Henry ‘Boyd’ Gageler

Featured Image: Boyd Gageler at Muswellbrook Races on Sunday 5^th November 2017

Today (30/04/19) I was approached by the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association (HTBA) if I could supply some information about a possible nomination for the Annual Presidents’ Award to be bestowed at the Annual HTBA Dinner on Wednesday 8^th May 2019. It was discovered that the person cited had already received the honor; in 1994! I thought about it. I came up with a ‘far left-field’ nomination of the oldest continuous thoroughbred breeder and trainer in the Upper Hunter Valley.

Still active Boyd Gageler (he was always known by that tag) would have been almost 97! I’d known him and spouse Francie for over 50 years. I ‘googled’ him and came up with a number of strikes of which the following is perhaps the best? I then thought I’d call Tommy Ollerton to make sure Boyd was still with us? Tommy immediately informed me his memorial service was in Muswellbrook tomorrow (Wednesday 1^st May 2019)! So much for poignant telepathy!

Boyd would have made an excellent choice in my opinion. His genre has largely disappeared from the racing scene in the Upper Hunter combining a dairy farm as well as breeding and training your own. He would have made a stark contrast to recent ‘heavyweight’ recipients; but now we will never know? What I do know and most don’t is that Boyd generously contributed a debenture when I was trying to raise funds for the final construction of what is now the selling-ring grandstand at White Park, Scone. In the late 1970s it was the main grandstand for the races. My first major task as new President of the Scone Race Club (1978) was to propel finalisation of the project. We only had just over half the funds required! Boyd and few other mainly smaller breeders supplied the requisite finances.

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John Messara AM Longines Award

It doesn’t come any bigger than this in the world of Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding. Not long ago John gegan his career with a tentative start at Middlebrook Park and ‘Rancher’. It escalated exponentially from there via ‘Dalmacia’ (at ‘Bhima’ with David Bath, Jim Fleming and David Kendall), Arrowfield (Jerrys Plains) and the eponymous latter at Segenhoe Valley.

It’s oft claimed in an overworked cliché that the definition of an expert in the thoroughbred world is someone who’s guessed right; at least once! John has been intimately associated with at least four champion thoroughbred stallions: Danehill (imp), Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur and Snitzel. They’re very good guesses!

April 12 2019 – 9:40AM Scone Advocate Facebook

https://www.sconeadvocate.com.au/story/6033812/john-messara-honoured-for-lifelong-contribution-to-racing/?cs=1533&fbclid=IwAR3d4XazBzCK8v9V1Zrrnx4rxEZy8o1WHHNEQautpVkPoXUi7GFvj-R7FBk

Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara receives the 2019 Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit

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INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION: Longines Brand Manager of Australia Amelia Michael, John Messara, IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet and IFHA Vice-Chairmen, Asia Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.

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Betty Shepherd: 88 not out

Local racing icon Betty Shepherd celebrates her 88th birthday at The Thoroughbred, Scone

Caitlin Reid

April 10 2019 – 4:17PM

https://www.sconeadvocate.com.au/story/6018625/scones-pioneer-trainer-celebrates-88-years/?cs=1533&fbclid=IwAR1mSiF-KGmZMRYmGesZ7wWOVz-tCkasHUQEEj1knocBtmaOFiRxPAe7N3E#slide=1

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Betty Shepherd lungeing the Bletchingly ex Breadline Weanling Colt in May 1978 in the paddock at ‘Trevors’, 11 Phillip Street, Scone

In the background are Archie Shepherd, Sarah Howey, Bert Lillye, Bill Howey (partly obscured), Kirsty Howey (aged 8 months in stroller) and Bruce Shepherd. The colt was sold as a weanling at the Scone May Thoroughbred Sales for $4250:00. He was a full brother to ‘Bakerman’ sold the previous year for $3600:00 and raced successfully as ‘Nioka Prince’. He later stood as a sire at Jack Johnston’s Tyrone Stud at Scone. Both ‘Bakerman’ and ‘Nioka Prince’ were flashy chestnuts with silver mane and tail although both sire and dam were brown.

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Scone Patriotic Race Club 1941

Featured Image: St Aubins Race Track ‘hosted’ most of the war-time race meetings

Acknowledge: Harley Walden and ‘The Spirit Within’

All comparisons are odious; but they do reveal some intriguing insights! The $2 million Scone Cup meeting for 2019 is just around the corner. It was an entirely different scenario for the Scone Patriotic Race Club’s meeting on Saturday 29^th November 1941. In the midst of WWII it must have been an extremely ‘patriotic’ time because meetings with a similar appellation were held at Murrurundi, Wingen, Moonan Flat, Woolooma, Stewart’s Brook, Gundy, Aberdeen, Muswellbrook, Denman and Jerry’s Plains.

The report in the Scone Advocate of the meeting is quite revealing.  There were some interesting side issues. A horse called ‘Snip’ won the feature double and owner-rider Arthur Holman rode a treble. The latter actually won four races but was relegated to second after a protest was lodged in Race 3, the 3 furlong First Class Scrubbers, by the rider of ‘Amusement’ who was placed 1^st. ‘Snip’ was a star of the circuit in those days. He was at least 16 years old and by the ex-Kia Ora stallion ‘Legionnaire’ out of ‘Speedy Mag’ by Magpie. In his day he was a Randwick winner and raced as ‘Le Faire’.

