RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
crustyngrizzly

Trainer/Jockey gone

Recommended Posts

Des Riordan trainer/jockey passed away today . 

Mateland,Mannix,Grizzly,Heflu come to mind amongst others.

Would have turned 90 on 1/4/22.

One of the last links with the Mighty Mainbrace who he rode in trackwork on a regular basis and often strapped him on raceday after riding in earlier races.

 

Also won a division of the GTNorthern Oaks on Chickadee trained by Jack McDonald.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Crusty,

Really really sad to hear about the passing of Des Riordan today.

As a youngster he was my hero alongside his foreman,(and Dad) Mike Claydon

Like you said Crusty , Mateland, Mannix , Heflu, Grizzly  Arralucca, Set, Ocean Monarch , Bonnybard, Le Fripon the half brother to Le Filou,  Gaydrill, Wattle and how about Grasshopper, Des's last winner as a trainer, D A Peake , from a mile last at Te Rapa, gets up down the outside fence when Te Rapa used to be a bog .

And all the advice he had for his great mate Jim Mouat who trained Danzapride.

Mind you I had a heap of advice over the years as well and yes Des , it worked !!

Noel ( Il Tempo), Johnny(JP) Sailing Home and Summer Regent who won a Cox Plate and then there was Des, Rider of Baby Dakar and Keith and trackwork rider of MAINBRACE ..

Des trained Grizzly to win the George Adams Tattersalls(Now the Thorndon Mile) on the 1st day and then Grizzly and brother Noel come out and win the Telegraph on the last day !

Absolute Legend and an absolute gentleman, looked after everybody he could in Te Awamutu and the Waikato in everybody;'s later years

RIP Des

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Charlie Bukowski said:

Crusty,

Really really sad to hear about the passing of Des Riordan today.

As a youngster he was my hero alongside his foreman,(and Dad) Mike Claydon

Like you said Crusty , Mateland, Mannix , Heflu, Grizzly  Arralucca, Set, Ocean Monarch , Bonnybard, Le Fripon the half brother to Le Filou,  Gaydrill, Wattle and how about Grasshopper, Des's last winner as a trainer, D A Peake , from a mile last at Te Rapa, gets up down the outside fence when Te Rapa used to be a bog .

And all the advice he had for his great mate Jim Mouat who trained Danzapride.

Mind you I had a heap of advice over the years as well and yes Des , it worked !!

 

 

Trained a winner for Jim Mouat.Lepanto fresh up at Ellerslie with Gary Grylls up.

His last winner was Grass Cutter and as you say come down the outside when 3/4 lengths last before the turn.Plenty of others like Coppertime,Revello,Ngakonui,Happy, plus he saddled up the jackpot killer at Te Awamutu ,Just Regal,for his friend Jack Hayes.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Tardini winner of the Avondale Cup another that comes to mind but the horse that created much laughter around my kitchen table was JUROBI.

Many a dispute was had regarding the trainers ability and that of the man who purchased it.

All in good fun and washed down with a cup of tea and a generous supply of bakery food from TAs best.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I will always remember Arralucca. ....circa 1965

At Ellerslie one day when I was a schoolboy my mate and I spotted a guy throwing away a big wad of tickets in the back parade ring. Curious we walked over and checked it out. They were double tickets , I think in those days they had 3 on a raceday this was the early one. He'd had a good go at tearing through them but due to the number most were ok. The concession doubles were a really new thing and these were winning concession tickets so we sheepishly went to the old tote windows and stood tall...... each one was worth about $15 which was big stuff in those days.

We had a very good day at the races , went into town and bought a brand new pair of 10 x 50's each , shouted our parents to Tony's for dinner and went snapper fishing ( Blue Boats ) on the Waitemata for the next few August holidays.

In those days snapper fishing was drppping a hand line with four hooks  over the side of the boat and pulling four big snapper up untill you 1/2 filled a coal sack NOT a silly sugar bag either.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 3/6/2022 at 11:31 PM, Charlie Bukowski said:

Crusty,

Really really sad to hear about the passing of Des Riordan today.

As a youngster he was my hero alongside his foreman,(and Dad) Mike Claydon

Like you said Crusty , Mateland, Mannix , Heflu, Grizzly  Arralucca, Set, Ocean Monarch , Bonnybard, Le Fripon the half brother to Le Filou,  Gaydrill, Wattle and how about Grasshopper, Des's last winner as a trainer, D A Peake , from a mile last at Te Rapa, gets up down the outside fence when Te Rapa used to be a bog .

And all the advice he had for his great mate Jim Mouat who trained Danzapride.

Mind you I had a heap of advice over the years as well and yes Des , it worked !!

Noel ( Il Tempo), Johnny(JP) Sailing Home and Summer Regent who won a Cox Plate and then there was Des, Rider of Baby Dakar and Keith and trackwork rider of MAINBRACE ..

Des trained Grizzly to win the George Adams Tattersalls(Now the Thorndon Mile) on the 1st day and then Grizzly and brother Noel come out and win the Telegraph on the last day !

Absolute Legend and an absolute gentleman, looked after everybody he could in Te Awamutu and the Waikato in everybody;'s later years

RIP Des

 

Back in the  70s The Telegraph was run on the first day of the Cup Meeting, as was the Cup.  In 1970 Il Tempo won the Wellington Cup with a brilliant performance coming from last  3 furlongs out to be in front just inside the furlong and winning with ease. Then Grizzly won The Telegraph later in the day, The George Tattersalls was run on the last day of the meeting  and  in 1970 it was won by Honey Belle. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

and Charlie

you missed my one of my favourites - big old Finton, a son of Ruddington. I remember one morning riding him and leading 1 each side to the track from the Pekerau stables and as we passed the Park Lodge motel on the main road their telephone bell on the outside of the motel rang, extremely loud, and Finton jumped 10 feet sideways, right in to the middle of the road. Thank goodness nothing was coming although I think I may have slightly shit my pants!!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice funeral was had yesterday and it started with a wonderful recording of Peter Kelly calling the 1967 Wgtn Guineas win of MANNIX over HIGH DELIGHT.Incidentally 1967  was also the year that Des's loved ST PATRICKS RFC won the first Waikato wide club rugby competition along with Kereone who they tied with.

That was the race that Mannix broke down in..

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.