Happy to return the favor – 56 years later!

Northern Victorian Goulburn Valley harness racing legend Geoff Hill has repaid a favor to fellow district trainer David Farrar – 56 years later!

Back in 1968, a young Farrar was playing football for Nathalia and helping Hill out at his stables.

“I went with Geoff as his strapper to a meeting held at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and I geared up his horse Chester Abbey, which came out and won,” Farrar said.

“And then last Friday (Aug 2), Geoff repaid the compliment by strapping a horse of mine Kialla Kid (Sunshine Beach), which was successful at Wagga Wagga,” he said.

“I don’t know if it could be some sort of record, but it was a really proud moment for both of us!”

In addition to getting a winner, the Wagga road trip was a drive down memory lane for both Farrar and Hill, who not only won at the final Showgrounds meeting, but also followed up at the first Moonee Valley fixture.

Hill was a successful trainer and driver, winning many driving titles including three at Shepparton and a couple at Echuca and Cobram.  He was also renowned for his prowess with wayward horses, as well as being an accomplished farrier.

Both Farrar and Hill still fondly remember that particular night of racing at the Showgrounds.

“There were 30,000 people there and 100 bookies operating in three betting rings. In those days you put on a white coat and paraded the horses in the middle of the track before the drivers walked out and got in the sulky,” he said.

“The two fellas who owned Chester Abbey, Bill Ryan and Dennis Bourke, didn’t mind a punt, and gave me money to put on their horse. I think I had about 300 quid – 50 was mine.

“I finished parading the horse then I went to head off to the bookies and the stewards told me I wasn’t allowed to leave the track.  But I took my coat off, jumped the fence and put the money on at 50/1!

“One of the bookmakers Albert Maggs, who was the biggest in trots at the time, was the first one I saw, and he took the bet.  We won the race, beating a champion horse named Bold David, who was off the back row but still started odds on.

“I ended up getting fined for disobeying stewards.  Geoff, who was second on the metro trainers’ list at the time, also got fined – for putting the number on upside down, which meant the six had then become nine!

“When we got home, all the money was counted out on the table – 15,000 quid in total!”

The 2003 Gordon Rothacker Medal recipient, Hill is a youthful 93-year-old, who still helps his son Darryl at his stables near Shepparton.

“I’ve been going up to Wagga since they started at the new track, but it was Geoff’s first trip.  He’s been wanting to go with me for a while and I reckon there will be a few more trips now,” Farrar said.

“He’s just a gentleman and it was lovely to see many of the trotting greats like Bruce Harpley and others come up and have a chat.”

A lot of outstanding horses passed through Hill’s stable in the 1970s and 80s, including Orandra Prince (also a winner of the last race at that Showgrounds meeting) Jack Springs, Dollar Trek, Smokey Ayr, Brooklyn Smoke and Wonder Tonight.

And while Geoff is a harness racing institution, he is also an extremely popular figure in his local community at Mooroopna where he resides in a Village.

“He’s big into charity, historical things, the RSL and he’s always helping out some organization in any way he can.  He still drives his car and goes to the gym twice a week,” Farrar said.

And he’s still a handy enough strapper!

Farrar was successful at Wagga with four-year-old gelding Kialla Kid, strapped by Hill, in the $9792 Steel Supplies Pace.

“It’s a three hour and 40-minute trip to Wagga, but I’ve probably taken three or four maidens up there before they’ve won in Victoria. I race Kialla Kid with Mark O’Sullivan and Phil Foyster, who have both got businesses in Shepparton,” Farrar said.

“That was his fifth win, and I used young Ky Bloomfield for the first time. I was very impressed with the way he handled the horse because he’s terribly gaited. He can break at the start, but Ky didn’t have any worries and led all the way,” he said.

“He works for Blake and Ellen Jones, and I had no hesitation on putting him on because I’d watched him drive at previous meetings.”

Farrar, who shares a barn with Patrick Ryan at the Shepparton training Centre, has always had a nice horse going around over many years.

He won 20 races with Hayjoshandco, while Gangster Boy posted 19 wins and 28 placings from 84 starts. Others that come to mind include Arriens and My Mums A Star (10 apiece), Always Be Chloe and Attackamach (nine); Lavra Cloe (eight); and Here’s A Real Go and National Draft (five).

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink