Tauranga racecourse starter John Moody on duty. Photo / John Borren
While it was a low-key early spring Racing Tauranga meeting at Gate Pa recently, starter John Moody gave just as much attention to his thoroughbred charges on the day, as he does to the millions of dollars worth of horseflesh that race on Group 1 days in the summer.
The Matamata resident was appointed chief starter to all clubs in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty thoroughbred racing regions two years ago, after stints as assistant starter and a barrier attendant.
Moody carries the responsibilities of ensuring every horse receives an equable start from the barriers, at every racecourse in an area from Taupo to Te Rapa.
A lifetime of experience in thoroughbred racing started with a (jockey) apprenticeship to New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame trainer Dave O'Sullivan at the Matamata course. Tuition from the master trainer, who trained a New Zealand record of 1877 winners before retirement in 1998, gave Moody a thorough grounding in race riding and general equine knowledge.
A jockey's biggest hurdle, of weight, resulted in Moody hanging up his boots shortly after the end of his apprenticeship in the mid-1980s with 90-odd winners to his name, although he did return briefly to ride over fences for a short time.
While mentored by O'Sullivan, the aspiring hoop got to throw his leg over some of the best horses in the country. He rode champion mare Battle Eve and won a race on Auckland Cup winner Blue Denim and also rode trackwork on the O'Sullivan stables' stars of the time.
Moody's biggest win came in the Taranaki Stakes on Shamura, trained by his boss. Moody was then asked to take Te Akau Pearl to Melbourne, where she was entered for the Melbourne Cup. After winning the Werribee Cup, the Kiwi-bred mare was unplaced in the race that stops a nation. However, Te Akau Pearl changed hands to a Japanese owner and a chance meeting saw Moody offered a position managing the new owner's stud farm in Japan.
"What started out as an overseas adventure turned out to be a 10-year stint in Japan. We had some 40 broodmares on the farm and I was responsible for breaking-in and preparing the horses for racing. We employed plenty of Kiwis including well known former rider Paul Hillis."
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Raceday starts for Moody about an hour and a half before the first race, when he arrives on course.
"My first task is to re-confirm the distances of each race and complete the required paperwork," he said.
"I then meet with the head barrier attendant, who in company with his team of five has arrived on course, after transporting the starting barriers over from Cambridge."
While the clerk of the course is in charge of taking the horses from the birdcage to the start, the starter takes command on their arrival at the barriers.
"At the meeting with the head barrier attendant, we identify those horses that may cause problems at the start and we endeavour to leave them to last to load," said Moody.
The most important piece of his equipment on raceday is his stopwatch that he synchronises with the TAB time.
"It is vitally important that the race starts on or after the TAB scheduled start time."
The starter and assistant starter confirm the starting order, with one issuing instructions for loading from inside of the stalls and the other from the outside.
"The barrier attendants have a key role in ensuring the horses settle before entering the barriers and are ever-vigilant and always moving as the horses enter the barrier."
Three minutes before start time, Moody gives the jockeys the call that they are a couple of minutes away from loading the horses.
"We call out the jockeys' names and stall number to ensure that they know the gate to enter and then with a minute to go we start to load the field."
The starter is in constant radio communication with the stipendiary steward who is in charge of the meeting.
"If a horse becomes fractious in the stalls, the animal is removed and must undergo a vet check from the veterinarian on hand at the start. If the horse has suffered any sort of injury or is unfit to start it is scratched from the race, with raceday control immediately notified."
As every second gate is closed, the barrier attendants clip in a plug which connects to the power. There is plenty of chatter between the barrier attendants as the horses are loaded.
"As the last couple of horses are loaded, I go to the starting platform that overlooks the field. Once time is up on my stopwatch I am authorised to release the field."
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The 2100 start we witnessed provided a little extra pressure with the horses required to race past the finishing post, then go around again to the winning post.
The barrier staff are quickly into action, starting up the tractor attached to the stalls and shifting them off the track to the secondary grass track.
A small group of workers, under racecourse manager Craig Settle, race against time to return the running rail to its permanent position. There is a frenzy of activity as the rail is lifted into place and the anchors hammered into the ground, ready for the field to zip past a second time.