A FAREWELL with the Vale Shireen Sieler Class Two Handicap, given by the Canberra Race Club late last month, was a fitting tribute to one of the club’s regulars just days after her passing away in Sydney to cancer at the age of 52.
Shireen formerly worked on the official race photo finish equipment at Canberra and Goulburn and other district race clubs for a number of years.
In fact, for the previous 20 years Shireen had several jobs associated with the Goulburn District Racing Club including working with the race photo finishes, being a trackwork supervisor, as well as assistant secretary for a large amount of time.
Born in Sydney, horses were always a big part of her younger years, her parents Daisy and Ron Reagan operating boarding stables for horses at the Sydney Showgrounds.
There, Shireen gained hands-on experience, and notably with her well-remembered Australian Stock Horse bay mare Greenock Peggy.
Horses were always a big part of her younger years ... Shireen gained hands-on experience, and notably with her well-remembered Australian Stock Horse bay mare Greenock Peggy.
Later Shireen progressed to working with Thoroughbreds, moving to the Goulburn district.
There she was employed at Lockyersleigh Stud for a time, then a well-known and respected breeding property in the 1980s and 1990s, which stood several stallions when owned and operated by Jean and her late husband Tony Onions.
By that time Thoroughbreds dominated Shireen’s life, and she also had successful associations with well-known trainers including Graeme Rogerson, Frank Cleary, Paul Sutherland and Ken Callaughan.
From the early 1990s, Shireen dabbled in Thoroughbred breeding operating under the banner of Saslea Stud, Yarra (just south of Goulburn) and sold her stock regularly through Inglis’ Classic Yearling Sales for several years.
One broodmare that Shireen was proud to own was Sovereign Edition matron Swan Mist, who was the dam of several winners including Dynamic Blaze, a Macquarie Stud-bred Covetous gelding who won 13 races, including a Brisbane stakes.
Shireen, along with husband Andrew, bred two winners from Swan Mist – Happy Spot, by Strategic, a winner of 13 races, and Poetic Mist, by Our Poetic Prince, who won two races.
Murrihy retires from 46-year racing career
FOLLOWING a career of 46 years as a horse racing stipendiary steward across five states, Ray Murrihy has stepped down to retire this month.
Since 1995, Mr Murrihy has been the NSW chairman of stewards, chairing the Racing Australia National Chairman of Stewards Advisory Group for the majority of that time.
Racing NSW has since appointed Marc Van Gestel as the new NSW chairman of stewards.
Marc has been Racing NSW’s deputy chairman Operations since 2006, having originally started his career as a trainee steward in 1989.
In another move joining Racing NSW’s steward panel is new deputy chairman of stewards, Philip Dingwall.
Previously employed by Racing NSW as a steward from 1995 to 2003, Mr Dingwall then experienced tenures as a steward with the Malayan Racing Association, then the Hong Kong Jockey Club, where he officiated in one of the world’s most scrutinised racing jurisdictions for about 10 years.
Shrapnel progeny ready to shine after sire’s heart attack
WHILE gaining wonderful sire of winners and stakes winners Magic Albert, Kooringal Stud near Wagga Wagga then suffered the loss of nine-year-old stallion Shrapnel who died suddenly of a heart attack recently.
But there’s some good news from Kooringal Stud’s principal Stuart Lamont.
“We have several of his progeny who have recently gone into work, so hopefully they will see some good results from them as they are very much three-year-old types,” Mr Lamont said.
By champion Australian first-crop sire Charge Forward, Shrapnel was a group 2 and group 3 winning two- and three-year-old.
Lung tumour claims globe-trotting mare Ortensia
GLOBE-trotting Australian-bred mare, Ortensia tragically died recently at age 10, after reportedly of developing a tumour in a lung.
Originally trained by Tony Noonan in Melbourne, Ortensia was going to be retired after she won the AJC The Galaxy-G1 at Randwick, however, she lost the race due to a positive testing.
But Scone owners Alistair Fraser and partner Emma Ridley had a change of mind, with the Testa Rossa mare going to nearby trainer Paul Messara.
Winning for her new trainer at her first start in the Munn Stakes-LR at Flemington, Ortensia then ventured to Perth to win her second Winterbottom Stakes-G1.
Following that, she went to Europe where she won prestigious races Al Quoz Sprint-G1 in Dubai, and the Nunthorpe Stakes-G1 in England.
In foal to Redoute’s Choice, Ortensia leaves behind two young fillies by Choisir and Dream Ahead.
Ortensia was bred by Len Rhodes at Riverside Stud near Corowa, and sold for $50,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. She won $2.4 million from 13 wins.