Ashlee Grives nee Siejka left a  big imprint on the NSW race driving scene with an impressive tally of 800 winners. She trained many of them in her own right. In more recent years Ash has dabbled in the training of thoroughbreds largely with online purchases. It’s well documented that she has won a race or two with most of them. During her years in the trotting game the gifted horsewoman worked as a veterinary nurse for the famous Randwick Equine Centre, spending much of her time assisting in the operating theatre. Her interest in the anatomy of the horse has remained with her ever since, and played a part in her recent decision to go full time into Equine Rehabilitation. Ash joins us on the podcast to look back on her outstanding career in harness racing, a brief but successful stint as a gallops trainer and a recent transition into a brand new phase of her life. 

The Bathurst born horsewoman talks about the grind of horse training and travelling in recent years, interspersed by the arrival of daughter Dulcie and son Reggie.

Ash believes she was beginning to identify the symptoms of “burn-out” after more than twenty years of non stop racing involvement.

She says her interest in rehabilitation work surfaced when friends asked her to try her methods on a handful of unsound horses. She produced some excellent results.

Ashlee outlines the procedure she intends to adopt on horses coming through her practice. Vets will be working with her throughout every programme.

She talks of the unwavering support of Ryan Grives, her husband of ten years. Ryan, a bricklayer by trade, knew little about horses but learned very quickly.

Ash takes us back to early days when her father Michael Siejka was working as a concreter in Bathurst and hobby training a handful of pacers before and after work. She was in the trotting sulky from an early age.

She says the defining  moment came when her father sent her to Melbourne to look after a three year old he’d entered for the heats and Final of the Victoria Pacing Derby. By the time the teenager was back in Bathurst she was completely sold on the harness sport.

Ash still laughs about her maiden race drive at Bathurst. She thought she’d followed Michael’s instructions to the letter, and was bewildered by the blast that came her way.

The rising star made sure she didn’t make the same mistake on the same horse a couple of weeks later.

Ash talks about her first job away from horses. It didn’t take her long to realise office work was not for her.

She talks of a  move to Sydney soon after, and an appointment as a veterinary nurse with the famous Randwick Equine Centre. 

Ash says she had a couple of pacers in training during her time in Sydney. It wasn’t long before a handful of her veterinary colleagues joined the ownership of one of her horses- with happy results.

She remembers the thrill of being booked by leading trainer Paul Fitzpatrick to handle a talented mare in a race for all female drivers at Harold Park.

Ashlee looks back on her amazing season in 2009/2010 when she drove the staggering total of 160 NSW winners. Midway through that stellar term she became the first female to top 100 wins for a harness racing season in NSW.

We give Ashlee plenty of time to pay tribute to her all time favourite horse, and the best she’s ever driven. She takes us back to the Bathurst Yearling Sale in 2013 when she acquired a plain little filly for $3500. Ash recaps Ameretto’s stunning racing career and the horrific setback that would cost the bonny mare her life. 

Ash looks back on a great winning association with prominent Gold Coast owner Greg Brodie. One of the horses in question, a gelding called Lochinver won 24 races including the Truer Memorial.

The talented horsewoman acknowledges the deeds of a few other notable winners to come through her stables.

Ash touches on her brief stint as a thoroughbred trainer.

It’s a pleasure to announce the launch of a brand new career direction for a very gifted young horseperson. 

Lee Magorrian had never been on a horse’s back when he got a stablehand’s job with Joe Byrne in his native County Meath in 2009. He continued to work on the ground when he later transferred to legendary horsewoman Joanna Morgan. Lee’s life took an unexpected twist when he was encouraged by a friend to visit NZ where he made the snap decision to become an apprentice jockey. One hundred winners later, young Magorrian won a much sought after scholarship which springboarded him into a trip to Australia and a stint with premier trainer Chris Waller.

Lee says he’s been surprised by the ongoing support of  Chris Waller and several other trainers who patronise the Newcastle and Kembla Saturday meetings.

