Tales and Thoughts of Yesteryear.

Manchild · January 12

Neither , it was a colt or gelding . Hollydoll Girl I think was trained by Dave Edwards ,raced in Mutiplex colours. was a couple of years later.

savethegame · January 12

Another miracle x3 preferred, vain marceau,.good morgan. thought they were top shelf. also thought hollydoll was named after his daughter.

Remember horse going to melb. sure it was the bite. stopped at kalg. for a gallop wasn't happy with its work, lady removed her stockings there and then for a tongue tie,and sent it out again

.Rex ask if he can remember that

Rex · January 12

savethegame said:
Another miracle x3 preferred, vain marceau,.good morgan. thought they were top shelf. also thought hollydoll was named after his daughter.

Remember horse going to melb. sure it was the bite. stopped at kalg. for a gallop wasn't happy with its work, lady removed her stockings there and then for a tongue tie,and sent it out again

.Rex ask if he can remember that

Yes correct.

Rex · January 12

Manchild said:
Neither , it was a colt or gelding . Hollydoll Girl I think was trained by Dave Edwards ,raced in Mutiplex colours. was a couple of years later.

George trained Hollydoll Girl before Edwards.

spinking · January 12

George's daughter was named Holly. Pretty sure Hollydoll girl had a exhibition gallop or trial at Mount Barker and Brash son raced there the same day. Or the other way round. Makes you wonder why one had the trial or exhibition gallop ? .

spinking · January 12

That Jack Broadstock story should have been made into a movie STG . Certainly a unique character

bookielover · January 12

STG,

I have a football story.

Bob Pratt,was a great South Melbourne Footballer. Jack"skinny" Titus, was a great Richmond footballer back in the 1930's.

I knew Bob and Skinny really well. They both loved a bet, particularly Bob who never missed a race meeting.

They would both attend the Victorian Club on settling days, and ten or twelve of us would sit around for an hour, before the Solo card game started,and that was in itself, a huge game.

Anyway, one day, around 1969 as I recall it, the subject of the 1933 grand final for which Richmond were hot favourites, but were beaten by the Swans, came up.

Pratt was waxing lyrical about the game, and how they went into it confident that they could beat the hot faves.

All of a sudden, Skinny said, "I can't Fkn cop listening to this anymore. You wouldn't have come within 10 goals of us, if you didn't have some help". Pratt was stunned, and said, "what are you fkn talkin about help. What fkn help.'

Skinny replied, "4 of us were dead on the day including me" John Wren paid us 50 quid each to pull up".

Pratt and I should say, the rest of the table were pretty taken aback, and Skinny then went into some detail as to how the whole thing came about.

South Melbourne won the game by 7 goals with Pratt kicking 3 goals, but Titus, the tigers full forward, kicked none and Jack Dyer was ineffective.

Titus further explained to me as I was the youngest sitting there at the time, that the country was in the middle of a deep depression and 50.00 pounds was a fortune at a time when unemployment was rife, and those that had a job were getting paid peanuts.

He said you could buy a house in a suburb not far from the city for a 100 quid, as people who had mortgages could not afford to pay them, would vacate the house, and the banks would sell them in a fire sale. And that's what the 50 quid enabled him to do.

Wren, who was huge SP bookie in the 1890's and who was responsible for both rigging races and some huge plunges on his horses including Murmur which won the 1904 Caulfield Cup, and who owned festival hall in Melbourne, won a stack off the SP bookies who bet heavily on the football at the time.

VillageKid · January 13

Was Wren mixed up with Collingwood as well back then BL?

spinking · January 13

If there was 12 of you sitting Round the table that day Bookie , I reckon 11 jaws would have been on the floor as the story was told. The only jaw not being on the floor belonging to Skinny

savethegame · January 13

B.L. That was a huge play esp. G.F. thought that would be off limits,but it was era you just had to survive with the stories i have heard & read about.

Only two mobs existed the Needy & the Greedy.

The Goldfields was a mecca for the best horses, jocks,trainers gangsters&,footballers in that period.

B.L. even your mob shared,even after getting fleeced in organised rorts,so gambling was the best short cut.for everyone.

1930 kalgoorlie Boulder gold deal was organised for extra pound per ounce. for next ten years

Slavs Irishmen Italians immigrants brought their inherent gambling nature to the goldfields.

