HORSE RACING PERSONALITIES

 

GEORGE ADAMS
1839 - 1904

George Adams was born in England on March 14, 1839 as the fourth son of William and Martha Adams. The family arrived in Sydney on May 28, 1855. George had turned 16 on the voyage and was a big, strong, young man with fiery red hair and beard and up-standing posture. He tried his luck at various professions, as coach driver, stock dealer, saddler, baker and he even worked in the gold fields.
In 1878 Adams bought the Tattersall's Hotel in Sydney with help of some friends. The previous owner had organized and run sweepstakes or consultations based on the outcome of horse races where the entry was limited to club members. George Adams organized a public sweepstake in 1881 on the Sydney Cup, won by the horse Progress, starting the history of Tattersall's 120 years. In his now famous will and testament of 1904 George Adams instructed his trustees to ensure that the company looked after the less fortunate, needy and infirm in those communities where Tattersall's outlets were operating. To this day Tattersall's continues to support community initiatives.
Known as the "the Man in the Hat", George Adams was one of Australia's great philanthropist's and is credited as the founder of Tattersall's.

 

ROBERT COOPER BAGOT

Robert Cooper Bagot was born in 1828 in Ireland. In the 1840's he migrated to Australia and established a career in Melbourne as a civil engineer and surveyor. In 1861 Bagot surveyed the Melbourne Cricket Ground giving the oval today's shape and dimensions.
In 1864 Robert Bagot was appointed as the first secretary of the newly formed Victoria Racing Club. He realized that Flemington needed better facilities and amenities to attract a greater number of the racing public and to help the club to prosper. His greatest achievement was probably the establishment of the Melbourne Cup as Australia's premier horse racing event.

 

BERT BRYANT
1927 – 1991

Bert Bryant began his career as a race caller in western New South Wales on country racetracks. In 1948 he started to work at the radio station 3UZ Melbourne and remained there until he retired in 1977.
Bert Bryant combined personality, colourful language, humor and professionalism making him one of Australia's great race callers and popular with large numbers of audiences. He dramatically increased the ratings while he was the director of sport at 3UZ . Bert Bryant called 28 Melbourne Cups, reaching an audience of 2.5 million listeners as his programs were linked to 48 radio stations throughout Australia.
Some of Bert Bryant's famous lines include: “hanging like a granny’s tooth”, “a wing on every foot”, “he’ll need a lantern to find the way home” and “covering more territory than Burke and Wills”.

 

WILLIAM HENRY (BILL) COLLINS
1928 – 1997

Bill Collins started his career calling small country races in Victoria. In almost 50 years he called 34 Melbourne Cups becoming known as "The Accurate One" for his ability to correctly call the result of even the closest finish. Bill Collins also called major races in England, USA, South Africa, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. On Easter Saturday in 1987 Bill Collins called his last race.
He is regarded as Australia’s greatest race caller and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OMA).

 

SAM COX
+1895

William Samuel Cox was a racing pioneer and entrepreneur. He leased a property for seven years located in a valley only six kilometers north of the town of Melbourne in 1882. It became originally known as Feehan’s Farm. After transforming the site into a large racecourse he named it Moonee Valley.
The first race was held on 15 September 1883 with nine starters and resulted in a dead heat between Eveline and Pyrette. Attractive prize money and excellent accommodation for the public ensured the success of the race course.
When Sam Cox died in 1895 his son Archie became secretary of Moonee Valley. The Committee decided to run the Cox Plate in honour of Sam Cox, a weight-for-age race with a prize money of 1000 pounds.

 

SOL GREEN
1868-1948


Solomon Green was born in London, England in 1868 and migrated to Australia at the age of 15. He become one of Australia's biggest bookmakers.
He had also great success as a racehorse owner importing Comedy King, winner of the 1910 Melbourne Cup and Gothic, winner of successive Newmarket Handicaps in the late 1920s. Sol Green also opened the Melbourne Tattersall's Club.
He was a flamboyant man known for his love of gold Rolls-Royces and Havana Cigars.

 

THEO GREEN
1925-1999


Theo Green was a prominent trainer of apprentice jockeys, teaching them to become professional riders and role models for the industry.
Some of the most successful jockeys trained by Theo Green include Darren Beadman, Ron Quinton and Malcolm Johnston. All of them won many big races in Australia and numerous Sydney Jockey Premierships.
Theo Green is honoured by the Theo Green Medal which is awarded to Sydney's champion apprentice jockey each year.

 

SIR PATRICK HOGAN
(New Zealand)

Patrick Hogan's Irish-born father, a dairy farmer and horse breeder, left a small thoroughbred stud to his two sons. In 1977 the brothers ended their partnership and Patrick Hogan establish a horse stud which he named Cambridge.
To set up his stud Patrick Hogan went overseas to buy a new stallion. He was looking for "a horse with a good pedigree and a touch of speed". He chose Sir Tristram by Sir Ivor 2000 Guineas and English Derby winner. Then he formed a racing syndicate of 40 shares with 50% held by the Cambridge Stud.
Due to Sir Tristram's great racing success Patrick Hogan and Cambridge Stud became a leader in world breeding. By the time he retired Sir Tristram was the second world leading sire of Group 1 winners (45) and six times Australian champion sire.

