Episode 506: Graham Power

I’d lost count of the number of country racing fans who’d requested a podcast with retired jockey Graham Power. Whenever the subject of top Riverina jockeys had come up over the years, Graham’s name was always on the list. A phone call to check his availability and some quick research followed, and we were good to go. Great to present a podcast with a horseman who never rode a winner as an apprentice, but sure as hell made up for it later. Graham begins by looking back on his final day as a jockey at Wagga in 2000. He says he was delighted to ride a winner on a very emotional day. Graham talks about the way in which he handled the withdrawal symptoms. He talks about his current involvement with the famous St. Vincents De Paul charity organisation in Wagga. The former ace jockey refutes the theory that he’s a native of the Riverina.  Graham talks about his childhood in Tamworth. He says there was no racing in his family background, but reveals that his grandfather Tom worked as a street sweeper in the 1920’s using horse and dray. He remembers his first job on the ground in a Newcastle stable before a return to Tamworth and a short lived first apprenticeship. Injuries sustained in a race fall saw him walk away from racing and find a job at the local abbatoirs. Graham recalls the chance conversation at a Tamworth race meeting that led to the renewal of his jockey’s licence. He looks back on his friendship with trainer Bede Delaney whose move to Gundagai would change his life.   Power reflects on the deeds of one of the best horses he rode for the Delaney stable, prolific winner Aurilandy.  He talks of Aurilandy’s two wins down the famous Flemington straight and the opportunity to ride the horse in the famous Epsom Hcp. Nothing went right at his only Gr 1 ride. Graham talks about his move to Wagga. He acknowledges some of the handy horses he got to ride over the next few years.  Graham looks back on a Cootamundra Cup win on a future Melbourne Cup winner. He thought very little of the horse at the time. He remembers with affection wins in the Albury and Wagga Cups. Graham remembers the Richard Freyer trained Prince Tone, a talented horse provided he didn’t have to travel too far to race meetings. He pays tribute to several other bush Cup winners. Graham delights in telling the story about his two rides on champion Kingston Town. The former outstanding rider looks back on some special race days when he rode multiple winners on the programme. He reels off some of the many jobs he’s had away from racing. He talks of some of his favourite Riverina trainers and delights in the fact that he rode the first winner ever trained by Gary Portelli, now entrenched in the top bracket of Sydney’s trainers. Graham pays tribute to a select group of his favourite country jockeys. He looks back on some serious race falls including one in which he appeared to suffer no injuries.  By the time he got home the situation had changed dramatically. The 79 year old talks of past involvement in racing administration and a current “on call” role for Racing NSW. The versatile veteran talks back on his experience driving harness horses and a stint as a newspaper columnist. He looks back on one of his proudest moments as a jockey-the occasion of his 1000th win on SDRA tracks. Graham looks back on his two marriages and a double tragedy in his life. He pays tribute to daughter Tracey, and sons Steven and Ben. A nostalgic  trip down memory lane with a man dubbed “the George Moore of Riverina racing” in his era by Sky Thoroughbred Central host Graeme White.