Here is a Newspaper Advertisement for Sandown Park in September 1956. Love the trains to Springvale Station in those days before Henry Harrison did a deal with the Railways and got Sandown Park Station built for the use of the club’s Car Park. It is a solid walk of a k and bit to the track from Springvale Station. I know I did many times.
John Reid – Then the horses course was rebuilt and Sandown .park station opened,when the old pacemaker track was running furniture trucks bought people to our tracks,two I remember Chas Hingston and Frank Gill.I know there was also one from St Kilda,name eludes me but father and 2 sons ran it,Wonthaggi and sale Hingson attended ,who provided the services north of thr Yarra,I’m not sure of,
Kerry Chalker– John Reid John you have a head full of history-great stories
Cheryl Pirani– John Reid well done John what a great memory you have got!!👏
Howard Culph-John Reid I reckon the one from St Kilda was Gronow’s, big dark green trucks
Coral Scott– I remember that night so well Maurice Kirby could not call the first meeting and a guy was brought from Sydney ,jack mckenna asked me could I pick him up at the airport which would have been Essendon airport the car I had only had a rough chance of making it there let alone getting the guy back buck Buchanan lent me a car and I got the job done can’t remember callers name now but it is 67 years ago…pop
Coral Scott-Gee john I think we must be the only ones left from that night there was always some doubt about the trainer of rocketeer I can remember max had a photo of him winning and l think it was some one else the guy I thought it was had his legs broken at the Warragul track by the lure…pop
Shane Hookey -Ways and means around everything Neil !! In those days !!
Des Dooley– One for John Reid’s memory. Did the back markers in handicaps at the City tracks ever start from the outside boxes. I have a 1953 Sale racebook where the back marker started from the pink.
Coral Scott– Des Dooley yes that’s exactly how it worked the back markers went back on the outside I remember when they changed over I thought it didn’t make a great difference…pop
John Reid-Des Doug’s memory is right back markers always from the outside of the track,
Des Dooley – John Reid John, was the change anything to do with the change from the pacemaker to the mechanical lure?
John Reid– Des Dooley bit fuzzy about that one Des,think the younger boys might have a clue,as a teenager the dogs were a chore I could have done without,in later life I realised how much they had done for me.
John Green – Great post … and some brilliant history in the comments, thanks for sharing …
John Reid – Howard spot on you kicked my old memory back into gear,another name could have been Tomlinsons ?
