With the recent demise of Alan “Jock” Gollogly, character looks thin on the ground until Neil Paine flashes up in his coats of many colours.
Both were group 1-winning jockeys who subsequently had to survive on ground level. Gollogly became a clocker and media contributor and did well in his spotlight seasons, while Paine has stuck close to Gai Waterhouse and Tulloch Lodge.
Rogue Bear wins at Doncaster before coming to Australia.Credit: Getty
Clockers are denizens of the early hours who time horses in tracks gallops, a task requiring multiple stopwatches and the ability to see in the dark. Alas, these once vital turf assets are diminishing.
Due to his affiliation with the Waterhouse-Adrian Bott operation, Paine was asked after Storm Boy’s recent impressive Rosehill Gardens success just how good the Justify two-year-old is.
“He’s in our top seven,” Paine, always enthusiastic but not over the top, replied, thus highlighting the number of talented youngsters in the stable in what promises to be a record-breaking season for them.
Jock Gollogly.
Storm Boy was $1.30 on Friday for the McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday; stablemate Straight Charge is $1.55 in the Drinkwise Plate at Royal Randwick where Paine, garbed by Waterhouse in gaudy apparel, will be marshalling the many Tulloch Lodge patrons – a task that a wise guy once remarked was like rounding up cats.
Perhaps Paine’s style is sideshow spieler, but it’s effective. Gollogly, who succumbed to cancer on Monday at the age of 72, was described in some obits as a “scallywag”. I’d say always affable with a hint of mischief.
Character can be defined in many ways, but individual personality plays a role. No doubt it gained a harder edge from World War II and The Depression when more had to exist on desperation rather than education.
Apart from clocking at Broadmeadow, Gollogly was a regular on radio, in print, and did horseback interviews for television following major events.
Neil Paine.Credit: Getty
Brisbane born and the grandson of the legendary trainer Fred Best, Gollogly moved to Newcastle in the late 1970s and formed a strong friendship with trainer Max Lees, father of Kris Lees, who the clocker always referred to as “Kristen” from the days when the now top trainer was tagging along with them.
Apprentice Ben Osmond has been given the demanding assignment today by Kris Lees of navigating the import Rogue Bear in the Vale Jock Gollogly at Randwick, where the rail is out eight metres from the 1600 metres and comes in to six metres on a rain-affected surface. Still Osmond’s three-kilo claim brings him in with a top hope.
Max Lees prepared the mighty Luskin Star, which first came to my attention when our Broadmeadow clocker at the time, Val Harland, told me before the colt had raced that he was the best two-year-old he had seen.
Every newspaper employed a clocker at major tracks back then. Now, gallops have been replaced more by barrier trials. Clockers gave a better service.
Many aspects of racing are superior today to the 1970s, but it was a different and more attractive vibe then. Punters were closer to the greats, be it horse or human, because they had more character.
Gollogly leaves a lasting memory. And Paine still glows even on a wet day.
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