Bookmakers followed the style of the time. Sly operators run within full view of the law,in the streets&.lanes or barber shops out side pubs. You could get a bet with your bookie at his normal venue&when it was time for the law to show its might,it wasn't the bookie that was lumbered but a stooge

This gentleman would make himself very visible on the day he was told,be pinched for illegal betting& fined in court. The penalty would be paid by the bookie & the stooge would be reward with a sling,often equivalent of several month wages,not a bad days work for an out of worker battler doing his best.

Great story------ moniker Jack the Jew. none smarter for day to day living. The Talk was Tip him upsided down wouldn't find a shilling.

But legion has it he went around the world with a five pound note & pair of socks neither were changed.

He done 3 months twice for vagrancy,he would defend himself.His last court apperance Judge layed the law down gave him four months hard labour. His answer was i haven't worked for 51 years '' not starting now''.

spinking · January 13

Geez there is some entertaining anecdotes on this thread.STG my grandfather had a mens clothing store in Kalgoorlie around the the time you speak of above . My great uncle also had a barber shop in Kal at the same time.. I remember reading a story a while back about i think he was a boulder bloke a little while after the time you talk about , i think his name was Eppis from memory who carved out a very good career with Essendon i think

savethegame · January 13

Alec Epis known as the kookaburra. Well liked has never forgotten his roots he makes the effort to attend back to the Goldfields day at Belmont from Melb. Champion will check in
but think he played league at 16-17 won all awards in Kalg and had to stand out footy for 2-3 years some wa/) Vic clearance issue
Never .met the man but his houmor and qui cK wit drove opponents mad hence n/name

bookielover · January 13

VillageKid said:
Was Wren mixed up with Collingwood as well back then BL?

Yes mate. when Collingwood won their four flags in a row, Wren went around to each player and gave them a ten quid sling.

Mightn't seem like a lot, but my grandmother used to go to the Victoria market and buy a whole chicken for sixpence, a loaf of bread for a penny, and fill up on fruit and vegies for another shilling. money went a long way back then, and ten quid was five months wages.

thefalcon · January 13

aren't you all glad i started this thread... ;)

not racing related but in reply to BL's last paragraph..i've got the menu for the Hotel Charle's 1st anniversary of opening..7th june 1956...no, i didn't go (was i born?) mum and dad did. cop this array of prices bearing in mind the charles was a top pub, had artists such as nat king cole, winny attwell..photos on the wall prove it...ok..i'll convert the pre-decimal prices:

lobster cocktail 30c, oyster 40c, filet mignon $1.10, T-bone $1.05, lobster mayonaisse salad 95c, carpet bag steak $1.25...desserts: peach melb 30c, strawberries and cream 40c, fruit salad 30c finally a cheese platter 35c....pharque if you had 3 courses you'd get change out of 2 bucks!!

wonder what the drinks cost and the basic wage....

i think the only wine would be some cheap bubbly...only dagos drank the red stuff, the tables would have been full of beer jugs and packets of craven A and turf ciggies..everyone would be dressed to the 9's.

paraletic · January 13

Would have been a great time to be alive Falc.

thefalcon · January 13

^^^ the basic wage was 12/6/- which is $24.60...so the night at the charles would cost about $7..$4 food + grog...a bit of a hole out of the pay packet of say $30/week.

when dad was broadcasting in the early/mid 50's he was on 25 quid a week..ie $50 which was a VERY good wage. plus as a side he imported sydney rock oysters for the few top restaurants and a few top pubs.

curmudgeon · January 13

I always reckoned the financial opportunity window for the battler narrowed significantly the day the basic unit of our currency the 1 cent piece became worthless.

thefalcon · January 13

so true curmudgeon...14th feb. 1966....the rich got richer & the average joe blow copped it in the pocket...

savethegame · January 14

Reading about that Racing League surely some of them trainers would be gun -shy from what people would think.--Like taking wheat of a blind chook.--The old time stories revolved around the racing stakes being peanuts&survival.

thefalcon · January 14

too right, stg, the stakes were no where near they are today, but i guess all is relative to the day. yep it was all about survival, trying and often succeeding pulling off, not a plunge, but getting a good few quid off the bookies at a decent price.

in those days the apprentices lived with their masters, did all the chores around the stables, mucking, feeding as well as riding trackwork, often when "needed" a bloody heavy work saddle with a few slabs of metal. on "the" day the horse would not know itself with only, say, 7st7lbs on its back.whether it won or not was in the lap of the Gods.

apprentices had sat. nite off to go to "the pictures" and had to be home at a certain time, usually i think @11pm.they had sunday off to see their family, only got pocket money. pretty hard for the kids..imagine doing it these days!!

