Blast from the past

Saw this article recently (dont know when it was wriiten) and thought "The more things change the more they stay the same" Its only part of the full article.

Interestingly seven years to the day after his first winner, Trevor was involved in what newspapers for many years
afterwards would call, ``Racing’s Blackest Day’’ – 26 December 1958 at Clairwood – when a punters’ revolt on the course
proper led to two horses having to be put down and five jockeys being injured.

``There was a nine-race programme at Clairwood and at the start of the eight race, I recall, Percy Cayeux’s mount, the hot
favourite, refused to jump. The punters were furious. ``I had a ride in Race 9, there were 16 runners I think and on the way
to the start we could see that a large group of punters had congregated close to the grandstand.

``We got to the start, there were no gates in those days and Charlie Barends was keen to get home, he shouted at the
starter that he had a plane to catch and soon after we got clearance from the stipes and the horses kicked off and ran.
``But as we approached the 200m mark there were lots of people on the track. They were armed with pieces of sharp
wood, picket fences from next to the track turned into spears, and they formed a human barrier in front of us!

``I got lucky that day because I was on a stayer in a sprint race and was some way behind the rest, but ahead of me the
horses were being hastily pulled up. Some were hit by the flying pieces of wood; several horses came down and two had to
be destroyed. Five jockeys were injured. I escaped unhurt, thank God, but it was an awful experience all the same!’’


CITIZEN ARTICLE – Written by Charl Pretorius

Fark... you okes are old:

gregbucks Wrote:

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> Fark... you okes are old:


Ja Boet.The "Old boys" in those days were not the girls blouses we see to-day.Wasnt all this waffle,waffle about what should be done; that we see on all the various sites to-day.I suppose you heard the story of a very famous trainer getting hit over the head with binoculars when he led a very short favourite into the number 2 box?.

I remember reading somewhere that Politcian won all his races he contested in Cape Town

Yup forgot about LONDON NEWS going overseas to Hong Kong,and winning,was trully a great moment in SA racing.

if you really want to go down memory lane a visit to the museum at the tba in germiston is a must...

Hi Countrymember,
I think i remember that incident,it involved Syd Laird and Dennis Drier who was the assistant at the time who intervened.It happened at greyville racecourse

tangles Wrote:

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> Hi Countrymember,
> I think i remember that
> incident,it involved Syd Laird and Dennis Drier
> who was the assistant at the time who
> intervened.It happened at greyville racecourse


Hi Tangles.Very well remembered.As Max Boyce always used to say "I know cause I was there".Syd Laird was (is) my favourite trainer of all time.When I was a youngster (yes Greg B there was such a time) 'Uncle' Syd always said that when one backs a horse to win double the amount should be put on for a place.Only if I had followed that advice over the last 40 years.!!!!!!!!!

Those where the days when stands where full.