Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and Boys,
Today , we are gathered at James Cook Boys Technology High School , the site of old Moorefield Racecourse. to acknowledge two important events.
It is 65 years ago today that the last race was held at Moorefield. I rode on the last day and had 6 rides ; I did not have any winners. It is fitting that I am here today to co-launch Anne’s book with Rick Buckland and John Dwyer.
I am aware that Anne has been working very hard on the History of Moorefield Racecourse for many years. Moorefield Racecourse has been largely neglected in our history, so Anne’s research is very important to both our racing and local history.
Anne decided on this date, July 14,2016 to launch the electronic copy, as it corresponded to the date of the last race. The hard copy will be launched on October 13, 2016 to correspond to the first race meeting in 1888.
My early days as an apprentice jockey,were in 1947-1948 when i was 17 and 18 . I was apprenticed to Bayley Payten at Randwick , and was taught to ride thoroughbred horses. I was only 5 stone 8 at the time and my Master decided to take me to Moorefield.
On my way out to Moorefield , he told me a bit about Moorefield and how different it was to other tracks. I was to have 3 rides and get used to the hill . While I was in the Jockeys Room ,my Master told me to talk to Darby Munro, Bill Cook and Jack Thompson about the track, and the hill .
The next time we went to Moorefield, I was booked to ride a horse called Royal Court for George Ryder. It was trained by my Master, and it was weighted at 7 stone . I claimed 7lb, which brought the weight down to 6 stone 7lb.
Mr Payten told me that I had a great chance, and told me to go straight to the front, and steady her up the hill . And when I got to the top of the hill , then I was to go for my life down the hill to the winning post. I won this race, and I felt like the Man from Snowy River. I should say the boy from Snowy River . The filly paid 9 pound 75 shillings.
Sadly , my Master died 6months after this race, at 54 years of age
The day I remember most at Moorefield, was the big storm on March 4,1950. A crowd of 21,000 were present at the races this day
The storm came in from the south with thunder , lightning, and hail – it turned day into night. All horses were at the barrier when the lightning knocked out the power.
The newspaper reporters ran to the press room and the public jumped the fence and ran into the stand .The pressmen were trapped and could not get out to see the race. Everyone in the stand got wet ,including my mother, who was sitting with Margaret Podmore , George’s wife.
The starter released the horses. Lachie Melville, the broadcaster , could not see the horses. The judge and the stewards also could not see the race until 100 yards from the winning post.
All the jockeys came back in 3lb over weight,as all of their boots were filled with water. Then, the stewards abandoned the rest of the races.
My mother , until the day she died, always used to talk about the storm at Moorefield .
Ray Selkig .