JayJay · January 14

savethegame said:
Alec Epis known as the kookaburra. Well liked has never forgotten his roots he makes the effort to attend back to the Goldfields day at Belmont from Melb. Champion will check in
but think he played league at 16-17 won all awards in Kalg and had to stand out footy for 2-3 years some wa/) Vic clearance issue
Never .met the man but his houmor and qui cK wit drove opponents mad hence n/name

In 1975 as a young bloke, I was at the round with a couple of horses and met the Epis family. Old Mrs Epis had us all around for a meal......a huge feast, no wonder Alex was a big fella......and then on Kalgoorlie Cup day, she rocked up all frock and hat, in (what I think was) and old Pontiac from the 1950s.....immaculate both her and the car. She was delightful, spending time talking with well attired "casual workers" from Hay Street that took the day off to attend the cup. Alex was a colossus at Essendon.....and he did indeed stand out of footy for a time over clearance issues to get to Essendon. The Goldfields League was very powerful and financial in the 70's. I'll never forget that round......we never won a race, did our shirts and come race 8 on Cup day, pooled our meagre remaining funds to try and get some petrol money to get home. Got tipped a horse by a bookie who must have felt sorry for us ....bloke named Rulyancich or similar.... Horse was Bye Bye Happiness and jockey was Ron Neill.....lost him in the run and was contemplating how we would get back home and then, god bless him, right down the outside, as wide as you could get.....he swamped them, we got 12/1, problem solved and went home with both petrol and a bit of cash in the back pocket. Funny how you recall days like that, I reckon I could even describe the colour of Mrs Epis's hat.

spinking · January 14

No saunas back then either Falcon . I have heard them say if a jock had to lose weight they would cover themselfes with towels amd sit in the old brick manure bine with the lid down. True story

thefalcon · January 14

or dress in warm clothes, go for a run then put a plastic raincoat on and park the car, windows up and in the sun.

i've heard your story too, spink. they'd starve themselves, no controlled diets in those days, no wonder some of them looked very gaunt.

then again some could eat like horses (pun!!) and not put on weight. the late bill (w.a.) smith could eat like a wharfie and still ride at 7st. the late peter o'loghlen was good on the tooth, could eat 3 good meals a day plus snacks...i use to tell him that he must s*it like a bloody budgie...

H-BOMBER · January 14

savethegame said:
Alec Epis known as the kookaburra. Well liked has never forgotten his roots he makes the effort to attend back to the Goldfields day at Belmont from Melb. Champion will check in
but think he played league at 16-17 won all awards in Kalg and had to stand out footy for 2-3 years some wa/) Vic clearance issue
Never .met the man but his houmor and qui cK wit drove opponents mad hence n/name

A relation of mine, still kicking on in Melbourne in his 80s out at Woodend. He has owned the vineyard there and produced wine for at least 20 years (Domaine Epis), still does everything himself. Last i knew he inherited the vineyard out at Kyneton as well from his original partner in wine making Stuart Anderson.

Can talk under water, has a million stories. Havent been there for a while but dad still chats monthly with him.

curmudgeon · January 16

JayJay said:

savethegame said:
Alec Epis known as the kookaburra. Well liked has never forgotten his roots he makes the effort to attend back to the Goldfields day at Belmont from Melb. Champion will check in
but think he played league at 16-17 won all awards in Kalg and had to stand out footy for 2-3 years some wa/) Vic clearance issue
Never .met the man but his houmor and qui cK wit drove opponents mad hence n/name
In 1975 as a young bloke, I was at the round with a couple of horses and met the Epis family. Old Mrs Epis had us all around for a meal......a huge feast, no wonder Alex was a big fella......and then on Kalgoorlie Cup day, she rocked up all frock and hat, in (what I think was) and old Pontiac from the 1950s.....immaculate both her and the car. She was delightful, spending time talking with well attired "casual workers" from Hay Street that took the day off to attend the cup. Alex was a colossus at Essendon.....and he did indeed stand out of footy for a time over clearance issues to get to Essendon. The Goldfields League was very powerful and financial in the 70's. I'll never forget that round......we never won a race, did our shirts and come race 8 on Cup day, pooled our meagre remaining funds to try and get some petrol money to get home. Got tipped a horse by a bookie who must have felt sorry for us ....bloke named Rulyancich or similar.... Horse was Bye Bye Happiness and jockey was Ron Neill.....lost him in the run and was contemplating how we would get back home and then, god bless him, right down the outside, as wide as you could get.....he swamped them, we got 12/1, problem solved and went home with both petrol and a bit of cash in the back pocket. Funny how you recall days like that, I reckon I could even describe the colour of Mrs Epis's hat.

