Racing: Fond farewell to a racing legend

Colin Jillings shed a tear at his official farewell at Ellerslie yesterday.

And so did the members of the Carbine Club and Auckland Racing Club that shared the moment with him.

If they hadn't, they declared themselves of little emotion.

They should not have been at a racing function.

The farewell luncheon was a testament to Jillings' contribution to racing, which, in balance, is impossible to measure.

Forget the stories about winning the Railway in Royal Scot as a young jockey 50 years ago, this was all about the recent memories of the man just about everyone considers the greatest modern day trainer New Zealand has produced.

Jillings told stories about his younger years in racing - he's told them before: "two and six and a kick up the bum a week."

But it was his more latter escapades in the industry that took Jillings' attention.

Like the affection he had for his icon apprentice jockeys.

He had time for all of them, but sorted out three: Mark Sweeney, currently badly injured, Sam Bosson, who rode as Sam Spratt, injured and retired, and the rider he had the greatest involvement with, Bob Vance.

Jillings was in expansive mood.

He won't say so in as many words, but he loved Vance. The inter-reaction between the pair, when at their peak, was one of racing's finest examples of talent.

It won the pair Derbies and a Cox Plate. And, like all racing partners, there was tension along the way.

Jillings didn't mention it, but Vance told a story or two about Jillings leaving McGinty in his care for his last start in Melbourne on the way through to the 1983 Japan Cup.

"Look after him well and nominate him for the Mackinnon Stakes," was Jillings instructions.

"I got one part of that right,"said Vance at yesterday's luncheon, "I looked after him well."

McGinty was a 2000m specialist. He had to travel 2400m for the Japan Cup, the richest race in the world at the time, and the replacement lead-up was the 2500m of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

"I said to Haubie (owner Keith Haub) we should teach this horse to stay and without the boss there, he agreed."

Disaster followed.

"I truly meant to be mid-field on McGinty," said Vance, but I got dragged back in the field by one of Bart Cummings' horses and ended up last.

"McGinty flew home to be beaten a neck in track record time."

Vance admitted he knew he was in trouble. The stipes would be after him for not trying, which was not true, but it looked like it, yet his biggest problem was the trainer.

"When I got off the horse," said Vance, "the stewards were waiting for me in a row of six. Suddenly Jillo walked up waving a betting ticket abusing me like you can't believe and the stipes backed off, clearly thinking that the camp had been trying because of the bet."

It was just one of hundreds of examples of the class and quick-thinking of one of the masters of New Zealand horse racing.