Until going to the racetrack lost all attraction to me – no bookies , no colourful characters – I always counted sleeps until the big Easter races at Royal Randwick .

The best racehorses in Australasia converged on Randwick to contest races such as the ATC Australian Derby and Oaks , Sires Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes , Queen Elizabeth Stakes , and the Sydney Cup .

But to my mind , the feature event during the carnival was ( and still is ) the running of the time-honoured Doncaster Handicap which has been on the racing calendar since 1866 .

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the clash between two of the greatest horses to have sported silks in this neck of the woods . They were arguably the most popular horses to grace Australasian racetracks , the Goondiwindi Grey , Gunsynd , and the mighty New Zealander , Triton .

“ We ’ ve cheered him from the grandstand . We ’ ve cheered him from the flat . We ’ ve cheered a little beauty , a real aristocrat . He ’ s never thrown the towel in , been a trier all the way . A horse we ’ re really proud of , the Goondiwindi Grey .” Oops . Got carried away a bit there ! Tommy Smith was putting the polish on Gunsynd at that stage of his Illustrious career while Triton ’ s was trained by leading Kiwi mentor , Sid Brown .

Brown trained a host of outstanding gallopers including Redcraze , Classic Mission , Crown Law , Woodcourt Inn and the champion Daryl ’ s Joy .

In the 1972 Doncaster , Gunsynd , ridden by the great Roy Higgins , humped 62.6kg to a three-quarters of a length victory over Triton .

Making his powerful finishing burst all the more meritorious was that when he made his charge at Triton over the final stages of the race , Gunsynd had his big boof head on his side , facing the grandstand . No doubt giving his army of admirers the opportunity to take a photo on his best side !

The two great gallopers clashed again later that spring , when they lined up in the Epsom Handicap , rated the number-two mile contest on the racing calendar . The race was run over the metric distance – 1600 metres nine metres short of the mile trip . Gunsynd was finishing powerfully but was edged out by the champion New Zealander .

Many pundits believed that if the race had been nine metres longer at a mile , Gunsynd would have sneaked past his great rival . Tell that to the punters who collected on Triton !

Triton was a brilliant racehorse – he won his first seven outings in the Land of the Long White Cloud before coming to Australia where he also won a couple of weight-for-age events as well as the 1972 Stradbroke Handicap .

His performances at the highest level were remarkable because the handsome chestnut had to overcome a series of problems to get onto the racetrack .

“ When I first got Triton , it was feared he would never race ,” Sid Brown said in an interview back in the 70s .

“ Experts at the Massey University at Palmerston North told the owner to even break him in as a yearling would be a waste of time as he had a first- and seconddegree heart block .

“ Triton could never get enough oxygen

through to his heart .

“ In the mornings , before he could get enough oxygen through to his heart , he would walk out of the stables like a drunk before the circulation started to work after 20 minutes .”

Brown went on to say that it wasn ’ t his heart that beat him in the 1972 Doncaster . “ Going over the half-mile crossing , Triton ’ s jockey Kevin Langby , thought he ’ d broken down ,” Brown said . “ But he carried on and was only run down by Gunsynd in the shadows of the post .

“ When he came back ( to the saddling enclosure ), his near front shoe was twisted right across the sole of his foot , forming a half circle - it happened at the crossing .

“ We had to get the farrier to pull it off in the bird cage before he could be moved . “ That ’ s one race he should have won !” The first winner of the Doncaster back in 1866 was Dundee and since then many of the greatest horses to have raced in Australasia have won the famous mile . Let ’ s have a gander at some of them . 1876 : Briseis won the race as twoyear-old filly ! That year she also won the All-Aged Stakes , VRC Oaks , VRC Derby and the Melbourne Cup .

1901 : The great mare Wakeful whose other major wins included the Oakleigh Plate , Newmarket Hcp , Sydney Cup and VRC Champion Stakes .

1934 : Chatham also won the Epsom Handicap in 1932 and 1933 .

1935 : Hall Mark ’ s other notable victories were the 1933 VRC and AJC Derbies as well as that year ’ s Melbourne Cup .

1967 : The great Tobin Bronze won a string of WFA races as well as the 1965

Victoria Derby , 1966 and 1967 Cox Plates , and the ’ 67 Caulfield Cup .

In the decade before Tobin ’ s Bronze ’ s win , other notable winners were dual victors Tudor Hill ( 1959-60 ) and Fine and Dandy ( 1951 and 1963 ) and his full brother , Time and Tide ( 1965 ).

Following Tobin Bronze ’ s victory in 1967 a string of Australasian racing ’ s Who ’ s Who have been first to greet the judge including the People ’ s Horse , Gunsynd , Tontonan , Dalrello , Rajah Sahib , Emancipation and the mighty Winx .

This list also includes four dual winners – Pharoah ( 1995-94 ), Sacred Falls ( 2013- 14 ), Sunline ( 1999 and 2002 ) and the amazing Super Impose which got the bikkies in 1990 and 1991 after coming from last at the turn on both occasions .

Super Impose made history by also winning the Epsom Handicap in both those years – the great horse also won a string of WFA races and the 1992 W . S . Cox Plate and finished second to Tawriffic in the ’ 89 Melbourne Cup .

Which neddie will be first to greet the judge in 2022 ?

SAD MARKS : The recent passing of sporting legends John Landy , Shane Warne , Rod Marsh and Dean Woods . Will it ever end . Sadly , no !

Girls and women are smashing national goals and reaping the health benefits of the family-centric classes at the Nepean Physie Club .

Generations are successfully competing side-by-side in physical culture tournaments and making their mark through the McGraths Hill , Londonderry and Werrington centres .

Led by head teacher Kim Annesley , these athletes recorded multiple successes

in the individual and team components of dance sport in 2021 before lockdown forced them into online classes .

Lucy Lamplough , 8 , Mia Fahy , 12 , Olivia Barker ( second year senior ) and Sally Lamplough were awarded first place in their respective age groups at the recent National Finals making them Australian champions .

“ Sally Lamplough not only won her age section , but was awarded the 2021

National Ladies Grand Champion - the highest honour awarded in her section ,” a proud Kim said .

“ The reasons we think physie has stood the test of time is because of the supportive and nurturing community and the fact that generations of women can participate and compete together .

“ It is not uncommon for grandmothers , mothers , daughters and grand-daughters to be members of the same club and share

their involvement .

“ Sally and Lucy are mother and daughter which makes this year ’ s win for them even more special .”

Get fit , stay fit , express yourself , network and make friends at any one of the Nepean Physie Centres with classes from age three to 18-plus .

For more information , contact Kim on 0401 587 262 , or email kim _ annesley @ hotmail . com .