I always had an interest in horse racing from when I was eight or nine years old - each Saturday my father would give me shillings and tell me to run down to the corner shop and have thruppence eachway his selections .

I never got into gambling though until I left Riverstone High School of Hard Knocks in 1967 and found myself a job as a copyboy on the old Daily Mirror .

Once ensconced in that place , it was impossible for me not to take up more than a passing interest in having a bet , primarily on thoroughbreds , the Red Hots and greyhounds .

After only a few days at the old rag , I was given the nod to become the full-time copyboy in the sports section .

Where I rubbed shoulders with a host senior sporting journos , all of whom lurved a punt – Bill Mordey , John Holloway , Pat Farrell , Kenny Callander , Gary Manning , Tony Megahey , Harry Pearce and Jeff Collerson .

I had my good days , leaving a course with plenty of pelf , but there were others when I made regular treks down to the pawn shops .

My binoculars spent more time there than hanging around my neck on track !

But win , lose or draw , I have always maintained a passion for the Sport of Kings .

I ’ ve been privileged to have been on track to see in action great horses , legendary trainers and outstanding jockeys as well as witnessing memorable races .

Three races come readily to mind , two of which occurred 50 racing seasons ago in 1973-74 .

First , I ’ ll tell you about the most exciting race finished I have witnessed after watching races across all Australian states ,

New Zealand , Singapore , France , England and Ireland .

That was the 1973 AJC Derby in which a trio of champion three-year-olds had a ding-dong battle from topping the rise until the winning post .

The judge had to get out the magnifying glass to separate three of the best horses to have graced the Australian turf .

The Tommy Smith-trained Imagele , a son of the crazy as a cut snake but champion sire , Sostenuto , got the bikkies by a short head over Leica Lover with Grand Cidium , which got his head up just on the winning post , a long head away , third .

The three star youngsters came away from the rest of the field around the two furlongs mark and neither of them shirked their tasks when the whips were cracking .

Imagele ’ s return to the racetrack was certainly meritorious following his crashing to the turf as 4 / 9 favourite in the previous autumn ’ s Golden Slipper Stakes , won by another champion galloper , Tontonan .

Imagele went to Melbourne for the Spring Carnival and raced OK against the best of his age before TJ took the colt to Western Australia where he raced like a tired horse .

He returned the following autumn to win the Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill but then he went amiss and the great colt was retired to the breeding barn , standing at George Ryder ’ s famous Kia Ora Stud .

The flashy , imposing chestnut failed to fire in the gee-gee boudoir during his two seasons at stud .

He was found dead in his stall in April 1976 , succumbing to a stomach rupture . By the champion sire of stayers ,

Oncidium , Grand Cidium ’ s career included victories in the Trenton Stakes , Hill Stakes and Caulfield Guineas and 4th in the 1973 Caulfield .

Sadly , Grand Cidium , died tragically while still a few months shy of his third birthday . Leica Lover ’ s victories included the WATC Derby , Adelaide Guineas , Hill Stakes , Craven Plate , Eclipse Stakes and the Chelmsford Stakes .

The 1973-74 season boasted a tremendous group of three-year-olds ; they included Taj Rossie , Purple Patch , Idolou , Craig Win , Americano and the marvellous sprinter-miler , Tontonan .

Which segues into Tontonan ’ s victory in the 1974 Doncaster Handicap in which he carried a weight-carrying record for a threeyear-old , 56kg .

The brilliant youngster toyed with his rivals to blitz a top class field in the nation ’ s premier mile race .

Tontonan , was the first horse to greet the judge but he was beaten to the winning post by a “ colt ” and a “ filly ”.

Two racegoers thought they ’ d get in on the act and jumped the fence at furlong mark and , stark naked , they raced up the final furlong ahead of the Doncaster field which had just entered the straight .

First past the post was the male streaker , which won by a good length over the female , who breasted the line a few strides behind .

Fortunately , they had just cleared the track when Tontonan and the rest of the neddies thundered past the post .

The other truly memorable moment occurred at Kembla Grange in ’ 73 and caused a furore across the racing fraternity .

Hot Chestnut , ridden by the late-great Ray Selkrig , was within the shadow of the post and was set to win by two lengths . I ’ ll let Ray Selkrig tell the story . “ As we were near the post the horse saw this brown patch and propped , throwing me out of the saddle ,” Ray recalled .

“ He kept going , I held on to the mane firstly and then the reins and my feet hit the ground .

“ Being dragged , I looked over my shoulder and wouldn ’ t let go until I passed the winning post .”

Objections were lodged and most punters , including those who backed Hot Chestnut , were confident horse would be deemed to have lost rider .

I was on track that day – indeed , had a little something on Ray and his neddy - and was fully prepared to tear up my betting slip .

The tyro on-course stewards couldn ’ t make a decision in the objections and contacted more senior stewards by telephone and after a lengthy discussion , ruled Hot Chestnut had carried his weight to the finish line .

“ The stewards reckoned the horse did a harder job pulling me , than carrying me ,” Ray said .

Ray showed tremendous courage in hanging on for dear life , but in doing so , cracked his pelvis in three places . Man-oh-man , was he one tough jockey !

SAD MARKS : What a terrible month was September , Australia losing three sporting legends – Australian Rules icon , Ron Barassi , and distinguished Rugby League men , John “ Cracker ” McDonald and Lionel Morgan . Lionel was the first Indigenous player to represent Australia at the 1960 World Cup in England . As an Aboriginal , Lionel was given an “ honorary ” citizenship so he could travel outside Australia .