October
MarchLiving the dream
I write to congratulate Rod Nicholson on his article (Herald Sun 19/2) regarding the sad demise of TVN, and to talk about an additional positive effect that TVN has had, from another perspective.
My life was at a low ebb in early 2011 after the death of my wife, Angela, in July 2010. It had been our intention to investigate the possibility of becoming involved in racehorse ownership prior to her illness. We both had enjoyed going to the races and had been part of the Winners Circle Club and Group One Racing, run by Ted Cockram, and TVN had been part of our Foxtel package. However, for the 18 months of Angela’s illness racing was forgotten.
In March/April of 2011, I happened to be watching the TVN coverage of a country meeting when Pat Carey was interviewed, and I remembered how he had befriended Angela when he was training at Epsom. So I looked up his website and after investigation and meeting Pat and his wife, Cheryl, decided to purchase 10-percent shares in two two-year-old fillies. They were subsequently named Angela’s Dream and Our Recital.
Angela’s Dream had some success, winning two races (one after the longest protest hearing at Sandown) while Our Recital was not a great success and was sold to a Tasmanian trainer.
Regardless, the difference this involvement has made to my life has been enormously positive.
My family now meet up on a regular basis at the races, instead of at funerals, and some of them have joined me in ownership in other horses. I have made many new friends and seen parts of Victoria I would not have visited.
I am now retired and, at 66, I look forward to many years of enjoying going racing.
I grew up in an era when the only coverage of racing on TV was on World of Sport and the impression was that this was something we could watch, but only the rich could be involved with ownership. However, I have seen my colours worn to victory by Angela’s Dream and Elle Excite.
I can now go excitedly to the first jumpout of an untried young horse, get to know legends of racing like Gauci and King and in 2013 be in the mounting yard at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day. For a boy from Colac, a dream come true.
The role that TVN has played in my journey has been very important, because to a large degree it has been able to demystify the racing industry by bringing the real people before the public. I am now involved in seven horses with three different trainers, and I am sure that if it hadn’t been for the live coverage of raceday activities, the breeding shows, trial replays and other TVN programs, I would not have racing as an important part of my life.
Like a lot of what I have experienced, a lot of what Rod Nicholson pointed out cannot be quantified on a balance sheet.
For all the participants in racing in Victoria, I hope a way can be found to make “complete” racing available on TV as soon as possible.
Dingley Village (Vic)