John Tapp Racing

23/07/2025

This week we profile Harry’s Bar and her trainer Paul Murray. On the podcast we chat with Toowoomba trainer Lindsay Hatch. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

Kembla trainer Paul Murray was left speechless when his promising mare Harry’s Bar missed a place in a race at Canterbury last month. He soon worked out why. He simply hadn’t given the four year old enough time to recover after a tough run at her previous start.

He left it four weeks before he started her again and the result was spectacular. Harry’s Bar bounded straight to the lead in Saturday’s Midway at Rosehill and was never in danger of defeat. Paul outlines the backstory behind Harry’s Bar from the time of her purchase from an Inglis Digital Sale.

I’ve never met Toowoomba trainer Lindsay Hatch, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about the man. He learned from the best before going solo as a horse trainer and his subsequent results tell the story. 630 wins and a couple of Toowoomba premierships are testimony to his ongoing success.

Early in life Lindsay dreamed of a riding career. He rode more than 80 winners and won a Gold Coast apprentice’s premiership before weight terminated his dream. Today he operates a dual training enterprise with stables at Toowoomba and Townsville. Lindsay joins the podcast this week to look back on his life in the racing game.

17/07/2025

We finally catch up with Alf Matthews on the podcast - a man who looks back on a three phase career - a 10 time Gr 1 winning jockey, popular media contributor and respected apprentice jockey coach. Alf tells his story this week.
https://buff.ly/NKrysvM

Racing Victoria has always placed enormous importance on the education and welfare of the state’s junior jockeys. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

16/07/2025

Andrew Adkins can’t keep out of the winner’s circle lately. The popular lightweight jockey has landed 3 metro doubles in recent weeks with plenty of singles in between. We have a yarn with a hard worker who’s bounced back from a spate of injuries in recent years.
https://buff.ly/WD8ija4

You wouldn’t expect a twenty eight year old jockey to have heard of a German playwright called Carl Zuckmayer let alone one of his better known quotes.

16/07/2025

This week we profile jockey Andrew Adkins, and on the podcast, we welcome former jockey Alf Matthews. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

Always pleasing to see Andrew Adkins boot home a city winner. Just lately he’s been doing it on a regular basis with three metro doubles thrown in for good measure. The much liked twenty eight year old has overcome the lion’s share of bad luck in recent years. At one stage his injury tally stood at four serious accidents in fifteen months, but he refused to stay down.

Andrew’s been a regular at Saturday provincial meetings in recent seasons, but just lately rides aplenty have been coming in town. He’s very light, as strong as an ox and gets on famously with horses. Caught up with “Andy” on Sunday morning and you won’t believe where he was. Please read on!

Alf Matthews has been on my shortlist of potential podcast guests for a long time. I acquired the former jockey’s mobile number from his work colleague Darren Gauci recently and immediately tracked him down. Alf and Darren have been sharing apprentice coaching duties with Racing Victoria for a few years now. Melbourne apprentices are blessed to have them both as friends and advisers.

Alf Matthews’ riding career began in Adelaide 1972, and finished in Melbourne 26 years later. His impressive CV is highlighted by 1603 winners including ten Gr 1’s and a long list of black type victories. Between his riding and coaching careers, Alf developed a strong following as a presenter and form analyst on radio and television. He joined the Sky Channel racing team when the satellite station launched its home service in 1998 and was still actively involved 15 years later. Alf Matthews has crammed a heck of a lot into his 69 years. His story makes for a very interesting podcast.

12/07/2025

Pleased to present Steve Hart’s recent Brisbane interview with Larry Cassidy who’s riding career was terminated by the legacy of an old index finger injury. Larry talks of his future plans.
https://buff.ly/x7nyM01

Steve cranked up his dual purpose camera recently and flew to Brisbane to catch up with recently retired Larry Cassidy.

11/07/2025

Pleased to nominate Wangaratta horseman Andrew Dale as the Pryde’s Easifeed Country Trainer Of The Month. We take a look at his results for the month of June.
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Wangaratta based Andrew Dale turned in a strong performance for the month with five winners and eight placings generated by a team of just 25 horses.

