John Tapp Racing

25/09/2025

In lieu of our normal participant interview this week we’re presenting a profile on a famous racehorse of the 1950’s. This is the story of Carioca who won only three of his first nine starts and was frequently on the sidelines with chronic foot problems. As his hoof issues subsided, he embarked on an amazing journey.
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Plagued with chronic hoof issues in his early life, Carioca won only three of his first nine starts and spent long periods on the sidelines.

24/09/2025

Clarry Conners revisited familiar territory on Saturday when he was in the winner’s circle with Iceman after the Midway. The multiple Gr 1 winning trainer prepares no more than a dozen horses these days and shares a stable with son Marc. We catch up with Clarry to learn more about his latest city winner.
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With only ten or twelve horses in work these days, veteran trainer Clarry Conners doesn’t expect to have a glut of city runners.

24/09/2025

This week we profile trainer Clarry Conners. On the podcast, we present a tribute to a famous horse called Carioca from the 1950’s. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

Great to see veteran trainer Clarry Conners back in the Royal Randwick winner’s circle on Saturday - the scene of many of his greatest training triumphs. He was there after his first Gr 1 win with Victory Prince in the 1984 Sires Produce Stakes. He was there when Research completed the Derby/Oaks double in 1989. Clarry won the Midway on Saturday with Iceman, a horse he purchased as a yearling for $30,000. The four time Golden Slipper winning trainer has scaled his operation right back in recent years but continues to enjoy the only job he’s ever known. Clarry shares the Iceman story with us.

There’s a slight change to the podcast format this week. In lieu of our usual participant profile we present a tribute to one of the best horses of the 1950’s. Serious foot issues plagued a horse called Carioca for the first two years of his career. Suddenly his hoof wall problem improved and he embarked on an incredible journey. Please join us for the story of Carioca, the horse described by the elite jockey Billy Cook as the best he ever rode.

18/09/2025

Joining the podcast is Coffs Harbour trainer Sally Taylor who spends long hours giving her horses a very varied training routine. Sally talks about her unique way of doing things and says there’s nothing else she’d rather do than train racehorses.
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It’s always a pleasure to welcome a member of the country training ranks to the podcast. This week it’s Sally Taylor from the busy Coffs Harbour training hub, home to more than 100 horses. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

17/09/2025

We catch up with trainer Rod Northam, who’s obviously not displeased with his amazing win strike rate but places more emphasis on other things in the training of his 30 horse team. Rod’s win with Bullion Mover at Muswellbrook on Monday was his 18th for the season.
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“I try to keep strike rates out of my mind,” said in form trainer Rod Northam. “Trainers who worry about strike rates tend to barrier trial horses more often, waiting for the right races to come along.

17/09/2025

This week we profile trainer Rod Northam, and on the podcast, we chat with trainer Sally Taylor. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

Scone trainer Rod Northam admits he has mixed feelings about strike rates. He quotes the former top trainer Guy Walter who said trainers should worry about how many races a horse wins, and how much prize money it accumulates for its owner or owners. That said, Rod Northam currently boasts one of the best winning strike rates in Australian racing for the new season.

The fifty four year old talks about his apathy towards strike rates and explains his reasons why. He shares the story of the chance visit to a Hunter Valley broodmare farm where he literally stumbled upon the yearling destined to win him a string of races including Saturday’s TAB Highway at Rosehill. We take a look at Rod’s journey in the racing industry and the expert tuition he gained from several top horsemen before launching his solo training career.

We go to Coffs Harbour for this week’s podcast interview and to a young lady who can’t imagine doing anything other than training racehorses. Thirty two year old Sally Taylor won the listed Grafton Cup within three months of gaining her trainer’s licence and has maintained a steady average of winners ever since.

Sally keeps her team of horses to eighteen for very good reason. She wants to have the time to give each horse some variation in its training routine. She’s at Boambee Beach several times a week, often uses dressage with intractable horses, loves to work them in a sand equestrian arena and sometimes takes them for trail rides. It’s interesting to hear her talk about the importance of variety in the daily training regime of racehorses. She won’t be changing her methods anytime soon.

