He returned to Hawkes Bay on NZ’s north island to present the Hawkes Bay Gold Cup to the winning jockey, Lily Sutherland.
Brian said there was never a chance of a female jockey winning the Hawkes Bay Cup in his time because there were no female jockeys.
Seventy years ago, Brian won the Hawkes Bay Cup on a galloper called Pinnacle Ridge, and he said he loved to get back there and relive the joy he got from riding the winner in 1955 as a 15-year-old.
Brian went on to be a top jumps jockey in New Zealand and passed the love of being a jockey on to his son Brendan, a small farmer out at Lancaster these days.
Brendan was Victoria’s leading apprentice in 1980 and rode in seven Melbourne Cups.
Brian also rode speedway and against some of the world’s best in Great Britain, so obviously didn’t mind a challenge in his prime.
Cup winner has Undera link
There is an Undera connection with last Saturday’s Caulfield Cup winner, Half Yours.
Part-owner of the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained galloper is Neville Smith.
Neville’s parents ran the Undera store for some time, and Neville played footy with Undera.
He’s now got a few more Undera teammates than he thought he had.
New noodles a hit
Talk about a busy start to a new Kyabram business.
Noodles And Dumplings has opened its doors in Allan St and its Asian cuisine has been in hot demand.
One customer said he waited one and a half hours to get his order fulfilled, but said the wait was worth every second of it because the food was so delicious.
Milloo Hall hits triple figures
Tiny Milloo is one of those if you ‘blink and you miss it’ places, but it recently celebrated a notable milestone.
Its beloved gathering spot, the Milloo Hall, celebrated a century of serving the community on October 9.
It was built in 1925 without a ceiling and hosted a sports meeting in the afternoon and a concert and dance in the evening to celebrate its opening.
And if you are wondering where Milloo is, it’s 11km east of Dingee and west of Rochester.
Lesson not learned
Talk about learning the hard way.
A 59-year-old Numurkah man has been charged for drink-driving on consecutive days and on the same Ulupna Rd near Strathmerton.
He didn’t help his cause by refusing to accompany police for an evidentiary breath test and also being disqualified from driving.
He will face Cobram Magistrates’ Court next year.
Work starts on new tank
A major water infrastructure project has started in Shepparton with the construction of a new 36-megalitre drinking water storage tank at Goulburn Valley Water’s operation in Florence St.
The $22.4 million development will boost storage capacity by more than 40 per cent, enhancing water security for Shepparton, Mooroopna and surrounding communities.
Development in Jerilderie murder case
A 40-year-old woman who has been charged with the murder of a Queensland man near Jerilderie in June has been remanded in custody.
Murray River police were called to the Newell Hwy about 11km south of Jerilderie on June 17, where a body was found on the side of the road.
The man had suffered critical injuries, allegedly being struck by a car.
The woman was known to the victim.
Deni upgrade getting off the ground
Funding of over $4.5 million has been granted for the long-awaited airstrip at the Deniliquin Airport.
It’s the culmination of several years of campaigning by Edward River Council, NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton and Deniliquin business owner Russell Tait.
The upgrade will include extending one runway by 381 metres to cater for larger aircraft.
The grant from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Airstrip Improvements in Rural and Remote NSW program will fund the entire project.
SQUARE DINKUM
G’day.
BREAKING NEWS
Engineers have just made a car that can run on parsley.
Now they are hoping to make buses and trains that can run on thyme.
Hooroo!