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Scone Cup Reflections

Featured Image: The final racetrack appearance of Gunsynd on Scone Cup Day in May 1973

I was manning the gate that day; as young committeemen were expected to do in those days. In my view this was the high point in a long association with the Scone Race Club and Scone Cup. Just after ‘Gunsynd’ had paraded a young fan left the course. He said to me; “I can die happy now I’ve seen him in the flesh. I can drive home now.” “Where’s home” I enquired? “Far North Queensland” he replied. He had driven some 2000km to be at Scone and was going straight back! We had barely enough room to fit him in! This was the largest crowd ever assembled at White Park; in my time at least. We were almost squeezing excited patrons through the gates. The very recent ‘Randwick Farewell to Winx’ recalled these memories. There are some valid comparisons.

Acknowledge: Harley Walden ‘Sixty Years of Scone Cups’ and Brain Russell Bloodstock Review

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Featured Image: Jerrys Plains Amateur Race Club Grassfed Meeting Saturday 3rd October 1908

Description

This image was scanned from items held in the Morrison Family Collection, held by Cultural Collections at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

If you would like to comment on the photograph, please contact us or leave a Recollection using these instructions.

Subject Horse Racing Jerrys Plains (N.S.W.) Date16th April 1910 Sourcehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/8245329893/

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Jerrys Plains Jockey Club

Featured Image: Jerrys Plains Amateur Race Club Saturday 16^th April 1910

Description

This image was scanned from items held in the Morrison Family Collection, held by Cultural Collections at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

If you would like to comment on the photograph, please contact us or leave a Recollection using these instructions.

Subject Horse Racing Jerrys Plains (N.S.W.) Date16th April 1910 Sourcehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/8245329893/

The Jerrys Plains Jockey Club held a meeting on Saturday 8^th June 1946. Five races were contested comprising a Maiden (4 furlongs), Flying Handicap (6 furlongs), Restricted Handicap (5 furlongs), Charities Handicap (6 furlongs) and a Victory March Handicap of 5 furlongs. ‘Temerity’ ridden by L Duncombe won both the Flying (Race 2) and the Victory March (Race 5). It appears only about 8 or 10 horses actually competed. The names of the jockeys were Duncombe (2 wins), Thompson (2 wins), Holman, Smith and Ward (1 win). The names of the races suggest a ‘patriotic’ fervour celebrating the Allied Victory in WWII?

The Bowman family of ‘Strowan’ were very prominent locally and may well have driven all the action?

See also Jerrys Plains Amateur Race Club Grassfed Meeting in the next ‘blog’.

Anyone for Ladies Cricket?

Featured Image: Ladies cricket teams from Moonan Flat and Stewarts Brook in fancy dress; acknowledge State Library of NSW Archive

I discovered this fabulous photograph while researching something else entirely about Moonan Flat and Stewarts Brook Races. It appears the erudite ladies of the district might have had better things to do while the bibulous menfolk were elsewhere racing, gambling and other pursuits; just musing?

There is no doubt the ladies of the area are innovative with the Arts having established the Moonan Mummers Ensemble?

Can anyone identify the team members plus time, place and date?

Moonan Flat Races 1941

Featured Image: Victoria Arms Hotel, Moonan Flat. The pub was the ultimate destination for any unfinished business at the end of the day; or a last resort?

‘All Heights Racing’ Saturday 18^th January 1941

The fixture held at “Cundy’s Flat”, where the course, on a well-drained and grassed flat in the bend of the Hunter, is a beautiful and safe stretch, flanked on one side by a stream and stately oaks, is a delightful setting.

The feature race was the Victoria Hotel Handicap of 3 furlongs. The winner was C M Osmond’s ‘Colleen Boy’ ridden by R Windred carrying 12 stone at 3-1 on from ‘Swift’ 2^nd (9 stone) and ‘Sweet Betty’ 3^rd (9 stone).

Jockey Jurd had a ‘field day’ winning on G Clark’s ‘Boomerang’, Don Smith’s ‘Jen’, Ivan White’s ‘Rainbow’ and a double on ‘Snip’ also owned by Ivan White.

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Wingen Patriotic Races 26^th December 1940

Acknowledge: The Scone Advocate; Friday 3^rd January 1941

Featured Image: Recent Wingen Round Up including a North American

‘ring in’

Learn to expect the unexpected in Wingen! On Boxing Day 1940 the Wingen Branch of the Scone and District Patriotic Fund conducted a race meeting on a track at ‘Petwyn Vale’ which was placed at the disposal of the committee by Mr F W Croaker. Petwyn Vale is an historic estate once the property of Sir Samuel Hordern.

The meeting comprised a bill of fare of 14 races with the first race commencing at 11 o’clock. All classes were catered for and with plenty of shade trees on the ground patrons had the opportunity to make the day a picnic outing.

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