IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS questions why Racing Queensland has not been shouting from the rafters the induction of Gold Coast-based former champion jockey Geoff Lane to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Butts, a long-time mate of Lane, points out that the quiet achiever wasn’t interested in seeking any more publicity when he called to congratulate the man who now works part-time as a steward and helps with apprentices although for some strange reason his services not been used as often in recent times.
His column also reveals an invitation from the Townsville Turf Club for Blue Diamond winning apprentice Lauren Stojakovic to ride at the Parry Nissan meeting at Cluden in June and Butts also questions if there are ‘political motives’ and what right an Interim RQ Board has to secretly fast-track plans to spend tens of millions on a new Albion Park grandstand.
Here is the Butts column:
GOOD TO SEE AN OLD MATE INDUCTED INTO THE AUSTRALIAN RACING HALL OF FAME
GOLD Coast-based stipendiary steward Geoff Lane was known nationally as the Golden Boy of Australian racing in the 1950s and 60s.
He was to become internationally renowned as a jockey, trainer (Hong Kong and Macau) and in between served as a stipendiary steward in Hong Kong.
Last week Geoff received the ultimate award in racing. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in a glittering ceremony in Melbourne.
But for some unknown reason, it went unnoticed in Queensland.
Your columnist Terry Butts has been a friend of the former jockey for more than 40 years. He rode winners for my father in Albury, including a horse named Cheerywood which finished an unlucky fourth in the 1955 Albury Cup before winning the Wagga Gold Cup (33/1 to 7/2) by six lengths two weeks later.
Geoff and I later met again and became mates in Hong Kong in the late 1960s where I was a racing correspondent for newspapers and the TV, radio and on-course commentator at Happy Valley.
I was one of the hundreds to ring, congratulate and have a yarn to his my mate.
RACING QUEENSLAND UNFORGIVABLY IGNORED THE LANE INDUCTION FOR SOME REASON
UNLESS you gleaned it from the southern press, you are probably unaware a Queensland racing steward was inducted to racing’s illustrious Hall of Fame last week in Melbourne.
The fact that Geoff Lane, a part-time steward on the Gold Coast was the recipient of the coveted gong, failed to attract a single par in Queensland‘s mainline press. And unforgivably it was ignored on Queensland Racing’s own website.
There were however congratulations from RQ chief stipe Wade Birch, one of the 600 in attendance at the sell-out ceremony on Thursday that attracted most of the big names in the industry – and more.
It must be stressed that Lane, who rode all over the world, trained for many years in both Hong Kong and Macau and for six years worked as a steward in Hong Kong, is not a permanent steward with RQ.
In fact his vast experience is often and surprisingly overlooked. Apparently he was called up only three times in the past three months to assist at the Gold Coast, which is quite amazing, considering the experience and contribution he has to make, in an industry that conceded the needed to return Allan Reardon to mentor the younger brigade of stewards coming through.
DEDICATED TO THE INDUSTRY HE LOVES LANE WAS BACK ON THE JOB AT THE GOLD COAST
IIRONICALLY Lane was rostered on last Saturday, and though he had known for several weeks of his induction date (and was sworn to secrecy), Geoff dutifully hurried home from Melbourne to fulfill his work commitment for RQ at Gold Coast races.
I am sure most in his situation would have stayed for the Blue Diamond and squeeze some more moments under the spotlight – but not G. Lane.
He was scurrying up the stewards’ towers at the Gold Coast when the Blue Diamond was being run. And he certainly doesn’t do it for the money.
It is ironic too that it was Blue Diamond day. One of Lane’s highlights during a sterling international riding career was winning the race on Impulsive trained by his master, the immortal Tommy Woodcock of Phar Lap fame in 1959.
It was his first ride as a fully-fledged jockey and the race in those days was known as the Merson Cooper Stakes, the forerunner to the Blue Diamond.
And of course Impulsive was the mother of the legendary Reckless that Tommy Woodcock also trained to win every major Cup in the country – except the elusive Melbourne Cup.
But back to the former top jockey who has reclaimed the spotlight.
THE GOLD COAST CROWD OBLIVIOUS TO HIS ACHIEVEMENT – SHAME RQ, SHAME!
ONE wonders if the race day crowd at the Gold Coast on Saturday actually was aware that the fit looking 73-year-old on duty with the stewards was the same man they were watching nationally on television two nights earlier.
Possibly not, because the man, who had no equal on or off a racehorse has never been known to blow his trumpet. That’s him.
It is worth mentioning here, the gentle giant of the game, one day, unprompted and beyond the realm of duty, pulled aside a young female apprentice at Gold Coast races.
“She was just doing a few things wrong, so I pointed out some of her mistakes and explained how best to count during a race,’ said the unassuming Lane.
