW adult population hit the 80% double vaccinated mark last October. It meant the hard working jockey was able to get out of Sydney and ride wherever he wanted. Jean talks of a rapid increase in his workload. He talks of his busy trackwork schedule at Randwick and other city tracks. The expat South African looks back on the shock offer he receiv...

Regular Sky Racing watchers are familiar with the striking cerise and white racing colours of legendary WA owner/breeder Bob Peters. Those colours are seen in the winner’s circle at Ascot and Belmont on a regular basis. Bob’s strike rate in major WA races has been extraordinary. He shares with us his journey from the tiny wheatbelt town of Dalwallinu to his current ranking as the world’s 4th most...

Great to catch up with Bathurst based harness horseman Mat Rue who at age 32 is already nearing 1000 career driving wins. He begins by acknowledging the brilliant win by his favourite Fouroeight in the recent Shirley Turnbull Memorial. Mat talks of his admiration for Fouroeight who shattered his pelvis as a 3YO. Mat says the gelding’s attitude to racing is astonishing. He talks of a handful of spe...

Great to catch up with top Victorian lightweight jockey Dean Yendall who’s feeling a little sorry for himself at the moment. Dean talks about the frustrations of endless weeks in a neck brace. He’s grateful no surgery was required. Dean reflects on the Terang fall that put him out of business just before Xmas. He says his mount Saintly Rose had the race won when she went sideways. He talks of his...

Ian begins by looking back on his emotion- charged final day of calling at Gosford in 2009.  He recalls his final metropolitan race call at Randwick just five days earlier. The former ace broadcaster talks about the post racing life of retired callers like Bryan Martin and Greg Miles. Ian talks of school days at Sydney Grammar, and the difficulties associated with having the same name as a previou...

In keeping with our nostalgia format over the holiday break, here comes one of our favourite podcasts from 2019 with much loved Sydney media icon Graham McNeice. At the time this interview was recorded, Shadow had just finished his latest documentary The Masters Apprentice- the career of legendary jockey mentor Theo Green. He says the doco had been twenty years in the making. Graham explains how a...

The former outstanding Randwick trainer talks about his introduction to horses at an Oatley riding school, and his interest in becoming an apprentice jockey.  Bob recalls that his interview with Tommy Smith was arranged by his father’s friend Arthur Davies, better known as Channel 9’s Clarence The Clocker. He looks back on 40 winners as an apprentice- most trained by his master, and all on metropo...

The former trailblazing jockey talks of her childhood involvement with horses in the Brisbane suburb of Ascot. Pam remembers how she bristled when trying to lead a racehorse onto Eagle Farm racecourse before having to hand it over to a male. She recalls her first battle- the right to ride trackwork. Eventually she got the authorities to agree to the staging of ladies races only. Pam talks of the h...

Peter begins by talking about the Central Coast stationary business he started with wife Donna after quitting the saddle in 2005. They’ve opened the doors again after the endless covid closure. Peter talks of his love for the NSW central coast where he learned to ride on a local dairy farm. He remembers the school teacher who encouraged him to consider an apprenticeship as a jockey.   Peter recall...