Shane, Richard and Gai

Why am I unexcited about Shane Dye’s return to Sydney’s riding ranks?

It might have something to do with the memory that he reversed the instructions on the filly I bought and managed, Courtalista, in the 1989 AJC Oaks, contributing to her unjust defeat in the classic by Research. Now, before all you people holler “But Research was a champion!”, go look at the film.

Just a couple of weeks earlier the same R S Dye provided me with a moment of supreme satisfaction when winning the Golden Slipper on the filly whose creation I was directly responsible for, Courtza, the second and the last New Zealand-bred to win the race.

As a father of two (now adult) sons who haven’t lived in the same city as me for over 10 years – my fault, not theirs - I wholeheartedly relate to Dye’s anticipation at being back with his own children and wish him all the joy and fulfillment that can bring.

But over the last few months I’ve thought the Sydney jockey colony has been doing quite nicely, thanks. Apart from the annoying way, so often, they timidly surrender the tempo to the leader (usually a Waterhouse horse making Shinn or Rawiller look even better than they are) they seem to be going about their business keenly and professionally. Newcomer Jeff Lloyd, especially, is a real craftsman; I think this man is the real horse whisperer.

We’ll always have room for Darren Beadman who is on another level to most and rides for the glory of God as well as man. Sebastian Murphy, William Pike and Michael Rodd might like to bring their tack here just to make things more interesting. Then I think you could literally throw your silks into the jockeys’ room and not worry about who picked them up. I wouldn’t be fretting too much about Glen, Zac or Shane.

Jockeys are lionized in Australia. Read the press: horses always have a celebrity jockey, they sometimes have a trainer, they almost never have an owner and definitely don’t have a breeder. Jockeys are fantastic athletes, no one denies that for a moment. They control a 600 kg beast at 60 k.p.h., something I’ve never been able to do at twice their weight and half the speed. (Before you smart asses press the comment button, that's twice the jockey's weight, not the horse's). They ultimately determine the winning and losing of races but they cannot get a wonky-bred, sparely-fed or ill-educated horse to go faster. There would be no moments in the sun for them if it were not for the small army of people who contribute each of the links in the chain which makes up a winning performance.

In all my years of mounting yard attendance in my capacity with the Waterhouse stable I was only able to count on the fingers of one hand (minus the amputated fingers) the occasions a jockey openly admitted after a race that they got it wrong.

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The rumour-mill last week had it that Richard Freedman would be on 450 big ones in his newly-announced role at the AJC. Gee.

I support modernizing the business model at the AJC and for having a vision of the future, though I think proprietary racing is long overdue in this country.

It’s great to see all the departmental heads with their newly-branded corporate monikers. From now on, not every buck need stop at Kevin. If there was a job going, like Executive Manager, Perving (Champagne Lawn), or Chief Sampling Officer (Chips and Party Pies), I’d like to apply. I’d do them for a hundred.

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The days of Gooree Stud runners from the Freedman Melbourne stable look numbered. They’re down to a trickle now. Gai has done a monumental job with the red-and-black since they first came into the stable in late 1999, clearly outpointing the southerners, and if she’s to get the lion’s share in future she deserves it.

Gooree are a success story. They have a proven system of rearing, developing and monitoring their horses. They are never in a hurry; they go in and out of the stable as many times as required while waiting to achieve maturity. The Boss breeds his mares to the stallions he thinks suit them without worrying too much about meeting other peoples’ approval and Andrew Baddock and his team do the rest. It's just not about chucking a mountain of money at it to make it work.

It’s a tragedy that their colt Snowland (not a homebred, but bred by Stratheden) has proved a shy breeder. He’s had 18 runners to date and 11 have won, including on Saturday the 2YO Crevasse at the Gold Coast and my selection from the 2006 Magic Millions, Absolut Glam, who trotted up in the G2 at Moonee Valley. Snowland has served only 63 mares in the last four breeding seasons combined but I believe he has about 10 currently in foal up at Gooree.

His fast full brother Snippetson has no such problems. He covered 150 in his first season at Widden and 174 in his second. Declaration of interest: mine was one of the 174.