He talks about his patient style of riding and his efforts to look busy in tight finishes.

The jockey takes us back to childhood days in County Meath (IRE). He talks of siblings and the absence of racing in the family background.   

Lee says there was a time he had visions of becoming a primary school teacher but that ambition was quickly replaced by several sporting pursuits.                                                   

He admits to taking on his stablehand’s job for no other reason than to earn some pocket money. He pays tribute to two employers Joe Byrne and Joanna Morgan, both former outstanding jockeys.

He talks of a suggestion put to him by Samantha Wynne, an Irish jockey who was already working in NZ.

Lee looks back on his first apprenticeship to Roger James at his famous Kingscere Stables in Cambridge. Sadly the association didn’t work out.

He talks of a move to the stables of Shaun and Emma Clotworthy.

Lee remembers with clarity the thrill of his first winning ride at Ruakaka.

He reflects on a black type win at Te Rapa on a very smart horse called Barbaric.

Lee remembers an Ellerslie win on Rising Romance, almost certainly the best horse he got to ride in NZ.

The 31 year old hasn’t forgotten the thrill of his scholarship win, a whirlwind move to Sydney and a stint at the Waller stable.

Lee says he thought his first win for Waller would never come. He was immensely relieved to get home on Pianissimo at Warwick Farm.

He was thrilled to land a Saturday double at Royal Randwick not long after.

Lee talks of a win in an apprentice’s race on the ill fated Higher Ground. He had a big opinion of the gelding.

The jockey likes to claim some of the credit for the launch of Fangirl’s stellar career. He had the mount when Fangirl strolled home in a Goulburn maiden.

He recalls a win on Mo’unga when the horse was trained by Chris Waller.

He hasn‘t forgotten the thrill of his biggest single race day achievement, a four win haul at Newcastle.

Lee outlines his trackwork and barrier trial involvement.

He talks of a strong association with the Richard and Will Freedman yard.

Lee talks of a casual association with the Waterhouse/Bott stable. He recalls a Newcastle win on a horse destined for Derby success a few weeks later.

He talks of his connection with the Kris Lees stable.

Lee recalls the support he received from Blake Shinn in his early days in Sydney.

As a regular at the Saturday Kembla and Newcastle meetings, Lee says he’s formed strong camaraderie with a group of fellow riders.

It’s a laid back chat with a genial Irishman who followed his instincts after leaving the place of his birth.

With his team of gallopers now in single digits, Terry Robinson has few city runners these days. It seems like yesterday when he and a handful of fellow trainers were dominating the TAB Highway races on Sydney tracks. So great was Terry’s win rate in the first few years that he still occupies fourth place on the Highway trainer’s table with 21 wins. Prior to turning his hand full time to the training of thoroughbreds, T.JRobinson was one of the most respected drivers at the regular Friday night meetings at the now defunct Harold Park Paceway. His late father Kevin Robinson had also excelled as a dual code trainer over a long period of years. Terry was in the winner’s circle again recently when $51.00 “pop” Tai Lung greeted the judge in a midweek race at Warwick Farm. I gave him a call to offer congratulations and you could have knocked me over with a feather when he hinted at retirement. I couldn’t get him on the podcast quickly enough. Terry talks about his Warwick Farm winner and says Tai Lung is a high maintenance horse.

He talks about the inevitable scaling down of his Shoalhaven Heads training operation.

Terry pays tribute to the talents of his late father Kevin Robinson. He says lessons learned from his dad have served him well in his own long career.

The Robinson family have become famous for their ability to win races with unsound horses. Terry says the use of Seven Mile Beach at Gerroa has been their “ace card” over many years with both standardbreds and thoroughbreds.

Terry takes us back to his golden days at the trots and the wonderful horses he got to drive, with special mention of champions like Gammalite and Koala King.

He talks of Black Line- a freakishly talented young pacer who looked destined for stardom until a complicated spinal issue impeded his progress.

