Omoto racecourse, early 1900's.

[Murray Fish]

This photo popped up in a feed. with a poem attacthed!

Two things re the Photo..

1) The Barbed wire looks interesting!!    

2)  has the photo be presented facing the wrong way??? 

An old poem from the late Slim Gillman (A racing stalwart who trained at Omoto)
"It was a lovely day as they started away with a smile of content on their faces
.. the money they spent was meant for the rent, but they had a lovely day at the races.

[Shad]

2 hours ago, Murray Fish said:

This photo popped up in a feed. with a poem attacthed!

Two things re the Photo..

1) The Barbed wire looks interesting!!    

2)  has the photo be presented facing the wrong way??? 

An old poem from the late Slim Gillman (A racing stalwart who trained at Omoto)
"It was a lovely day as they started away with a smile of content on their faces
.. the money they spent was meant for the rent, but they had a lovely day at the races.

Great photo, funny my uncle who passed on the racing bug to me( for which there's no cure)as a very young lad, an new slim,would recite that poem when we would leave for the races, had a bit of a twist in the lyrics though, his version at little more curse, ended with wat a .... of a day at the races. Oh the memories what a great crowd.

[curious]

Trained a handy black mare ... Colfix?

[Shad]

47 minutes ago, curious said:

Trained a handy black mare ... Colfix?

Remember colfix, may have won the nuggets, out of red mit from memory, she was a coast specialist, trained a few more handy ones, but names escape me, been a few good gallopers grace the coast tracks over the years, remember the mighty scapolo winning at omoto, Royal adder, blue sage, miles better, placido, cappiemore, Modena,to name a few, some of these horse won 10 or 15 races, you just don't that these day, nice little roll call of very good performers, fell free to add a few more.

[Murray Fish]

54 minutes ago, Shad said:

Modena

won a nice mile race at Trentham, D Browne on? then backed up for a place in the G1?   a nice grey

56 minutes ago, Shad said:

scapolo

did he get to 20 wins! I have some nice shots of him winning at Riccarton!

[Shad]

11 hours ago, Murray Fish said:

won a nice mile race at Trentham, D Browne on? then backed up for a place in the G1?   a nice grey

did he get to 20 wins! I have some nice shots of him winning at Riccarton!

Yes, very smart horse by light spirits from memory, trained by Jim Melton, witnessed him winning his maiden race, was at Westport though, got well back, and I've never forgotten the turn of foot he showed to pick them up an win very well, knew he went on to top races, a grey horse, then to aussie I think, can't recall how he went over there, but that win, has stuck with me, and Damien Browne did ride, coincidently light spirits sired the last ever winner of the Westport cup, Elad Nova, 1996 from memory was their last hurrah for the throughbred racing there.

 

[Murray Fish]

2 hours ago, Shad said:

trained by Jim Melton,

[Shad]

4 hours ago, Murray Fish said:

That's him, nice picture, I think Paul Falvey may have ridden him the odd time,

[Murray Fish]

17 minutes ago, Shad said:

That's him, nice picture

thanks, back when that camera was manual and you got one chance to 'pan, left the horse Run Into Focus' continuing the pan after the shat has happen! as in cricket Follow through..   lol,   this race was the Captain Cook Stakes,  I had the rent money that day on the nose of CWJ and Rough Habit,  I recall that Modena's prelim was So Nice I popped of and had nice Q bet with RH.  One of those days when it seemed almost easy!
ps. the Big Miles that Year at Trentham produced some strong results for The South!  M Pitman winning his first G1, also with CWJ on board Just Tommy!   Modena with D Walsh on board had beaten JT into 2nd in the lead up G1 mile...  I was close friends with both Michael and Chris back then!

 

[Shad]

3 hours ago, Murray Fish said:

thanks, back when that camera was manual and you got one chance to 'pan, left the horse Run Into Focus' continuing the pan after the shat has happen! as in cricket Follow through..   lol,   this race was the Captain Cook Stakes,  I had the rent money that day on the nose of CWJ and Rough Habit,  I recall that Modena's prelim was So Nice I popped of and had nice Q bet with RH.  One of those days when it seemed almost easy!
ps. the Big Miles that Year at Trentham produced some strong results for The South!  M Pitman winning his first G1, also with CWJ on board Just Tommy!   Modena with D Walsh on board had beaten JT into 2nd in the lead up G1 mile...  I was close friends with both Michael and Chris back then!

 

The good old days, camera tech has moved on since those times I guess,, maybe a bit easier these days, remember taking a couple shots of empire rose winning her NZ cup, what a lump of a horse she was, what a good horse Rough habit his win in the stradbroke I think it  was freakish ,Im positive we've witnessed the best era of racing, looking back at some of those names that pop up, horses of those calibre just not seen these days, Scapolo did get his 20 win, finished 2nd in his last hurrah to little miss swiss, raced at many a venue.Thanks again for the modena pic, certainly bring back the memory of thwt maiden win at little old Westport.

[Murray Fish]

11 hours ago, Shad said:

shots of empire ros

one of hers that I took that got the front cover of that years Racing Annual

[Murray Fish]

11 hours ago, Shad said:

Scapolo

Beast mode

[Shad]

6 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

one of hers that I took that got the front cover of that years Racing Annual

Another great photo, can't say mine anywhere that professional, must give you great pleasure to be able to look back at your classy shots, a job that must have seemed like a hobby, I attend funeral of a friend at addington before xmas, he was an avid dog owner, actually had dog races on, an as a tribute the Hurst done a lap of track with him on board,, seen Mr Robbie on his walker taking the finish shots, very dedicated, someone said he travels up from invercargill. 

[Shad]

8 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

Beast mode

Awesome action shots, was lucky to see him win at omoto some years back, said to my wife who doesn't follow the horses like me, how fortunate we were to witness a win in by one of our top horses of the era, not many racing around present day that say they've won 20 races, Our Gene's won many for the pitman to.