10/07/2025

On the podcast is ace Melbourne jockey Luke Currie who’s currently on the sidelines. It’s a laid back chat with one of the most respected riders in the tough Melbourne arena.
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Many punters have noted the absence of Luke Currie from the Melbourne riding ranks in recent weeks. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS.)

09/07/2025

A heavy workload at Sunday’s Grafton meeting kept Brett Bellamy away from Rosehill where Lordster gave the Coffs Harbour trainer his first TAB Highway win. Brett shares the full story.
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Those who had visions of Brett Bellamy punching the air at Rosehill when Lordster won Saturday’s TAB Highway were wide of the mark.

09/07/2025

This week we profile trainer Brett Bellamy. On the podcast we welcome jockey Luke Currie. We share Pryde’s EasiFeed Country Trainer of the Month, and we share a Steve Hart interview with Larry Cassidy. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

Ideally Brett Bellamy would have loved to be at Rosehill to watch his horse Lordster win the TAB Highway, but a heavy weekend workload saw him change his plans. Neighbouring Coffs Harbour trainer Donna Grisedale also had a runner in the race and offered to bring Brett’s horse to Rosehill. Coincidentally the Coffs duo provided the quinella with Grisedale’s Powder Man having no luck.

Caught up with Brett on Sunday to check out the Lordster story. He acquired the horse through a connection with a Victorian stud farm. Lordster isn’t the first winner he’s inherited from the same stud. Brett has become a “go-to” trainer for the occasional horse considered not good enough for Melbourne or major provincial tracks.

While on Victorian racing we’re delighted to present a podcast with popular jockey Luke Currie, currently sidelined with a knee issue. Luke is one of Melbourne’s most respected riders, best known for his cool, calm demeanour in races. Fifteen hundred winners and 13 Gr 1’s is testimony to his long time success.

Steve Hart flew to Brisbane with his dual purpose camera recently to catch up with retired jockey Larry Cassidy. The multiple premiership winning jockey was forced to quit the saddle when a troublesome index finger failed to repair as expected. Steve talks to Larry about his stellar career and long range future plans. We’re delighted to give Steve’s interview a run this week.

The Pryde’s EasiFeed Country Trainer Of The Month is Andrew Dale who works only twenty five horses at Wangaratta but reeled off five wins and eight placings for the month. The former AFL player has maintained an excellent strike rate since opening his door as a public trainer just ten years ago.

03/07/2025

Numerous requests for a podcast with Jeff Lloyd recently sent us to the archives. It’s a pleasure to revisit a podcast recorded in 2019 immediately after the retirement of one of the world’s most successful jockeys. For those not aware of Jeff Lloyd’s achievements, this is a must listen.
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A remarkable riding career came to an end at Doomben in July 2019 when Jeff Lloyd donned the silks for the final time. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR MORE PHOTOS)

02/07/2025

Few trainers have had a better trot in the first half of 2025 than Newcastle’s Mark Minervini. With a team of just 20 horses in work, Mark has saddled up 17 winners since January. We catch up with the former South Australian.
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Mark Minervini is quietly chuffed with the way his boutique stable has been chugging along since the beginning of 2025. 

02/07/2025

This week we profile trainer Mark Minervini, and on the podcast we replay an interview with former jockey Jeff Lloyd. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

It seems that small team trainer Mark Minervini hasn’t stopped winning races in the first half of 2025. The former South Australian horseman rarely has more than 20 horses in his Newcastle stables, and places them judiciously. He’s happy to travel long distances to find suitable races for his horses.

Mark has produced seventeen winners and eighteen placings from a limited number of runners since January, including four doubles. After a successful 28 years in Adelaide the astute trainer made the bold decision to move his operation to Newcastle in 2019 and doesn’t have a single regret. We take a look at his recent hot streak.

We’ve had a number of requests for a podcast with retired jockey Jeff Lloyd, father and manager of Zac and Jaden Lloyd. We actually recorded a podcast with Jeff following his final day of riding in 2019, when the Brisbane racing fraternity gave him a memorable sendoff.

This man’s career statistics are quite overwhelming. 5500 winners over 41 years in 7 countries. For those who missed the original post six years ago, we’re delighted to give it another run. Hope you enjoy the Jeff Lloyd podcast take two!