Terry talks of the special horses who’ve helped him to establish his reputation among thoroughbred trainers. He pays tribute to his favourite Art Cadeau, the late bloomer who finished up becoming the only horse to complete the Country Championship/Kosciuszko double.

The respected trainer talks of some of the horses who’ve helped him win 21 TAB Highways since the inception of the series in 2015.

Terry’s reputation as a work rider is well known. His long time involvement hasn’t been without its setbacks. He remembers two monumental “busters”- one at the Nowra racecourse, the other on Seven Mile Beach.

It’s well documented that Terry was one of twelve children. He hasn’t been able to emulate the deeds of his late father, but has posted a respectable score of six in the fatherhood stakes- four from his first marriage and another two with second wife Monique.

He talks about the 12 acre property at Shoalhaven Heads which has served as his training base for many years. His wife Monique runs a very successful beach and trail ride business from the same property. Monique looks after 18 saddle horses. Her former involvement as a trainer and work rider have given her a thorough understanding of the tough grind of professional horse training.   

It’s been a pleasure to welcome a sequence of popular country trainers to the podcast lately and we’re going “bush” again in our first interview for 2026.  Our guest is respected horseman Paddy Cunningham who’s currently the only trainer based at the Glen Innes racecourse in the NSW New England district. He and wife Kathy achieve consistent results with a team of just twelve horses, and are happy to travel long distances to find the right races for them. Paddy Cunningham put together a tidy record as a race rider before ongoing weight problems saw him transition to the training ranks. After two lengthy stints at Grafton and another at Caloundra, Cunningham returned to his native Glen Innes in 2016  and you’d need the army to shift him again. Paddy talks about the well appointed property he and Kathy share close to the Glen Innes track.

He looks back on his early days at Ben Lomond, a unique little village situated so far above sea level that snow isn’t uncommon in the winter months.

Paddy talks of his parents and siblings and the little pony that first introduced him to the sensation of speed on horseback.

He looks back on the circumstances that led him to an apprenticeship with local trainer Hunter Kilner and the unforgettable thrill of his very first day of race riding at an Inverell meeting. He made a spectacular start.

Paddy talks of consecutive Armidale Cup wins very early in his career. 

The jockey turned trainer says he quickly tired of continual wasting and ventured to the Northern Territory in search of a complete change of environment. He found employment at the famous Wave Hill station.

Paddy talks of his return to Glen Innes after a two year sabbatical and a resumption of trackwork duties for his old boss Hunter Kilner.

He talks of the mare who regenerated his interest and motivated his return to race riding. The same mare would later provide his first winning ride at Royal Randwick.

Paddy says he couldn’t believe his luck when another winner came along at Canterbury the very next day. Two weeks later the same horse was involved in a spectacular fall at Canterbury. Paddy was lucky to escape serious injury.

He remembers a wild ride he had on a Grafton Cup day in the 1970’s. Despite doing everything wrong the horse in question was able to score an amazing win.

Paddy talks about “the one that got away”. He regarded a horse called Final Say as the  best he’d ever ridden and was bitterly disappointed when the gelding went amiss.

He says unstable weight eventually hastened his retirement from race riding but has never regretted his brief but exciting few years in the saddle.

Paddy unhesitatingly nominated the  country jockey who inspired him the most.

He looks back on the low key beginning to his training career. Surprisingly he can’t remember his first win as a solo trainer. 

Cunningham talks of his training career to date- two stints at Grafton and a decade on the Sunshine Coast. His move to Caloundra coincided with daughter Kylie’s decision to become an apprentice jockey.

Paddy says he often travelled to faraway Queensland destinations in search of the right races for his horses.

He looks back on a return to Grafton in 2010. The winners flowed over a six year stint but he decided on yet another move when synthetic training tracks came to Grafton. He’s pretty vocal in his opposition to them.

Paddy elaborates on the talents of several nice horses who helped to forge his reputation as a very serious horse trainer.

