Inset above: Danny and Bob Beasley embrace after the victory.
Inset below: Danny Beasley on Carnival Miss. Photography: Jeff Hanson.
It’s funny how things come full circle, and for champion jockey Danny Beasley, that was undoubtedly the case at Tumbarumba on Saturday.
A 14-time Group One winner, Beasley started his career in the Southern Districts before progressing to the Sydney stable of Grahame Begg before he became a household name as Gai Waterhouse’s leading hoop.
Beasley has won a Golden Slipper on Polar Success, and, of course, there is his famous association with respected campaigner Grand Armee.
He then spent more than 15 years in Singapore, where he held the status of respected veteran, winning feature races while proving he was one of the world’s best jockeys.
Late last year, the 47-year-old returned home to Wagga Wagga, with Beasley wanting to bring his family back to Australia while finishing off his career where it all started.
“That is one of the main reasons I came back from Singapore; I want to be close to family, but while I continue to ride, I want to give back,” Beasley said.
“I started in country racing, and my career has been well-documented, but now, while I can continue to ride, I’m happy to continue riding in the country, and it’s days like this that I love the most.”
On Saturday, riding at Tumbarumba – a Southern Districts track his father Bob Beasley frequented as a jockey – Danny Beasley became the first to own a Golden Slipper and Tumbarumba Cup.
Riding for a family friend and Wagga trainer Gary Colvin, Beasley was legged aboard the locally bred and owned Carnival Miss, and he didn’t disappoint in the $18,000 feature race, with the pair cruising to victory as the local crowd roared in delight.
His class and showmanship stole the show, and after winning the event, he trotted the five-year-old back in front of the bumper crowd, and the pair stood still – seemingly stuck in time for a split second as rapturous applause broke out across the course.
The fanfare continued as the pair returned to the mounting yard, with Beasley more or less mobbed by local owners – some laughing, some crying – with the moment getting the best of the most hardened character.
“It was extraordinary,” Beasley said.
“Gary has been a family friend, and he and Dad have been really good mates for a long time, and I’ve known Gary since I was going to school and before I ever rode.
“So, there is a strong connection there, and I hadn’t met a lot of the guys in her (Carnival Miss), but I was well aware she was a Tumba horse and Tumba owned and bred, and the McIntyre’s are a family with a lot of history and connection with the club and area, so it was special to win it for them.”
The moment almost never happened, with Colvin consigned to scratching the mare when he couldn’t find a jockey last week, but leave it to Bob to twist his son’s arm, and the rest is now history.
“To be truthful, Gary asked me initially, and I did knock it back, but Dad was pretty keen to get up here, and he said it was a good way to pay it back to country racing,” Beasley said.
Colvin painted the story in a different light, but Bob was squarely to thank for Danny’s trip to Tumbarumba.
“It’s funny how it works,” Colvin laughed.
“Bobby and Danny came over after riding work, and I said to Bobby, ‘It looks like you’re riding Miss Bemuse because he’s an ex-jockey.
“We got talking about Carnival Miss who’s out of Miss Bemuse that won me a Tumbarumba Cup, and Bob said to Danny, ‘You haven’t ridden until you’ve been up around Tumbarumba’.
“Danny couldn’t take the ride at first as he had something on, but luckily enough for Bob and us, it fell through, and he made up his mind and decided he would take the ride.”
Beasley did his ‘homework’ and showed that he is still a true professional, walking, driving, and researching the course proper before guiding Carnival Miss to a historic win.
“Once I committed, I was very committed, and I put the homework in, and I was really looking forward to getting up here today (Saturday),” Beasley said.
“As soon as I walked through the gates, I knew it would be the right decision and a worthwhile decision, win, lose, or draw.
“Once again, and to be truthful, I didn’t get a good wrap for the track itself, and there were some negative reports, but I went and made sure I had a good look, and I drove around it first.
“Brett Hogan drove me around, and I had a nice look at it there, and then I got on my feet and just had a good look and took in all the surrounds and undulations, and I also got a few good tips off guys that have ridden here with success before and that all played a part.”
Beasley only took one ride at Tumbarumba and had nothing but praise for what can only be described as one of NSW’s most unique racecourses.
“To be truthful, it wasn’t half as bad as what people had to say,” Beasley laughed.
“The club have done a lot of work and fixed the track up, and yes, it’s unique, but it’s safe, and it was a really enjoyable experience.”
What makes the win all the more remarkable is the fact that Beasley’s first winner, way back in 1992, also won the Tumbarumba Cup that same year, closing off that ‘full circle moment’.
“My first win at Corowa, the horse was called Power Street, and funnily enough, it went on to win a Tumba Cup,” Beasley said.
“It’s just funny how these things work; I just saw its picture up in the office, and I couldn’t believe it.”
Beasley is a testament to dreaming big and working hard, and it’s evident that part of him wants that to be his legacy when he eventually hangs up the goggles.
“As a kid growing up in Wagga, all I ever wanted to do was win a Wagga Cup, and I did that, and the journey it has taken me on for the last 30 years has been amazing,” Beasley said.
“I always say to any kid starting, ‘Don’t be afraid to dream and work hard, because in this industry it can take you anywhere,’ and I’d like to think that is still very true today.
While we are sure there will be many more great Danny Beasley moments in the Southern Districts in the years to come, the legendary jockey touched a town and a race club on Saturday, proving again why racing is part and parcel of these small but vibrant communities.
