Episode 508: Ross Stitt - Legendary North Coast Trainer Calls Time On Sixty Year Career

There was one common thread among the hundreds of tributes paid to Ross Stitt after his recent retirement. Unequivocally, friends and fellow horsemen agreed that the 83 year old had been an ornament to his profession as a man and a professional horse trainer. I’d like to add my sentiments by plucking from the archives an interview we recorded with Ross almost six years ago. He was in reminiscent mood on the day, and took us on a nostalgic journey through his life with horses. Ross began by reflecting on childhood days on the family dairy farm in the Manning Valley. He was milking the cows from age 9 before going to school. He says showjumping was his first equine passion, and it appears he was pretty adept at the sport. Ross recalls that his first thoroughbred idol was the legendary broodmare Dark Jewel. He formed the attachment simply because he had a show jumper called “Jewel” at the time. It’s not widely known that Ross Stitt could easily have pursued a career in harness racing. His earliest tutor was trots trainer Ned Coleman. He says he was very close to acquiring his licence to drive in races. Ross says he was 24 years old when he bought his first galloper Bold Pirate from an Inglis Mixed Sale. He initially gave the maiden performer to a local trainer, but later took over the training himself. He remembers ex Sydney gallopers Gold Optic and Royal Kirk as the horses to get him up and running on north coast tracks. The retired trainer rates Critic’s Pride as his first headline horse. That’s no surprise when you consider Critic’s Pride won a whopping 29 races for his up and coming trainer. Ross Stitt had the amazing ability to keep horses up for lengthy periods and to keep them winning. Half brothers Our Ambition and Gilded Blue are two prime examples. They won 48 races between them. He acknowledges the support of owner Ron Shaw, a former accountant who settled in nearby Old Bar following his retirement. He and Ross enjoyed a great association. Ross talks about his infatuation with Sir Dapper, a brilliant racehorse who later became a successful sire. The trainer won multiple races in the late 90’s and early 2000’s with Dapper Spirit, Just Dapper and Chilli Dapper. He pays a heartfelt tribute to former record breaking jockey Robert Thompson who retired just under three years after our podcast was recorded. Thompson rode more winners for the Stitt stable than any other rider.   Ross looks back on his pleasing record in NSW Country Cups. Surprisingly it took him 35 years to win a Kempsey Cup.   The veteran trainer was fairly emphatic in declaring Precise Timing to be the best horse he ever trained. An inveterate trier, Precise Timing won a total of 18 races including the 2006 Launceston Cup. Ross explains what prompted him to venture all the way to Tasmania.   He delights in telling the story of Heavenly Glow, the $10,000 Gold Coast purchase destined to win two Gr 1 races. When he realised the filly was good enough to run at the elite level, Ross had no hesitation in sending her to a Sydney trainer.   Ross tells the story of Youthful Jack, the unfashionably bred gelding who would win 18 races and $1.15 million in prize money. He placed him with other trainers at varying stages with great results- Rex Lipp at Toowoomba, Allan Denham in Sydney and Adam Trinder in Tasmania. Ross himself won 7 races with Youthful Jack including the Grafton Ramornie Hcp.   The recently retired trainer pays tribute to some of the talented riders with whom he was associated over the years.   This podcast has been in the archives for quite some time but remains relevant  by way of our tribute to a country training marvel.