That little apprentice is Tegan Harrison recognized widely as the most improved rider in the State.
Then last Saturday he gave a Melbourne newspaper cutting of his induction to his latest ‘pupil’, Michael McKenzie, who he has also been helping.
The kid had no idea who it was so keen to offer help. “I am sure he didn’t even know my name,” Lane said.
THEY CALLED FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD TO CONGRATULATE GOEFF LANE
BUT thousands do and over the past few days the former jockey has fielded calls from all over the globe.
One was from New York, a lady who was his translator when Lane rode under contract in Germany for the Baroness von Oppenheim.
“You know that’s more than 50 years ago,” said Lane
There were dozens of calls and messages from the Far East, mainly Hon Kong where he is still well remembered and others from England, Ireland and of course New Zealand and other far flung places.
They remembered the boy who won three Victorian Derbies, had a succession of wins on the unbeatable weight for age stars Lord and later Golden Doubles.
The jockey who went so close but never won a Melbourne Cup. Dhaulagiri was his closest finish – a third in 1961.
Of course life hasn’t been all wine and roses.
There were some low spots along the way and he had a tough battle with weight in later year’s.
But one of his virtues is a matchless resilience.
LANE’S UNFORGETTABLE FIRST VISIT TO DARWIN NETTED A CUP WINNER
I recall once he came to Darwin – back in the mid-1970s when the single on-course facility at Fannie Bay – post Cyclone Tracey – was a large tin shed that that served as the secretary’s office, bar and function room.
It was during the off-season in Hong Kong, so yours truly, then a resident of the frontier city, talked his old mate from Hong Kong into coming over ‘for something different’ – and told him to bring his riding gear.
Lane arrived, was booked for a horse named Lord Tiny in the Cup, but there was just one problem. Geoff had been enjoying the off-season break in Honkers and arrived about three kilos overweight and the Cup was two days away.
Most jockeys would have given up the ride and joined the party. But he chose to strip off and in the blistering Darwin heat single-handedly moved a huge pile of sand into some stables on the Fannie Bay racecourse.
He made the weight – and of course won the Cup.
Geoff enjoyed Darwin so much he returned the next year – and won the Cup again – on Final Hope.
In the score of races he has won, and on racecourses he has ridden, and the quality of horse he has won on, Darwin would be on the bottom rung.
But the memories are right up near the very top.
That’s the man.
A man for all seasons – and now a Hall of Famer – just in case you happen to be from Queensland and didn’t know.
LAUREN STOJAKOVIC INVITED TO RIDE AT PARRY NISSAN MEETING AT CLUDEN
TALKING of the Blue Diamond - guess who has an invite on the way to ride at the Parry Nissan meeting at Cluden on June 1?
You’ve probably guessed it – the little lady from Adelaide, Lauren Stojakovic, who was deservedly the toast of Australia on Saturday after her brilliant Blue Diamond win.
Townsville Turf club CEO Michael Charge has been quick to try to lure the apprentice to Cluden for their own version of the Blue Diamond – the $100,000 Parry Nissan on June 1.
No doubt Lauren would be quickly snapped up for a mount in that and other races…and what a drawcard she would be.
Her story is a real life fairytale and I fully concur with the commentator who said Lauren did more for racing in one day last Saturday than Black Caviar did in four years. And that is not taking anything away from the magic mare – but those scenes after the Blue Diamond were something else.
SECRECY BEHIND ALBION PARK GRANDSTAND PROPOSAL SMACKS OF POLITICAL ARROGANCE
THE secrecy behind the development application for a super multi-million dollar grandstand for Albion Park should be of great concern to everyone in the game.
That the current Board of Queensland Racing, on the eve of an election for its office bearers, can brazenly submit plans to the Brisbane City Council without any consultation of stakeholders from all codes, beggar’s belief.
Is the current RQ interim Board so certain of being re-elected that they can just push ahead with any plans they want?
That is indeed how it looks and a major worry for the industry, for I know at least one candidate for those senior positions who is likely scuttle the Albion Park proposal post haste if elected.
And if it’s not too late he will make the proposed new Toowoomba track take its rightful place at the bottom of the list of things that need to be done for racing in Queensland.
But you get the distinct feeling that the election for Board positions, in spite of assurances from Racing Minister Steve (or is it Tim) Dickson that there will be no political interference is all but over. The deal’s been done.
I just wonder what the three wise men plucked by Government to scrutinize and interview prospective candidates for the new Boards to control the three codes must feel about this latest display of arrogance by the Interim Kevin Dixon Board.
Are they being played as puppets?
Hopefully not – for they too have a reputation in the community to uphold.
But we will soon see.
COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.
TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.