He talks of Jodi Worley who rode work for the stable for close to five years before deciding to become a jockey. Paddy signed her up and the young rider got away to a spectacular start.

Paddy has always been one to support the jockeys who’ve supported him. He makes mention of a few special favourites.

Paddy pays tribute to best mate and devoted supporter wife Kathy whose behind-the-scenes work for Cunningham Racing has been unwavering. 

He and Kathy are the proud parents of four daughters. He brings us up to date on the whereabouts and current activities of the girls.

This is a laid back chat with a dedicated country horseman who can’t imagine a life away from horses.

Great to chat with a man who co-founded Hyperion Thoroughbreds, one of the very earliest racehorse syndication companies in Australia. We find out what Allan’s been doing since a crippling recession brought Hyperion’s operation to a halt in 1990.

It’s always a pleasure to talk to a dedicated bush trainer from any part of the nation. This week we go to the busy training hub at Dubbo and to one of its most respected participants. Dar (that’s his official christian name) was one of a family of jockeys from the tiny village of Carinda in the Walgett Shire. He spent more than 35 years as a respected member of the western riding ranks before having to quit following a serious kick from a nervous young horse. Dar has been training for some 14 years from a Dubbo base and has  no intention of trying any other job. Right off the top he appeases the curiosity about his first name.

Dar talks about his infrequent trips to town and says it takes a pretty handy horse to warrant a  crack at the city slickers. 

He made a rare appearance at Randwick on Saturday where his two runners were out of a place, Saint  Philomena and Elson Boy who had a pretty tough run. Dar says he travelled the horses to Sydney the day before in heatwave conditions.

He talks about a horse called Green Run who might earn a trip to the big smoke in the near future. The horse’s regular rider is out of action following a freak mounting yard accident recently.

Dar talks about his birthplace of Carinda which boasted a population of 200 during his childhood. 

The Dubbo based trainer reflects on the riding activities of four brothers.

Dar looks back on school days in Carinda and a move to Walgett as he reached a higher grade.This was when his association with thoroughbreds began under the tutelage of a veteran trainer.

He makes the frank confession that he wasn’t licensed at the time of his first few race rides.

He looks back on his first legitimate race ride and his first winner  way out west at Bourke.

Dar says he wasn’t dedicated to looking after his weight early days, but mended his ways soon after.

He talks of the shortage of race meetings in the west and the distances he had to travel to carve out a livelihood as a bush jockey.

Dar says he rarely rode on metropolitan tracks, but recalls one exciting win at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.

He says he could count his Sydney rides on one hand but reflects on a two year old race at Rosehill when he ran into a rising topliner.

The 64 year old remembers his final winning ride on the spacious Warren track on a horse trained by brother Garry.

Dar talks about the freakish accident that ended his riding career.

The experienced horseman takes us through the Elson Boy story- the unraced horse identified on line by one of his most supportive owners. Dar admits he made a few mistakes before working the gelding out. He takes us through some exciting wins and one heartbreaking setback.

Dar looks back on a horse he felt was going places before going amiss.

He looks back on a great association with a western trainer who was destined to become his father-in-law.

This was Dar’s cue to acknowledge the unwavering support of Jill, his wife of 39 years.

He and Jill are the proud parents of daughters Brianna and Layne. Brianna has in turn presented her parents with three grandchildren- all girls.

Dar speaks candidly of the sudden stroke that stopped him in his tracks just over two years ago. He hated the inactivity of his recovery but opted to do everything the doctors ordered.

Dar Lunn has earned the respect of all in NSW country racing. It’s a pleasure to have him on the podcast.