Bye Bye Happiness was trained by Lou Beccarelli from memory JayJay .....coincidentally the Beccarelli family were stalwarts of the famous Mines Rovers Football Club.... the Diorites... the original club of Alec Epis. Old Bye Bye was a great moneyspinner .....a reliable avenue to happiness when he was on the job. I rode work with Ron Neill for Scobie Kingston ...along with Barry Keeley Max Dobrigh and Daryl Foster. Alec Epis rang my Dad and told him to move to Melbourne and he would get him into the Essendon team ....Dad played with Alec in a Diorite premiership but the old man wouldn't leave Kalgoorlie. It's a small world. Ron Neill rode a couple of winners for Dad ...Mannatello and his half sister Tirol Princess who was leased off Harold Parnham. Neville Parnham used to stay at our place in Kal when he came up to ride as an apprentice...I think because Harold knew the old man would keep an eye out for him.

JayJay · January 16

That's it mate, as soon as I saw the name Lou Beccarelli, the penny dropped. I'd been racking my brain trying to recall the trainer. Was astonished at the time by the size of the crowd, the bookies ring, the Calcutta on the Thursday night, the two up ring etc.....Was a bloody eye opener and a phenomenal "event", the whole week. I can remember my Mum being aghast that I was up there for the whole week....her only advice....don't get arrested!!! Did I get the Rulyancich name right? I can picture his face, strong jawline and his growly voice, a real character.

Bye Bye won like a really good horse that day, as I said, storming right down the outside rail, god bless him. I can't recall who won the Cup that year, whoever it was, I wasn't on him but maybe Michael MacPhilomony (??) on board....or another local rider?

curmudgeon · January 16

Seminole Brave won the 1975 Cup for Marinkie Levis and Michael MacPhilomey was on board.....the second successive Kal Cup for Mick ....he won on Makvaya for Frank Maynard in 1974.

Ruly was a legend in the bookies ring...."board odds" his catchcry....you got his name right.

Becca had the knack of getting Bye Bye Happiness to work unobtrusively into fitness then....bang. I think bookmaker and former trainer Neil Gill used to ride him work ....Gilly was pretty handy with a horse himself but liked the odds of punters walking up to him and giving him money better.

savethegame · January 16

Yes got the bookie right. The most gravelie voice you have ever heard, a real character Mark Rulyanich (Ruliee) worked out the two-up when he wasn't working, as bookie brilliant memory ,if anyone wanted to know how the game went for the past 1/2 hour he could tell you in order-- dulux done 2,-- kambalda done 1-- lurky flat tailed them. then jonesy done 4 etc.. freak mind.& so quick witted.

Never forget how sharp he was- always called the prices out. This day standing there he was calling out 7/2 brylcreem miss 7/2 the brylcreem-----its right name was Brayalana Miss. Bloke with a half bald scone said i will have 70 to 20 ----Brayalana miss correcting Ruliee-----As quick as a flash he said you knew the one i meant son.

Also I will Tip you for nothing--------- should make the switch to the Brylcreem that californian poppy doesn't looks like it helped . Michael Macphilomey won the cup 75 Seminole Brave

trained by Ruliee's best mate Marinkie Levis. Ruliee legend in the gambling circles.

The laurie Connell sting1975 when they backed a horse his worship won over east, they then held the replay back for 11 minutes so they all got on, then race was replayed.. Ruliee said i knew when a detective. tried to claim me for 1,400 to 400-- i could see the steam coming off the money--- ----told me later----Ive been around a bit son.-----Funny man.

thefalcon · January 16

^^ that attempted sting should have got that flea bag connell banned for life...how it didn't i do not know.

i don't want to be called out like basil from fawlty towers with his "don't mention the war" skit but that RR business put a smirch on perth racing that still simmers away today.....all connections plus perhaps the jockey should have got life.

paraletic · January 17

somebody told me he renovated the Swan River room at Belmont Park himself and at his own expense. The Swan River room is a best private box at belmont park. He was there every weekend entertaining his quests.

G'day Punter!

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