Tales and Thoughts of Yesteryear.

spinking · January 10

I met the great man once. When he brought what I reckon would have been his last horse to WA. See who is the first to come up with its name?

bookielover · January 10

STG, I'm from Melbourne.,and we were never involved in W.A. racing.

I was doing some business in Perth in 1989 and went to the races, and trots and cannington and Mandurah, which I why I have fond memories of meeting some really nice blokes among the bookie ranks in Lucky Khalaf always wanting to have a chat because he knew a few Melbourne bookies quite well, and in particular Bob Howatt.

Poor Bob, never smoked a day in his life and passed away from lung cancer. What an absolute gentleman.

spinking · January 10

Pretty handy footballer in his day to boot Bookie

bookielover · January 10

Markovina, yes, he was an unusual man, however, yet another who was merciless when it came to the racing game. What he did to his own flesh and blood says it all. When his biography came out, he wrote glowingly about Pat, as he should have.

A lot of those big trainers at the time were merciless. Colin Hayes was nick named sugar lips. Everything that came out of his mouth was sweet, but you couldn't trust any of it.

George Hanlon, tight as a fishes posterior,and not a big communicator.

Robert Smerdon, very personable, trained some horses for me, declared one one day and it shIte in. The horse wasn't much good so I reckon it's fair to say that that which he was doing when he got caught wasn't the first time he'd done it.

Angus Armanasco. My father in law bought a property off him. That was an interesting experience. Great trainer, They usually saluted when he said they would.

A more recent one, well in the last 20 years, anyway, Rick Hore Lacey. Big punter. Had $10,000 on Redoubts Choice in the 1999 Blue Diamond with, as I recollect it, Alan Cleary a rails bookie at the time.He was a very unusual man, who had an amazing run with some really good horses. Canny Lad comes to mind.

JayJay · January 10

spinking said:
Pretty handy footballer in his day to boot Bookie

Terrific fellow Bob...he made two mistakes in his career......playing for the bloody Munchers and accepting Laurie Connell's bets on Rocket Racer.

spinking · January 10

Could have halved that equation JJ if he played for the mighty black ducks

sonny · January 10

Hi Markovina, Foreman for the trainer who won the Rosehill Guineas with Ring Joe(J. Marshall) and Bounding Away and Diamond Shower were the placegetters..

sonny · January 10

Was it Stormy Rex, Spinking or later...

spinking · January 10

Later Sonny

curmudgeon · January 10

Think I have mentioned this before but one raceday experience I never forgot was walking through the betting ring one Karrakatta day working hard on the racebook form. Looked up and a metre away from me were Sugarlips Hayes , Cliff Fahler & Bob Hawke all wearing big cowboy hats and walking around like they owned the joint....Fahler had the fav...can't remember its name but it never got warm.

curmudgeon · January 10

Was Bottled Sunshine the horse spinking ?

spinking · January 10

No Curmudgeon

savethegame · January 10

Lloyds gold or boy?

spinking · January 10

Nope sorry STG

savethegame · January 10

B.Lover just the Vital & palfresco story started in melb. i couldn't do the story justice ,they travelled by boat to fremantle on M.V.Manunda,the team of three horses was trained at ascot for two weeks prior to going to kalgoorlie- sensastional story 20,000 pounds was won.

No doubt you would have been aware of your father in-law Angus Armanasco was born in boulder 1912. read article when Boulder went wild when Angus won the boulder cup 1930 on Knight Commander. The reason for the jubilation was the fact he was ridden by outstanding Apprentice who was taking W.A. racing by storm a former boulder boy making a apperance at the round..

Angus became the first apprentice to win the jockeys premiership,in W.A. at the stables of Maurice Hennessy--whose other apprentice at the time was Gerry Oliver---Rays dad and Damien Olivers g/father.

thefalcon · January 10

talking of angus armanasco, he was a great mate of dads, one of his best pals. BL this is where it gets interesting, dad used to stay with angus at times. i found an old diary with his address in it..

34 Booran rd. caulfield....be uncanny if it was the house your pa-in-law bought.

the same book has bert bryants family names...wife molly and children greg, stephan and suzanne.

bert and his wife stayed with us on one visit...i think that might have been the time they met up with jack davey, went to tatts for a game of billiads, happened to wander into the games room and were not seen until late morning the next day...i think they left jack there...he was a victim.

sonny · January 10

Give us a clue Spinking.. Please...

savethegame · January 10

A winner never quits--Quitter never wins so he who never quits will always win. Seen that on football club wall. yer spin king gives another quarter.

savethegame · January 10

Trying to kick one from the wing Indias Dream.

spinking · January 10

Good passage of play kicking one from there STG. Straight thru the middle good kick

SLIPPERGOLDEN · January 10

curmudgeon said:

sonny said:
Great horse and not a bad jockey.. Vain???. The King was my pick....

Yes...Vain ....P Hyland. If you click on the pic it takes you to a 10 min youtube piece.

As a junior living in Victoria I was fortunate to see Vain in action. That posted photo of Vain looks like the poster pic from Racetrack magazine.

thefalcon · January 11

again talking of AA, his brother Joe trained here in WA.

i stand corrected , but i think he trained Just Dave that Graham Aistrope was riding when he had his fatal fall.

