To settle a dispute, can someone please tell me who trained Greenwald in the early 1970's. I know that Jack McGrath bred the horse, not sure who trained him. Many thanks.
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To settle a dispute, can someone please tell me who trained Greenwald in the early 1970's. I know that Jack McGrath bred the horse, not sure who trained him. Many thanks.
Vaguely remember his name, before my time. I see he won the 1969 SA derby with E Jennings driving. Also the Mt Gambier track is named after him.
Hi Bingo - yes, Ted jennings nearly always drove Greenwald, just that I wish to confirm the name of the trainer? Yes, the track at Mt Gambier was named after Greenwald, he was agreat horse.
Sorry Jinki,Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinki
can't help with the bet, but he was a mighty horse for his time, and well travelled as well. I remember him winning a FFA at Cessnock NSW one night around '70 or '71, he blitzed a field of pretty fair horses and ran a tick over 2.00, which at the time, was pretty much unheard of other than the recently invented Miracle Mile.
Cheers,
Dan
I'm assured that the breeder Jack McGrath, also trained as the horse. And Neville Clarke drove him when he went 1.59 in a time trial at Terang.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jinki
Jack Mc Grath trained Greenwald and was named after the region of Greenwald half way between Mount Gambier and Heywood. It was not unknown for Greenwald to serve a mare on his way home after he raced.
[VVV] Many years ago when he was single Mightymo used to do something similar on his way home from Moonee Valley. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Tangles
When he jumped the fence, did he have one of those miners lights on his head so he could make sure it was a mare???Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple V
Jack McGrath was my father. Him and his wife where the strappers and the stable hand he was more often than not the trainer
Jack McGrath was my father, any other questions you have please let me know
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=
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?
Quote:
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
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.
Greenwald -what a magnificent horse.
Sydney driver Ron Pracey was in the gig for the Melbourne derby in 1969 where he finished last after moving up 4 wide and then breaking.
He later came to Menangle early September 1970 and a surprise change of drivers saw Les Chant in the gig. Later that month Pracey was reunited and he won a Free-For_all in race record time (at least 4 of the runners fell). I went down to the stabling area to see this great horse ( as I also knew Pracey). It was there that I saw the showmanship of Jack McGrath. The horse was untethered and stripped of his gear. First the hopples were unbuckled and dropped to the ground then the rest of the gear was taken off. Finally a head collar was put on. The horse bowed and then walked off and out of his hopples
Great story, I got the wrong Ron when I said Ron McCall; it was Ron Pracey and I recall seeing the winning photo on the wall at Jack's around 1975. And Jack and his trick-pony - what a hoot!
The old Narracoorte track in SA was only 2 1/2 furlongs, like Wayville, but Greenwald must handled both tracks OK. One night the horses were on the track and, the story goes, when the chief steward spotted Greenwald was missing a hopple carrier strap. It was substituted by a piece of hay band! The steward ordered it removed and sent the clerk of course to get a proper hopple carrier.
The clerk of course returned, sans carrier strap! The race was delayed for several more minutes while a desperate search went on for the piece of hay band tossed over the fence a few minutes earlier!