The Originals

By Harley Walden

KELLY THRIFT, one of our senior citizens who celebrated a mile-stone turning 103 on May 9.

Some years ago I wrote a story regarding Kelly and his close friend the late Billy Holman, their lives and their love of horse-racing.

I called it The Originals and published it in the Scone Horse Festival 1997 complimentary booklet.

When a committee decided to build a racecourse on White Park, way back in 1947 they employed Mr. G. McRae to outlay the course.

On his entry to the park he was surprised two chaps seated beneath the trees where the bookmakers ring was to be.

The two gentlemen identified themselves as Bill Holman and Kelly Thrift.

They were there then, and through the years until the barriers flew open for the last time in October 1994 they were still familiar sights at White Park.

There was a sadness on that day, but plenty of fond memories of the old track.

Not long after the closure of the old track I caught-up with these two likely lads for their thoughts on racing, horsemen, horses and memories of the track at White Park.

Growing up in an era where it part of family life was only natural that these two men would continue their association with the animal which played a big part in their younger days.

Kelly Thrift grew up on his parent’s property, Ascot Farm at Parkville.

This area and the Dry Creek region were noted in those days for fruit growing.

Kelly remembered well the draught horse teams used for ploughing and general farm work, and a half-draught cart horse named Bob.

Before dawn young thrift and Bob would set out, cart laden with cases of fruit bound for the Scone Union Markets, now the home of a firm of solicitors in Kelly Street.

Kelly claimed that Bob was such a good trotter he could give the other10 or 12 carts a fair start and still take out the prized first position at the union stalls.

At the time of writing Bill Holman told me he came to Scone 67 years ago and gained his knowledge of horses growing up on the family farm at Merriwa.

He attended his first race meeting at Kars Springs in 1921.

He was fourteen when he rode in the pony races at Merriwa.

Bill had a stint of owner-training in the 1970s with some success.

He won a few races with a horse called Arinian, but unsoundness soon forced the galloper’s retirement.

Kelly recalls having his first bet of two shillings (twenty cents), laid with the station master at Parkville Railway Station.

The bet was then relayed to the station attendant at Scone who duly placed it on with a leading Scone businessman who handled such things in those days.

Kelly became sales manager at Thiess Ford (now Coles Supermarket) in 1960 when Ford cars were considered an elite conveyance.

Their major competitor, Holden was the working man’s car.

Bill Holman worked for the County Council from 1955 when a post hole-digger was a shoulder-driven crow-bar.

He later became a pole inspector when power poles were as prominent as stakes in a tomato garden.

At the time of writing both gentlemen were 84 years of age and had an enviable racing record.

Bill had missed only one race meeting at White Park and Kelly has witnessed every Scone Cup and five Melbourne Cups.

Both agree that the Scone Cup win of Merry Jack in 1971 under the huge weight of nine stone four pounds was the greatest Cup performance.

Their opinions of jockeys differ somewhat, Kelly gives his vote to the late Cecil (Skeeter) Kelly.

He feels that Skeeter could have held his own, not only in the bush, but against the top city hoops.

Both lent towards Harry Troy and Robert Thompson as the modern day leading horsemen but Bill went into bat for his brother Arthur as his top country jockey.

Arthur Holman spent his early year’s rodeo riding and travelling New South Wales with Jimmy Lahey and Gill’s circus before turning to race riding at 23-years-old.

It was in 1946 that Arthur Holman rode himself into the record pages of Miller’s Guide, when he rode the program of 5 races at Currabubula on October 12 1946, three at Tamworth on December 14 1946, one and a dead heat at Quirindi October 10 1946, nine and a half winners straight.

Both Kelly and Bill can relate some great stories.

Many stories have been told about the old Aberdeen town track, jockeys changing horses in the dip and so on.

Kelly remembers one of his trips to the Aberdeen races, travelling in his first vehicle, a utility.

It was formerly a car cut down by its previous owner with a tomahawk.

A horse raced by well-known Scone identity of the 1940s, Frank Whyte won a race, only to see the event awarded to the fifth place getter owned by the judge of the races.

Kelly could still remember Frank Whyte running around tearing limbs off trees over the controversial decision.

Bill’s story goes back many years to a family horse called Outlaw.

It was purchased for 10 pounds at a little town called Woolar, between Mudgee and Merriwa.

The horse showed some galloping ability so the Holman boys decided to try their luck at the Gundy Races.

With Arthur at the reins of the horse and cart, Bill seated in the back with Outlaw in tow they set out from Merriwa one Thursday morning, camping at Flannigan’s woolshed at Owen’s Gap that night and continuing on to Gundy on the Friday.

With Outlaw stabled, the boys bedded down on the stable floor.

A win next day and the return trip home.

When racing moved from White Park to Satur, Bill and Kelly moved with it, such was their love of the sport.

However nothing would ever shake their loyalty to the old track.

Bill smiled a wry grin when asked his thoughts on the new layout at Satur, but Kelly Thrift summed it up in one sentence.

“I’ve witnessed five Melbourne Cups and there is nothing to match the atmosphere of a Cup Day at White Park,” he said.