 

KEN HOWARD
1910-1976

Ken Howard was one of the most familiar voices for radio listeners in Australia bringing the colour and excitement of Sydney horse racing to punters throughout the country.
Ken Howard called horse races for more than 40 years and occasionally from trees and boxes positioned outside racecourses. In England he called the Derby.
Ken Howard was well known for the phrase "London to a brick on".

 

JACK AND BOB INGHAM

In 1960 Jack and Bob Ingham inherited a small chicken enterprise which they turned into a successful business empire. When their father died they also inherited the broodmare Valiant Rose. Soon the brothers proved to be equally successful as thoroughbred owners and breeders, turning their Woodlands Stud into a great nursery for thoroughbred horses.
In 2004 the two Ingham Woodlands properties accommodate 10 stallions including the successful Canny Lad, Grand Lodge and Octagonal as well as 280 foals from Ingham owned mares and 236 yearlings. The Ingham Woodlands estates have to date bred 35 Group 1 winners and 120 individual stake winners.

 

WILLIAM INGLIS AND SON

William Inglis and his partner started dealing in cattle and horses in 1867. When he included his son John in the partnership in 1884 the business became known as William Inglis and Son. The company held its first yearling sale at Newmarket, NSW in 1906 where they had leased a site. In 1917 the property was purchased and continually developed and upgraded into a world class sales venue. Five generations and more than 130 years experience have made William Inglis and Son one of the leaders of the Australian bloodstock industry catering to every level in Australasia.
At Newmarket the Easter, Classic, and Sires’ Produce sales are held and Oakland, Victoria hosts the Premier and Autumn yearling sales. The Scone yearling sale in May is Australia’s most successful country sale.
Many champion horses have paraded through the William Inglis and Son sale ring. Some of them include Heroic, Amounis, Hall Mark, Flight, Evening Peal, Wenona Girl, Naturalism, Schillaci, Shogun Lodge, Universal Prince and Might and Power. Luskin Star, Rory’s Jester, Marscay and Flying Spur are just some of the seventeen Golden Slipper winners purchased there.

 

SIR ADRIAN KNOX P.C.K.C.M.G
1863 - 1932

From 1906 to 1919 Sir Adrian Knox was the Chairman of the Australian Jockey Club and responsible for many revolutionary changes including the introduction of the totalisator at Randwick, an innovation which was soon adapted by all major race clubs across Australia.
Adrian Knox was also a successful owner, his wins include the 1910 Sydney Cup on Vavasor.
He is regarded as the greatest Australian administrators of horse racing and is remembered by the annual running of the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick.

 

SIR CHESTER MANIFOLD
1897 – 1979

From 1937 to 1972 Sir Chester Manifold was a Committee member of the Victoria Racing Club. For 11 years from 1951-1962 he served as the Chairman. Concerned about the large sums of money lost to illegal bookmakers he introduced the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) in Victoria as a means of channeling the money back into horse racing. From 1961-1968 Chester Manifold served as the first Chairman of the TAB.
He also enjoyed success as an owner/breeder with the steeplechaser Crisp as his best-known horse.
Sir Chester Manifold is highly regarded by all sections of the horse racing industry and is remembered with the annual running of the listed Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington by the VRC.

 

BERT (HERBERT AUSTIN) WOLFE
1897 - 1968

Turf journalist Bert Wolfe was born on 19 July 1897 at Maitland, New South Wales. While growing up Bert spend a lot of time at his grandfathers horse farm at Heatherbrae, north of Maitland where he was present at the foaling of Lord Nolan who won the cup in 1908.
When he returned from the Australian Imperial Forces at the end of the first world war Bert Wolfe started veterinary studies, but abandoned them when his grandfather persuaded the sporting editor of the Sydney Daily Telegraph to take him on as a racing assistant. By 1923 Bert Wolfe was racing editor of The Referee. The next four years he worked as sports editor of the Melbourne Argus until he left journalism in 1927 to become chairman of the stipendiary stewards of the Queensland Turf Club. Three years later he returned to journalism, writing for several Sydney newspapers. In 1933 Sir Keith Murdoch recruited him as racing editor of the Melbourne Herald, a position Bert Wolfe held for 22 years. He covered twenty-one Melbourne Cups for the Herald. At the end of each cup using a phone he dictated 4000 words within an hour from a few shorthand notes in his racebook. In 1938 Bert Wolfe's renowned instincts for quality horses led to a commission to buy brood-mares in England for Sol Green.
Bert Wolfe was involved in some of the dramatic incidents in the history of the Australian turf. In 1932 he accompanied Phar Lap to Mexico where the horse won the Agua Caliente Handicap and was present at the horse's death at Menlo Park, California. In 1934 Wolfe was responsible for exposing the notorious fraud of the Erbie/Redlock ring-in.
Bert Wolfe was widely respected, highly influential and recognized as Australia's leading turf writer. In the horse racing world he was known by his famous pseudonym of 'Cardigan' the 1903 Melbourne Cup winner Lord Cardigan bred by his grandfather. Bert Wolfe died at his Woollahra home in Sydney on 6 April 1968.