Ray Thomas’ recent decision to quit his high pressure role triggered a flood of tributes for the hugely popular media identity. Ray’s many fans were pleased to learn he’ll still be appearing on Sky Thoroughbred Central programmes “This Week Next Week” and “News Central” and intends to continue his long time hosting role on the Sunday morning edition of Sky Racing Radio’s “Big Sports Breakfast”. Ray’s passion for multiple sports was evident from an early age, but horse racing  prevailed when it was time for the aspiring journalist to settle on a career path. That career has been well documented, but I’d like to add my tribute to the many he’s already received from colleagues and followers. He’s our podcast guest this week. Ray begins by revisiting his final day in the Sydney Press Room, and the touching tribute accorded him in the Newscorp office a few days later.

The popular journalist talks about the effects of his sudden departure from a very busy role.

Ray talks about a 2023 health scare and the i decision to take stock of his hectic lifestyle. 

He talks of his late father’s career as an RAAF communications operator, a job that took him to several parts of the world. Young Raymond Grant was born during David Thomas’ Hong Kong stint in the early 1960’s. 

Ray looks back on his dad’s transfer to Perth where his love of sport began. His interest in horse racing was triggered by the deeds of two notable thoroughbred mares and one freakishly talented harness horse. Ray says one particular race call had an amazing impact on him.

The multimedia personality looks back on his own participation in Aussie Rules and cricket  during those early years in WA.

He talks of the decision to follow his father into the air force. 

Ray acknowledges his elderly mother Marlene and siblings Tony and Stacey.

He talks about his own nine year career with the RAAF.

Ray takes us through the progression of roles with the Melbourne Herald Sun, the Sydney based Sportsman and finally his transition to Daily Telegraph Racing Editor, an appointment that came out of the blue.

Ray takes us back to some of the biggest stories he covered from the mid nineties up to his recent retirement. From a media viewpoint some of them were veritable “bombshells”.

The sixty one year old takes delight in revisiting the five races he rates as the most memorable he got to cover for Newscorp.

Ray talks about the heartbreaking Friday afternoon in the Newscorp office when much loved Rugby League writer Peter Frilingos suffered a fatal heart attack at his desk.

The legendary journalist was enormously thrilled when appointed to the Daily Telegraph team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. To this day he savours memories of Cathy Freeman’s dash for gold in the 400m. He was thrilled to have what he called “the best seat in the house”. Ian Thorpe’s unforgettable final leg in the 4x100m relay remains another indelible memory. (Beat American Gary Hall Jnr who’d been making some idle threats in the media)

Perhaps the major sporting event Ray enjoyed the most as a working journalist was the Wimbledon men’s final of 2012 when Roger Federer won his seventh title at the All England Club. This was a bittersweet occasion for Ray whose father had passed away the previous year. 

He’s currently enjoying his new found role of grandfather to eighteen months old Charlotte. That role will soon be expanded.

This is a lovely stroll down memory lane with a legend of the Australian racing media.

My thanks to Luke Berger who suggested we should take a trip down memory lane with his grandfather John, who’s remembered as one of the best country trainers of his generation. The veteran was in his early 80’s when he relinquished his licence in 2014, but spent another five years helping out on the ground for grandson Luke. John had no special ambition when he began his training career in …. He simply loved horses and knew there was nothing else he wanted to do. Over the next three and a half decades John Berger became a trainer of great repute in northern NSW. 

He talks of the special anniversary he and wife Val celebrated recently.

John talks of his retirement from the training ranks and an enjoyable five years assisting grandson Luke.

The veteran takes a keen interest in Luke’s current role as a racehorse owner’s group manager.

John says he’d never been on a horse’s back at the time he walked into the stables of Glen Innes trainer Reg Madgewick in the 1950’s.

He looks back on Madgewick’s talents as a horseman.

John reflects on a long period away from horses and a move to Sydney with his young family in search of job opportunities. He stayed for seventeen years.

The former trainer remembers his move back to the country and a sapphire mining venture with brother Tony.

John recalls the acquisition of his trainer’s licence and the thrill of his first win at Bingara.

The respected horseman shares his memories of the handy bush horses he got to train over more than three decades, with special mention of his all time favourite Main Supply. 

