Pipped in Kosciusko; “Snow” and “Gal” are gallops stars!

Brett Robb – who everyone in racing circles knows simply as “Snow” – added another notch to his increasingly impressive racehorse training profile at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The Nyngan-born trainer went within a length of claiming the $2 million Kosciusko race with his entry, “Galant Star”, running a withering finish in the 1200-metre handicap, and just failing to overhaul winning mount, “Clear Thinking”, ridden by Tyler Schiller, who himself was born in Young.

Gallant Star’s owners, David and Heather Ringland and former Test leg-spinner, Kerry O’Keefe, were still accepting well wishes on their entry as we went to press.

The six-year-old gelding has now taken his prize money to $1.4 million, with a second also in the Country Championship final at Randwick last year, after qualifying for the same race two years in a row; a real highlight.

The Kosciuszko is the world’s richest race for country-trained horses, carrying $2 million in prize money, with every mount a winner of the Kosciuszko sweepstakes.

In local gallops news, Dubbo races are again on Derby Day, Saturday, November 1, before the Melbourne Cup meeting, the following Tuesday, November 4.

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In the footsteps of legends, Yeo leads local lads on Kangaroo tour

Former Dubbo junior Isaah Yeo is following in the footsteps of some of our greatest Kangaroos’ captains for this month’s historic tour to Great Britain.

The tough lock who has been at the heart of the Penrith Panthers four-year premiership winning run in the NRL, joins Chris McKivat (Cumnock /Orange) who led the 1908 Wallabies to a gold medal in the Olympics, before heading back to Mother England with the Kangaroos as the eighth captain in 1911-12.

In other local legends, tough-as-nuts Ian Walsh (Bogan Gate) was Australian captain in 10 Tests in the early 1960s, having first represented as hooker on the 1959 tour while coach at Eugowra.

Tom Raudonikis and Royce Simmons, both from Cowra, also led Australian teams on tour.

Other notable western Kangaroos include Andrew Farrer (Cowra), Terry Fahey and Blake Ferguson (Wellington), David Peachey, Andrew Ryan, Les Davidson, Russell Richardson, and Dean Pay (Dubbo), David Gillespie (Narromine), Nik Kosef (Cobar), Brian Johnstone (Dunedoo), Earl Harrison (Gilgandra), Ross McKinnon (Trangie), Ron Bowden (Coonamble), and Brian Johnstone (Dunedoo), and star St George winger, Johnny King from Gilgandra.

The legendary Dave Brown also coached Coonamble in 1947, St George prop Billy Wilson led Baradine to one of five successive Group 14 premierships in the early 1950s, while 1963 Kangaroos fullback, Ken Thornett, led Coonabarabran to success in Group 14.

Joe Jorgensen played for Mudgee after returning from the 1934 Kangaroo tour, while English champion, Dick Huddart, coached Dubbo Macquarie in 1970.

Issah Yeo is joined in the team by Wellington’s grand final star, Kotoni Staggs and Parramatta’s Josh Addo Carr, who also has close family ties to Wellington. Temora’s Liam Martin was unavailable, as his partner is expecting their first child this month.

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CYMS Old Boys annual gathering for 1940s stars onwards

Although their numbers may be dwindling as time takes its toll, the Dubbo CYMS players and supporters from the 1960s to the present still take pride in getting together on an annual basis.

Former policeman Ray “Zoom Top” Adams and Chris Kelly worked with the local Old Boys group to get the word out for the event.

“We had a few ‘starter’ drinks at the Castlereagh Hotel on Friday night, followed by dinner at same location on Saturday evening, with about 30 players and wives/partners swapping yarns and photos” Ray wrote.

Unlike some of our earlier gatherings during playing times, quite a few turned-up for breakfast at the Cultural Centre on Sunday morning, Ray commented.

“The eldest, and still fairly sprightly, was John Meredith, now aged 96. He is probably the only remaining player from the club that formed to play in the local Dubbo comp in 1947 before entering Group 11 in 1958.”

“It was a lovely get together, with old players, their wives and partners. Special thanks to Tod O’Dea and family who organised venues and local logistics. Special mention to wife’s and partners of those players no longer with us. Nice to celebrate the old days as the current CYMS club continues to break records in CRL.”

Happy days indeed, and thanks, Zoom for keeping us informed!

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Cultural moment with soccer played in bare feet!

In a touching show of sportsmanship and dedication to friendship in football and life, Dubbo women’s football team threw off their boots for a match against the visiting team from Borooloola (Arnhem Land) at last week’s First Nation’s Football Carnival at Apex Oval.

Organiser Bernie McLeod captured the emotional moment.

“The team from Borooloola never play in boots because they can’t afford them so the Dubbo team offered to match them. It really captured the spirit of the carnival”.

Asked how the local girls fared without the protection of boots, Bernie told Dubbo Photo News,

“Some of the players were a bit wary of bindies at first and there were a few toes trodden on but, overall, it was a wonderful expression of cultural awareness”.

It could be said that to know someone is “to walk in their shoes”... or not!

More than 300 payers came from all over NSW to play against teams from as far away as Western Australia and the Northern Territory in what was an incredibly heartening showcase of talent.