Jim's Secrets

The Australian journalist and bloodstock agent Jim Shannon, long since departed, was a great mentor to me in my younger days. Amongst other things, he was world racing manager for Nelson Bunker Hunt in the '70s and '80s. I remember him telling me, at least 25 years ago, that there were a couple of young turks in Australia to watch out for - Lloyd Williams and the late Jim Fleming. He wasn't wrong: Lloyd Williams is renowned as one of the best judges and strategists in racing, and Jim Fleming collected G1 mares like I collect CDs.

With Jim's recent untimely passing, it will be interesting to see what future shape his Tyreel Stud enterprise takes.

Softly-spoken Jim Shannon was of the older school, typewriter and paper always at hand (computers hadn't been invented). I'll never forget having breakfast with him one Easter at the Sebel Townhouse in Sydney, lamentably also gone. It would have been mid-80s. Colin Hayes was also in the restaurant and was paged to take a phone call. Next thing, the office staff brought to Colin a big, bulky cordless phone and plonked it on an ice bucket holder next to his table so he could pick up the call. Jim was mightily impressed with this new technology (the phone was about the size of a wheelie bin!). Not wanting to appear left out of the Impression Stakes, he soon after went out to reception and arranged for them to page him likewise then go through the motions of bringing this phone to him. He had to be up there with the movers and shakers.

Jim's daughter was an architect who was involved in the design of the beautiful Cape Dutch-style buildings which decorated the late Robert Holmes a'Court's ill-starred stud venture at Wallan, near Melbourne, now a subdivision.

Jim was known internationally and was connected with countless good thoroughbreds, many of which he had picked out of a sale ring. I seem to recall he also did some of the early buying for the Inghams. Though often spending time with him and his late wife Nancy, including at their idyllic holiday house at Merimbula (before anyone had heard of the place), I could never prise out of him any of the 'secrets' which made him such a good judge. I was too polite to pester him about it but I wish now I had.