John looks back on the methods he preferred to use in the training of thoroughbreds.

The veteran pays tribute to the country trainers and jockeys he most admired.

He looks back on the many bush race clubs he supported over the years.

You rarely get to talk to horsemen of John’s generation. It was a pleasure to have him on our podcast.

Clint Lundholm stands 182 cm and weighs in at 80kgs, but continues to ride regular trackwork at Dubbo. It’s hard to believe the same bloke was a professional jockey for close to three years in which time he posted 218 wins including a handful of country Cup successes. An eighteen month stint followed in the amateur ranks before he finally followed the family tradition of training racehorses. In just thirteen years in the role, Cint has posted 1012 wins and has a NSW country trainer’s premiership on his CV. At one stage his team grew to almost fifty horses, creating an unmanageable workload. Today he rarely has more than twenty in work and is thoroughly enjoying the job.  Clint joins us on the podcast and begins by talking about his frenetic 2022/2023 season. He says the results were gratifying but the toll was high.

He takes us right back to early days in Coonamble under the tutelage of his grandfather, legendary country trainer John Lundholm Snr.

He reflects on the stories he heard about his grandfather’s association with champion country jockey Dennis Firth.

The trainer looks back on his first day as a professional jockey when he had five rides at a Nyngan meeting.

He looks back on a three month loan out to Gai Waterhouse at Randwick. He recalls being gobsmacked by the enormity of the Tulloch Lodge operation.

Unable to adapt to city life, Clint says he returned to the bush to finish his apprenticeship with a new boss.

Lundholm understands why people are surprised to learn he was once a professional jockey.

He pays tribute to the horse he regards as the best he rode in his short time in the saddle.

Clint looks back on a very happy eighteen months in the amateur riding ranks.

He remembers the commencement of his solo training career and his father’s decision to join the team.

Clint was chuffed to join the ranks of trainers who were able to win with their very first starter.

He’s not a regular in the city but is thrilled to have a couple of TAB Highway winners on the  board.

Clint is adamant that Listen To the Band is the best horse he’s trained to date.

He talks of the talented but injury plagued Quasimoto who’ll shortly return to work.

Clint says he had a lot of fun with ten time winner Any Blinkin’ Day.

The trainer speaks of former metropolitan galloper Notabadidea who won a country Cups tre le after entering his stable.

He acknowledges the support he’s had from a select group of prominent western districts jockeys with a special shout out to his partner Zoe Hunt who’s been in top form of late.

This is a nice chat with a …year old who was destined to forge a career in the racing game.

Racing’s best judges were predicting a big future for Braith Nock long before he ever rode in a race. How right they were! The third generation jockey won at his first ever race ride, and hasn’t stopped riding winners since. Braith made a huge statement last season when he became champion Sydney apprentice with 40 metropolitan winners. The quietly spoken twenty four year old honed his balance with several years as a bull rider, before taking up an apprenticeship under the watchful eye of Brett Cavanough.

Braith is delighted to have the support of his former master Brett Cavanough.

He explains the recent addition of his trademark moustache.

The young jockey takes us back to his bull riding years and the serious accident that stopped him in his tracks.

Braith remembers the thrill of winning at his very first race ride.

He says he enjoyed a three month stint with top Randwick trainer Peter Snowden despite a bout of homesickness.

Braith looks at some of his favourite city winners including a trio of mares from the Maher stable.

He looks back on a healthy number of doubles and trebles, and one spectacular four timer at Gilgandra.

The young jockey speaks of the thrill of riding a Wellington Boot winner.

Braith speaks of Brett Cavanough’s recently formulated training partnership with daughter Georgie.

He’s thrilled to report his elder sister Dana is also apprenticed to Brett Cavanough.

Braith pays tribute to his trainer/Mum Jane Clement.

He says he was beginning to think he’d never ride a winner for his mother. It finally happened at Kempsey.

Braith talks of his passion for fishing.