GREETINGS FROM DOWN UNDER BY ALICIA CURTIS

Alicia Curtis za BGTURF sa mnogo zanimljivih sadržaja sa južne hemisfere .

Dobra Yutro Everyone! My name is Alicia, and I am from Sydney, Australia. Firstly I would like to say a big warm G'day from Down Under, and a MAJOR thank you to the BG Turf for providing me this space to provide all the latest news from Racing Down Under.

 

Anyway I am sure most people want to know more about me. I am 25 and come from Sydney, Australia, where I am still situated. I have been associated with the racing industry pretty much since I was born.

 

My grandmother's cousin, Andrew Knox, won the 1940 Melbourne Cup (2 miles/3200 metres) on the 100/1 shot, Old Rowley. To this day, Old Rowley remains the third and last 100/1 back horse to win the Melbourne Cup. Knox was quie a good jockey on his day, and in previous years had ridden the great horse and dual Melbourne Cup winner, Peter Pan.

 

I didn't happen to fall automatically in love with the sport. It would take me 12 years and a charismatic 3yo colt that went by the name of Octagonal, for me to permanently cement my love of the thoroughbred. I remember the day clearly, as if it was yesterday. It was October 1995, and Cox Plate Day. Many critics described it as one of the "greatest fields" ever assembled for this race legendarily known as the southern hemisphere WFA championship of the world. The field included Danewin the 5X Group 1 winner on the berth of becoming a legend, reigning Australian Horse of the Year and 1994 Melbourne Cup winner Jeune, the Caulfield Guineas winner Our Maizcay, multiple Group 1 winners Solvit, Seascay, Stony Bay, Danarani and Star Dancer.
Then there was the powerhouse himself, Mahogany, a former Horse of the Year who would be rated one of the best horses of the 90's.

 

If there was ever a closer finish in racing, then this was it. Both Mahogany and Octagonal went to the line, with the 3yo getting the nose over the elder statesman. Octagonal would eventually go on to win 10 Group 1 races, including the Australian 3yo Triple Crown in Sydney (becoming the first horse in over 20 years, since the legendary Kingston Town to do so). He would retire the Southern Hemisphere's greatest all time stakes earner of the period, and eventually stand at Woodlands Stud and produce a horse better than himself, the world champion miler of 2004, Lonhro.

 

In 1999, at age 16, and with my passion for the sport immense, I started work as a part time strapper (official name in Australia for, a racing room/stablehand) for a small but well established stable based out of Randwick. The stable foreman was none other than TJ Smith's brother, Ernie Smith. There is nothing more inspiring than working for a person who has so much knowledge and wisdom, followed up with passion. The stories were intense and you could just not imagine what it would have been like "back in the day" when "such and such" horse was in work.

 

I no longer do this due to other committments, however am now a member of the Sydney Turf Club (Rosehill and Canterbury Park).

 

It was around this time last year that I found out Serbia actually had a racing and breeding industry. Since then my fascination for the sport in the Balkans region has intensified. I am extremely passionate about the former Yugoslavia (namely Serbia) as an entirety.

 

In general I believe there is still a lot to be learnt from Eastern Europe and its racing and breeding industries. Hungary in particular has proven itself to the world, through the deeds of the undefeated racemare Kinscem. Whats even more exciting is that they have another horse on their hands in the sprint sensation, Overdose, who will run in Germany. It would be my dream to see him race against the likes of Apache Cat and Sacred Kingdom in Hong Kong at Sha Tin later this year. 6f around the bend at racing's toughest arena, a dream I hope to see become a reality.

 

I think lastly I cannot forget the horse that for me remains the main inspiration for this page and Serbian racing as whole, the wonderful Billy Allen. All fans of Serbian racing should be very proud of this horse, who now races in the USA for west coast based Bob Bone. Its an absolutely fascinating story, an average horse from the UK, bred in Ireland, winner of the 2004 Triple Crown for 3yo's in Serbia, sold on to Gary Tanaka, a winner in Sweden on the dirt at Listed level, and now in America aged 7 and a stakes winner on turf at Turf Paradise. It took me weeks to track down his owner, but thanks to a wonderful person and very solid contact, it has been possible to find out about this horse and his progress.

 

So stay posted as I bring more from the land downunder, known as Australia!

picture: Old Rowley silks

 

GALLERY

Me and the great champion Hong Kong sprinter, Silent Witness. This photo was taking at Living Legends in Melbourne. Silent Witness je veliki sprinterski šampion Hong Konga sa 17 uzastopnih pobeda :: Silent Witness on BGTURF   On the track at Moonee Valley on Saturday night of 26th July 2008. This was at around 6pm. You are probably wondering how I managed to get on to one of Australia's premier courses. It comes in handy to know the Racing Manager of the club!	Better Loosen Up and Fields of Omagh (who has his back facing the camera). BLU remains the only horse from Australia to win the Japan Cup. He is now 23 years of age, and going on about 4. Fields of Omagh is now 10, and retired in 2006 after his winning his last start in the WS Cox Plate, Australia's greatest horse race.     At the winning post at Moonee Valley. Its a photo I could not have left with, and one that racing purists in Australia would die to have in their album.	Regal Chamber - was taken in April of 2007 at Lomar Park Stud about 1 hour west of Sydney. My good friend Calindy and I visited the stud to see some of our favourite broodmares, including this mare, Regal Chamber. She was bred in 1994 by Palaranda Bloodstock Co in NSW, and is a daughter of the ill-fated Archregent out of La Maison. She was a Group 2 winner at 2 in one of the lead up races to the second richest race in Australia, the Golden Slipper and was good enough to win over $280,000 in prizemoney before retiring. She is now the dam of Group 1 winner Regal Cheer.	Arena - picture also taken in April od 2007 at Lomar Park Stud of top sire and former outstanding racehorse, Arena. He is a son of Danehill and won the 1995 VRC Derby in one of the hottest contested fields of that race of all time. He is now at stud, and is the sire of Regal Cheer.     The mounting yard at Moonee Valley prior to the race.