October
AugustI remember Sullivan
John Adams in his excellent column (23/7) mentioned Roy Higgins winning at Caulfield on Sullivan.
I had recently formed a friendship with a young lady and took her to the races on that day. I had never taken a lady to the races before and have never done so since.
My only bet for the day was $10 win only on Conference in the staying race at 16-1.
It was a wet and gloomy day and there were two horses in the race with similar colours, Conference and another, the name of which I forget.
Joe Brown confused the colours and called Conference by the name of the other horse for most of the race, but I could see that my fancy had had the run of the race.
Joe discovered his error when they entered the straight and began calling Conference as the one looming up to win. The horse burst to the front at about the furlong pole and had the race won when Sullivan, under a masterly ride by Higgins, burst through on the rails to win narrowly.
The brilliant ride cost me $160. At the time I was earning $40 a week, so it was no small loss. The best entertainment I could offer my lady friend on the way home was a cup of very inferior coffee at a café near Flinders St. station. Thereafter I always went to the races alone.
The story is not all gloom, however. The lady in question and I have been married for almost 49 years.
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