Mr Spyro

Well done to a real good bloke and a damn hard worker. He deserves any success that comes to him.

After today's efforts look more Mickey Mouse than ever. A $ 7 shot totally written off but nothing compared with writing off a $ 3.50 winner. Worst of all " others in this race are better " went out favourite at $ 2. 70 and won. Sure we can read the comments for a laugh but bettors knew to the game might take them seriously and be totally put off.

Richard Cranium was quite clever.

What terrible news. Have lost too many friends the same way, just go to sleep and never wake up. Hard to get your head around such events and often seems no reason why it happens to those in the prime of their lives.

Only met JD once but left a lasting impression with his generosity and joie de vivre. Always remember a story a bar owner mate of his told us about JD. He had been in Auckland hospital for an operation on his leg, still on crutches, on the way home he stopped the taxi while he went into mate's bar for a beer. His mate made the mistake of telling him a joke, JD laughed so hard he banged the operated leg on the table, hobbled out to still waiting taxi and it headed back to the hospital. Reckon shortest discharge ever. There are too few genuine , decent characters in this life they we can afford to lose people like JD.

Reminds me years ago when Mike Brown had Shiny City Shoes. George Simon kept calling it as you could imagine after trying to get it right. In frustration he finally yelled out at the trails " Who's the bastard that named this " LOL

Yes he probably had good reasons for that. Noted Popplewell say everyone on course short of ambulance man was tipping it.

The form comments in regard to Race 1 at Te Aroha today. Tale Of The Gypsy ' Prefer to watch, wide draw and others are better " Returns odds of $ 2.90. Okay, no one takes any notice but makes the thing look so amateur , if whoever / whatever is responsible for comments is so hopeless why bother ? I got better horse sense out of my late brother in law and bless his heart, he was Down's Syndrome.

Backed a horse today Mr Intelligence, comment " Others Better " . Fair enough when you looked at awful form, but had not bad firm track form. However Clint Isdale's horse " Racing poorly and expected to race poorly again today " Ahhh no , ran 2nd at $ 1.50 place, paying around $ 5 to win, so not expected to run bad at all. Sometimes the comments are so wide of the mark, I think my cat could select better my sticking her paw on a page,

Backed the winner.......... but backed every horse in race thinking maybe an upset, Just a fluke, one comment was " Don't waste your money " another " Don't throw your money away " How could it win after Caulfield Cup run ? Only thing with TAB problem could only get F / Odds of $ 71 but never mind.

It was a pleasure to have known Reg ( as long as you didn't grab his mince savouries , but that's another story ) Fine man ! " More breakers than Piha Beach " was another one . much later " It's all over, shut the door and put out the cat "

One more actually a galloper but never mind. I worked with a guy whose wife was luckiest punter of all time. One day she took field in first leg with one horse in second, the first leg came in and paid $ 203 ! Her second leg bolted in for about $ 600 double. , Anyway I got this big tip for horse at Wellington, told him and he told her. The horse ran like a leaky tap and that was that. On Wednesday he came to me and said " My wife said thanks for the tip " Thought he was being sarcastic , but he said no, it had started again on Tuesday at Nelson and paid $ 102 for the win and she collected big time. This poor sod didn't even know it was running.

Yes and owned by Menzies family. I think Murray Menzies played rugby for Auckland. Diogenes was so erratic but tons of ability. Sadly I think he broke a leg and had to be put down.

When I was just a High School kid my mother's friend owned a trotter called Diogenes . He was one of those types where you held your breath at start. I was betting underage and put on a treble at Mt Albert TAB, leaving him out. My mother had said she would put in money to cover him but I said keep your money Mum. Of course he bolted in at $ 10 from memory and I got the other two legs. $ 300 seems like stuff all today but to a kid at school back in the 70's that was a hell of a lot. When I started working quite a few years later it was still over 2 weeks wages.

From what I can gather through only agent I know personally. You would have to be prepared to watch race replays all the time, so you would need experience of being able to really read races. Then booking rides with trainers and am told some are a lot easier to deal with than others. Communicate and go over all rides with jockey at conclusion at end of day and give feedback. Fpr this you would get a certain amount for every ride you get them ,maybe $ 15 and then an agreed percentage of whatever stake they earn. Wouldn't think am easy way to make a living, not all jockeys would be easy to keep on straight and narrow acting as sort of mentor. If I was a jockey I'd go for an agent with good reputation who has not too many clients but one that has kept ones he does have a long time and seems to have a good relationship with trainers.