11/09/2025

Great to finally get Ron Dufficy onto the podcast. The popular Sky personality talks about the diversified path that led him to his current role. He shares some great stories from his brief but successful riding career.
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Ron Dufficy’s reputation as an astute judge of racehorses evolved very early in his apprenticeship to Bart Cummings. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

10/09/2025

There was no happier trainer at Randwick on Saturday than Todd Smart. In winning with So Magnificent he bagged his first TAB Highway, and his maiden win at historic Randwick. Todd shares the backstory behind his Kosciuszko prospect.
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“If I could find a way to bottle the feeling I got on Saturday, I’d be marketing it all over the world,” said Todd Smart after So Magnificent’s win in the TAB Highway.

10/09/2025

This week we profile trainer Todd Smart, and on the podcast, we welcome Ron Dufficy. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

When the time came for Todd Smart to focus on his future career direction he had several choices. His qualifications as a welder would have guaranteed him permanent work anywhere, or he could have joined the family butchery business at Gundagai owned by his father Bob. He finally settled on a career with thoroughbred horses but opted for a thorough education under established horsemen before applying for his own licence.

Todd began his solo career ten years ago and hasn’t regretted the decision. He achieved two special milestones in winning with So Magnificent on Saturday - his first TAB Highway success and his very first training win at Royal Randwick. It was one very happy trainer who returned to his Canberra stables on Saturday night. He’ll now wait with bated breath hoping for some slot holder interest in So Magnificent for the upcoming Kosciuszko.

Our podcast guest this week is a man who’s never let the grass grow under his feet. Ron Dufficy has left his mark as a professional jockey, ace trackwork rider, jockey manager, form analyst and popular radio and TV personality.

“Duff” currently wears several hats with the Sky organisation and works hard to help supporters find winners week in and week out. He prefers not to dwell on his widely diversified career and took a fair bit of pinning down for this chat. We were lucky to strike Ron Dufficy in reminiscent mood.

04/09/2025

Our podcast has also been plucked from the archives. A larger than usual volume of requests for a Kevin Moses interview have prompted us to repeat a 2020 podcast with the man who rode 2300 winners before going on to train another 364. Kev’s at his best in this one.
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I’ve all but lost count of the number of requests we’ve received for an interview with Kevin Moses. The most recent enquiry came from a regular podcast listener at a Sydney RSL Club. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

03/09/2025

Curiosity still exists among younger racing enthusiasts about the deeds of nineteenth century thoroughbred phenomenon Carbine. Some historians rate Carbine superior to all of the champions who’ve followed. Read more about “Old Jack” in this week’s content.
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Voltaire, the eighteenth century French writer and philosopher is credited with the well known quote “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it”.

03/09/2025

This week we visit the archives with a story about legendary Carbine, and a replay of our podcast with former jockey Kevin Moses. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

I was more than surprised at a suburban barbecue recently when a young man in his mid twenties was keen to talk about Australia’s greatest ever racehorses. He’d obviously been smitten by the deeds of Winx, and Black Caviar and was aware of Makybe Diva’s astonishing record. He even knew a little about the legendary Kingston Town.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when he suddenly posed a few questions about Carbine. I was happy to tell him more about the nineteenth century marvel. That young racing enthusiast was incredulous of the achievements of the horse known as “Old Jack.” The conversation prompted me to pluck from the archives, a story we presented on the website some years ago. Love to share it with you again. If you’re unaware of Carbine’s deeds, you’ll be every bit as gobsmacked as the young bloke at the barbecue.

The archives have been visited twice this past week. A bigger than usual number of requests have been forthcoming for a podcast with former ace jockey and successful trainer Kevin Moses. The enquirers in question were unaware that Kevin had been a podcast guest in 2020. That’s our cue to give Moses another run on our weekly podcast.

A few of Kev’s answers have become dated but in the main, little has changed in the life of a man who rode 2300 winners including twenty two Gr 1’s, before training 364 winners including a Gr 1 Sydney Cup. Kev’s wry sense of humour is ever present as he looks back on half a century in the racing industry.