John Tapp Racing

08/10/2025

Trainer Michael Freedman and jockey Tommy Berry are on the crest of a spring carnival wave at the moment. Their wins include Saturday’s Flight Stakes. Berry talks about an association that began in Singapore.
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The Michael Freedman/ Tommy Berry partnership has been a major talking point in the early weeks of the Sydney spring carnival.

07/10/2025

This week we profile the Tommy Berry and Michael Freedman partnership. On the podcast, we chat with country trainer Cameron Crockett. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

Michael Freedman and Tommy Berry have created a buzz in Sydney racing with a flurry of wins together in recent weeks. They capped a sequence of black type wins with a Gr 1 success on Saturday courtesy of the hulking filly Apocalyptic in the prestigious Flight Stakes.

Tommy hadn’t even met Michael Freedman when he accepted the trainer’s offer to ride a horse called Tropaios in the 2013 Singapore Gold Cup. An exciting win in the famous race laid the foundation for an ongoing friendship and a winning association that has never been more productive than it is currently. Had a yarn with Tom on Sunday about his connection with the burgeoning Freedman operation at Randwick.

On the podcast is Scone trainer Cameron Crockett who boasts the third best strike rate in NSW racing after just two months of the new season. Cameron made a big splash at the recent Dubbo Cup meeting when he landed three outright winners and one dead heat on the big card.

The 39 year old learned his craft from late father Max who enjoyed great prominence as a yearling breaker and professional racehorse trainer before his death at age 74 in 2018. Cameron says his dad was a great tutor even though he didn’t offer too much praise. This is a laid back chat with a born horseman who says he’s in the game for the long haul.

07/10/2025

Thanks RaceQ. What an honour.

02/10/2025

In response to several email requests we’re going to repost a 2020 podcast with former champion country jockey Greg Ryan. This was recorded just six weeks before he quit the saddle with an amazing 4035 winners on his CV.
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“I’ll just wake up one day and say to myself that’ll do me,” was the reply given by Greg Ryan when quizzed about a likely retirement date on a podcast posted on October 27th 2020.

01/10/2025

Few Midway performances have been more impressive than the barnstorming win by Meridiana on Saturday. The lightly raced four year old mare looks a budding prospect for stronger races. John Sargent shares the story of the cheap online purchase.
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John Sargent was surprised two years ago when stable client Michael Stokes called to say he’d purchased a two year old filly on New Zealand Bloodstock’s Gavelhouse.com online sale for the princely sum of $3200.

01/10/2025

This week we profile Meridiana and her trainer John Sargent. On the podcast, we replay an interview with former jockey Greg Ryan. Brought to you by . View the stories at www.johntapp.racing

Meridiana’s explosive finishing run in Saturday’s Midway indicated she’s a mare capable of winning in stronger company. The four year old daughter of Preferment has won two from five so far, and was stakes placed at Eagle Farm in her first preparation. Her trainer, the ever astute John Sargent shares the backstory behind this $3200 online purchase.

In response to recent emails, we’re going to repost a podcast recorded with Greg Ryan in October 2020. At the time the veteran country jockey was 54 and still riding in races but giving strong consideration to calling it quits. Six weeks later it happened in the most unpretentious way. Greg had completed a book of six rides at a Mudgee meeting which pleasingly yielded one win on Without Shame for longtime supporter Sue Grills.

As he placed his gear into the boot of the car for the return trip to Dubbo, something told him this was the last time. Greg admits the transition has been very tough, but he’s been able to overcome the withdrawals by assuming a busy role with son Isaac’s growing tree service operation. The popular jockey retired with an astonishing total of 4035 wins, second only to Robert Thompson who has the Australian record of 4447. If you missed Greg’s podcast five years ago, here’s a chance to catch up.

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.