Our time as VRMA Sportsbet Black Caviar scholarship recipients in 2015 -16 has been truly unforgettable. We were very fortunate to visit a number of leading racing media outlets including The Age, G1X, Winning Post, RSN927, TAB, Sky, Herald Sun, and of course Sportsbet, where many outstanding journalists gave us invaluable feedback and advice that no doubt places us in good stead going into the future. It was also their generosity and support that saw us have multiple articles published online and in print, which was a massive thrill that left us with a great sense of accomplishment.
It’s little surprise that we both had fantastic experiences at the races as part of our scholarship commitments. We had the opportunity to spend a few days in both the Flemington and Sandown press rooms, shadowing a handful of talented journalists.
Our time at Flemington was spent rotating between observing and writing in the press room, interviewing jockeys post-race, witnessing the Australian Guineas protest in the stewards’ room first-hand, picking the brain of Deane Lester in the mounting yard and watching Greg Miles do his best work in the broadcast box.
We had the chance to visit RSN on separate occasions for different shows, and we also followed Nick Quinn from the station to TAB/Sky to see and experience even more fascinating parts of the industry. Tagging along with Mick Sharkie and the team at G1X for a shoot with Katelyn Mallyon, Michael Walker and Kayla Nisbet was a great highlight that proved thoroughly entertaining for all involved.
When Peter Moody held a press conference on his final day of training we were lucky enough to be able to tag along with Danny Russell from the Herald Sun. I doubt we will ever forget being present at such an historic moment.
It’s clear that the scholarship experience was incredibly practical, particularly in the sense that we were able to apply the skills and theories learnt during our studies: we took a huge leap from interviewing friends for assessments to interviewing some of our idols for the biggest racing publications in Australia! Gai Waterhouse, Mick Price, Damien Oliver, Craig Williams, Greg Carpenter and Terry Bailey were just a few of our highly esteemed interviewees.
We are immensely grateful for the opportunities presented to us throughout our time as scholarship recipients. We weren’t just given a chance to get our foot in the door, we were given the chance to knock it off its hinges, which we definitely made the most of. We are both now working part-time in the racing media industry while continuing our studies, and we could not have wished for a better head start on our careers.
Our entire experience was such a rush that it seemed to be over so quickly, which is a testament to Tim Habel’s ability to organise such a brilliant and exciting schedule. We could not be more grateful for all of the advice, opportunities and experiences we have received in our short association with the VRMA, and we will never forget how privileged we are.
While it’s difficult to name just three highlights, our personal favourites include:
CONOR’S THREE HIGHLIGHTS:
· Being present at the tense protest between the connections of Palentino and Tarzino
· Watching Greg Miles call a race at headquarters
· Publishing tips and overviews for the Winning Post, even though the meeting was subsequently abandoned due to the state of the track!
JESS’ THREE HIGHLIGHTS:
· Having our first piece published together in The Age (with a by-line!)
· Witnessing Greg Miles’ extraordinary talents in the caller’s box at Flemington
· When my Herald Sun pick of the day won at Sandown – I’m usually a useless tipster because of my bias