Markovina · January 11

Keith Watson - who was a top notch jockey - and i read on this forum - tragically passed away recently

Anyhow - many many many years ago - i went to an Ascot midweek meeting - i was giving the Pro Punt a go - my preferred bet - was standing out trifectas multiple - 30 or 40 times - get the mathematics at work etc

At this meeting Keith Watson was riding a George Way trained horse - he did a bit of riding for George - mainly top weights - Keith might have had a weight issue at that time etc

The horse he was riding was about 7/4 fave ( no certainty ) but it was the one i stood out to win in all my trifectas

Anyhow im watching the race - Watsons horse came with its run - 50-60 metres from the finishing line it hit the lead full of running - put down the glasses this thing is home - beautiful - nice collect coming up here

When all of a sudden - it lost total momentum - like it was in quick sand - and this thing got up on its inside and beat it by about a neck

About 200-300 lined the mounting yard - and there was a pretty ugly demonstration - so i went down their - and i will never forget this - i looked at George Way - and George had pale skin - but honestly he was as white as a ghost - and in total shock like everyone - so i thought to myself - George hasnt had anything to do with this - hah

But at the stewards Inquiry Keith Watson was pretty upfront - a bit like Higgins on Hyperno in the Moonee Valley Cup - look i got overconfident - had a brain fade - dropped my hands - and as a result got beat - but he did get suspended

bookielover · January 11

Falcon, My father in law bought an investment property that Angus owned, not Angus' home. My FIL ran his business from that property for 55 years.

Just on Bob Howatt, he told me about those bets on Rocket Racer. He didn't think the horse could win, so much so, that he laid Connell another $7,000/4,000 as Laurie was on his way to watch the race.

As I've said my memory is not what it was, but I think Bob's initial bet was $70,000/40,000 or somewhere around that amount. If anyone has better information, I'm happy to be corrected. But that last 7/4 bet I definitely remember.

Bob was a great form student, and he was probably right about RR not being able to win on its merits. Unfortunately, he was dealing with a crook.

Manchild · January 11

Markovina , the horse that beat it was called The Director (Vern Brockman )

spinking · January 11

Do you remember the name of Hollywoods horse Manchild?

Rex · January 12

Manchild said:
Markovina , the horse that beat it was called The Director (Vern Brockman )

George say's he can remember the day but not the horses name. He was livid at the time.

Manchild · January 12

No , but they backed it like there was no settling. I was on the winner

savethegame · January 12

Seems Football was a way of getting a extra quid.---If you were good enough,or to get out the manure.

For a quite few years have had heard about the legend & the greatness plus his uncanny ability to graft a quid. by any means--- one--- Jack Harmer Broadstock. played VIC.& S.A. state teams

Mainly based on his Goldfields Stint.---

1948 SEASON AT BOULDER (TIGERS).CAPTAIN COACH

By reading old articles & quite lot in put from old tigers players,& sons of players.

Jack Broadstock started in adelaide colts kadina 36,- then 37 colts South Adelaide.

He played in 1943 premiership for richmond in the centre---under Jack Dyer who at one time rated Broadstock the best player he had ever seen.He had given Dyer two headaches prior to the grand final, breaking a drinking curfew, plus the second one he was arrested at the ground by the military police prior to grand final for being A.W.O.L.-Dyer had to do some persuasive talking to his commanding officer.to grant permission for him to play.

He was always on the move 1947 he helped get West Adelaide into grand final which they won,first for 20 years he was suspend after preliminary final for hacking.got three weeks

Broadstock flew into town Mar. --------Boulder 1948 ,started training no balls were used for number of sessions except the two he carried in sprints, that he would pelt at the last two players heads in sprinting from one end of the ground to the other.they soon reckoned a cigarette paper covered the group.

Residential Qualifications rule of 13 weeks plus, after that still had to serve remaining two weeks of the adelaide suspension.before he could play.G.N.F.L

But gambling was him totally.. But when things went bad on the punt, he was always looking at ways for a fill-up. Consensus of opinion was that there was no smarter football brain----or smarter brain to organise a result.

Boulder finished up premiers in.A& B he coached both. -----A grade lost only one game for the season against arch rivals mines who had won the two previous premierships.

Club had obtained him a job underground,lasted a week-- could make more outta punting was his comment---.So was given a job in S.P.betting shop offsider ---Alleged story football season well & truly underway.

Broadstock left in charge S.P.shop,with help of accomplice pumped the lot off with other bookies in the area.

So the square-up evidently.happened to be the only game boulder lost for the season,There was.a Slav,& the accomplice, went around the twin towns backing Mines any amount , what people wanted to bet.even- diehard mines supporters, put cash down no way they could beat boulders.

So game day Non -Inclusion of four of Boulders best R.Jones( who the following season was voted best rover in V.F.L was one) Laffin Carmody Ruddick.Plus Broadstock reported.he was handicapped by fractured ribs he received from a hard bump in opening stages.

Mines won by 4 points.

Broadstock was named captain coach of GOLDFIELDS Side to play- SOUTH FREMANTLE.

Highlight of the game was Bernie Naylor kicking one from the centre,in his six goals.Story goes Broadstock next quarter roughly went back extra 1/2 metre further then Naylor and kicked a goal.towards hospital end.

Goldfields was seventeen points up at half-time. Broadstock was voted best goldfields player.

But at halftime the old accomplice was going around backing South Fremantle for any amount the punters wanted to have on the goldfields-------. South Fremantle won by 16 pts.

Broadstuck was part-owner of horse that landed a huge plunge at northam was trained in legendary goldfields stables of Ted &Ken Mcinnes- who landed plunges across the state..

South Melbourne found the goldfields happy hunting ground with recruiting players, had lobbed three champions Brum O'Meara---Bluey Beard---Bluey Richards.prior.

Broadstock got Boulders Dick Jones to sign up with south melb.declares his another dick harris who was legendary richmond rover. Jones thought he might have needed another year.Broadstock said your ready--- plus i got three hundred pounds for you.

Broadstock at one stage done a stretch for being a illegal bookmaker.

He was only in goldfields a year sure left his mark with the locals on all fronts.

SLIPPERGOLDEN · January 12

spinking said:
Do you remember the name of Hollywoods horse Manchild?

Hollydoll Girl or Par Valis ????

G'day Punter!

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