Private Eye in the Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday will be out to show he is still a major sprinting force in a week of remembrance centred around Anzac Day while bookmakers, once a major racecourse vibration, get acclaim at Rosehill Gardens.
The Last Post on Tuesday triggered acclaim for fallen in war but at Royal Randwick the Australian Turf Club also presented a tribute regarding the recent tragic death of Dean Holland in Victoria, emphasising what a slippery grip jockeys have on well-being.
Anzac Day, too, at Randwick triggered memories of crowds and after-race two-up with suspect pennies but also the greatest onslaught between a punter and bookmaker seen on a racecourse in Australia, if not the world, in 1987.
Kerry Packer, renowned in the betting ring as the “Big Fella”, put bookmaker Bruce McHugh under an intense gambling salvo. Packer didn’t like racing hacks writing about his betting thus it was difficult to get accurate figures.
McHugh maintained the code of silence as did other bookmakers. Some say McHugh dipped out after the Anzac Day engagement because of Packer. I’d say he could see the end of profitable bookmaking as he knew it. He finished in front of Packer.
The Anzac Day assault encompassed $52 million turnover when a million was a million, and the total of the then five-day autumn carnival was $108.5 million. Every day Packer was present the turnover exploded: the first day $23 million, second $18.7 million, third day $6.7 million, fourth day $52 million, fifth day $8.1 million. The following autumn, without Packer, the tally was $37.7 million from figures leaked to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Brenton Avdulla on Private Eye wins the Nature Strip Stakes at Rosehill in October.Credit: Getty
Alan Davidson, one of the four bookmakers honoured on Saturday in the fifth Bookmaker’s Recognition Day, fielded between McHugh and Mark Read on the interstate rails when Packer was on the rampage.
Others are Kerry Borger, the first female bookmaker registered on country courses, Bill Murphy and Henry Noonan, who has a rare attribute. Born into a deaf family, and due to his early involvement in the turf, he is listed as “a race caller using sign language”.
Around the time of Packer’s punting period I filed an item written by Bill Boyd, a nationally syndicated columnist in the United States. “Argument continues over the most dangerous sport,” he opined.
“It’s not motorcycle or car racing, according to study of the matter but horse racing. This contends more jockeys are killed or injured every year than any other sort of athlete. Unfortunately jockeys can’t defend themselves getting into better shape. According to the University of Arizona study they’re already the most physically fit of all athletes.”
Dean Holland died in a race fall in Victoria on Monday.Credit: Getty
From 1810 to 2018 John H Payne in Their Last Ride documented around 950 Australian jockeys had died due to riding spills. Still, currently they are healthier than they were when Packer was punting because they don’t have to ride as light. “Wasting” — starvation, sweating and diuretics — is limited to what it was but those on horseback most days of the week are risking their life, not only in races but barrier trials and track gallops.
Far more regularly than the Packer era, it’s not only men. On Tuesday at Randwick Rachel King took a rails run to score as did James McDonald. Safe, but as The Banjo put it “never fearing the spills”.
With others King and J-Mac will produce their daring at Rosehill on Saturday on a program heavy on quantity rather than quality but one that is, due to their presence and backed by the bookmakers, always a worthwhile experience.
In Brisbane, Private Eye has to handle the locals after a slack last-start performance but has the Joe Pride knack of keeping topliners in the elite zone required against Giga Kick, I Wish I Win and Nature Strip, superior opposition to that on offer at Eagle Farm.
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