Reply With QuoteWelcome Jean, unfortunately not too many of the posters to whom you replied still visit our board (Danno does)
Reading your link Noel, I noticed Adaptor mentioned a few times - is that how you came to have it at your fingertips?
Jack Caldow drove him:
see this newspaper cutting. I think Neville Gath may have trained him for a while...not successfully
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ar...&searchLimits=
Last edited by Messenger; 05-03-2016 at 01:30 AM. Reason: Make link work
Welcome Jean, unfortunately not too many of the posters to whom you replied still visit our board (Danno does)
Reading your link Noel, I noticed Adaptor mentioned a few times - is that how you came to have it at your fingertips?
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
Originally Posted by Jackmgrathmyfather
Hi Jean, do you remember Greenwald racing at Cessnock NSW ? I know he did but just can't put my memory to work well enough to work out exactly when.
Hi Kevin
I did a search on Trove of the newspapers.
Just co-incidental that Adaptor was racing at the same time
From Classic Families...it looks like he raced in NSW as well as at Wayville
Classic wins were:
1968 NSW Sires Produce -3 HaP
1969 SA South Australia Derby -3 WaySg
1969 SA Derby (heat) -3 WaySg
1970 Vic Victorian 4YO Challenge
One of the interesting things about Greenwald is his breeding..
His dam, Phyls Bouquet is by Beau Derby out of one of his own grand-daughters.
http://www.classicfamilies.net/Horse...rseID=10007777
This horse was the catalyst for my love of harness racing. Jack McGrath was breeder / owner / trainer and closest thing to a father that Greenwald had. I remember reading the horse's assessment card once, which had 5 additional sheets. I counted 68 wins, including the mentioned Cessnock win as a 3 year-old. If my memory (from 42 years ago!) serves me correct Ron McCall drove him. Jack told me himself that over 30 different drivers drove the horse.
To settle some fading memories here, the late Teddy Jennings really only became the horse's regular driver later in its career. Prior to the 1970 Inter at Melbourne Jack left the horse with Neville Gath. He was only 4 then and had no trouble demolishing quality fields before succumbing to what was basically home sickness (he used to sleep next to the house at Jack's). The horse sat in the death in a 4yo Invitation during the Inter outside Honest Reward (a very good horse himself) and won by 25 yards. The horse was a flying machine from the mobile but the 3 furlong Showgrounds saucer was always his undoing in top class.
Some of the horse's wins are stuff of bush legend. I remember backing him of 40 metres in a discretionary at Maryborough - last into the back straight and in front coming out of it in 14 horse field! Jack had a ZD Fairlane with a 351 V8 which traveled many '000's of miles towing Greenwald around. Jack was a natural showman and Greenwald used to perform all sorts of tricks for him.
I remember leaving Moonee Valley after the inaugural meeting and saying to a mate "Greenwald was born 10 years too soon". He was one lovely natured, beautiful looking stallion and a super racehorse who could perform miracles from, shall we say, very limited preparations! Thanks for the memories.
Great first post Trevor and I wish I had thought of 'Showgrounds' for my name
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
WOW!! thanks so much for posting Trevor, I have longed to find out more about the magnificent horse for many a year and have found information hard to come by, his visit here at Cessnock obviously left a great impression on not only myself but many who were there to witness it. Greenwald was obviously a very well travelled horse and I have wondered over the years just what was the catalyst for his visit here. Thanks heaps for taking the time to post and if you have anything else to share, I for one would love to hear!
Cheers,
Danno
One driver I believe still driving that drove him (again, stretching the memory) is Derrick Kraft. Pretty sure he drove Greenie at the old Tweed Heads track. This would have been around the same time he won at Cessnock.
Jack Caldow was a regular pilot when the horse ventured into Sunraysia. I remember a Mildura Free for All where Jack parked him outside the leader My Gal Sal (a star mare from Adelaide, also one of my early favourites). Going down the back straight the last time the mare looked to have the better of the old guy. Jack (Caldow) later related that he put the whip away because he thought he was driving a beaten horse. The old boy then knuckled down to the task and ran My Gal Sal down right on the line.
It's one of Victoria's longest drives to go to the races, nearly the entire South - North length of Victoria along the SA border from Greenwald to Mildura. Jack always unloaded Greenwald around Warracknabeal to stretch his legs. And, as he told me once of that particular trip, stretch something else.
Plenty of truth behind the legend that Greenwald served the odd mare on the way to the races!
I was strapping the horse for Jack at the Melbourne Show one year. He travelled to Melbourne and back on the first Saturday and Show Day (Thursday) and back on the second Saturday when he stayed over at Rockbank. He then raced at Kilmore in a FFA on the Monday. He won all three races in good company) at the Show running 2:03 for the mile the first night, rated 2:02.5 for 9 an 1/2 furlongs the Thursday and won again the final night. Jack wanted to give him an easy run that night because he was in at Kilmore 2 days later - he went 2:01 leading all the way! He then came from last to run third to Gallagher on the Monday. Pretty fair 9 days!
Jack always used to "lubricate" Greenie's private parts with Vaseline when he was gearing him up and rub some Vaporub in his nostrils to get his airways working. One night at the Showgrounds Jack was busy talking to passers by and the horse became restless - most unusual. Jack was about to put Vaseline in his nostrils when he realized the unfortunate product switch!
Great horse, great memories.
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