Racing: Milestone for dedicated racing couple

ONE TON: Retired farmer Eddie Symes has always been keen on breeding and racing horses. PHOTO/FILE

Retired farmers Eddie and Dawn Symes have joined the 100 club after 52 years in the sport of kings.

The husband and wife chalked up the milestone when a galloper they bred won at Hastings on July 17.

Justa Charlie is trained by son-in-law and Waverley farmer John Boon and was ridden that day by Wanganui jockey Jonathon Parkes. Ironically, Justa Charlie lines up at the Waverley meeting today, the place where it all pretty much began back in 1962.

The couple were farming in Waverley, a property now farmed by their son-in-law John and their daughter Jacqui.

The Symes' first winner was Erewhon and was ridden to victory by good mate and fellow Waverley farmer John Alexander in an amateur race at Te Rapa on October 22, 1962.

Since the very beginning it has been a partnership between Dawn and Eddie and reaching the milestone involved 24 individual horses either owned, bred or trained by the couple.

"We bred half of those and the entire 52 years has been a great experience," Eddie Symes recalled with fondness.

Among the many winners were gallopers like Thorley who won and ran second in the Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton. Erewhon also ran second in a Grand National. Then there was St Benedict who won 10, Just Aggie five (and dam of Justa Charlie), Just Tilly seven, including a Waverley Cup as did Maximus.

Stormee, then trained by the late Brian Deacon at Hawera, won 13 and was raced by Dawn and her sister. The oddly-named Badjelly The Witch and her offspring Binkelbonk were also winners.

For much of their lives Eddie trained the family line and in 1967 they moved to Bulls where they spent 34 years before moving to Wanganui in 2000 where they potter around on a 9ha block at Westmere.

"In the early days we got a lot of help from the likes of [the late] Noel Eales and [the late] Eric Temperton, especially when we went down south,' Symes said.

"We got rid of the broodmares now - it's too expensive. I've got one I'm pre-training at the track now because it gives me something to do and we've got another two fillies that turn three on Friday and they will come into work next year, but that's the last of our breed. Hopefully Justa Charlie can become winner 101," Symes said.