History of Australian Sport DVD

A number of readers have asked about the History Channel’s recent documentary The Spirit of Australian Sport: Horse Racing which aired on November 3rd.

TV Tonight can now confirm a DVD release will be available in time for Christmas. On air promos will soon air on the History Channel.

Press Release:
Hosted by legendary Australian race-caller JOHN TAPP and former top jockey SIMON MARSHALL, and narrated by noted sports columnist and commentator MIKE GIBSON, this exclusive special delves into Australian horse racing’s dramatic and colourful past from the first colonial match-races in Sydney through to today’s multi-billion-dollar industry with its nationally televised race meetings.

Featuring rare archival footage, the documentary relives the joys and heartbreaks of the racetrack, where triumph and tragedy have gone hand-in-hand with sensation and scandal.

Some of racing’s biggest celebrities and most respected authorities recount dramatic moments in the lives of our greatest thoroughbreds including the struggle for life by the great Tulloch after he was struck down by a terrible illness at the height of his career, and the time the courageous champion, Shannon, was left hopelessly at the start of the Epsom handicap only to chase down the field and lose by a nostril.

Those in the know tell tales of the big gamblers, of millions of dollars won by massive, cleverly- timed plunges; and bookmaker Bruce McHugh reveals the true, inside story of how he locked horns with billionaire Kerry Packer in the world’s biggest ever betting duel.

And there are moments of great emotion, such as jockey Damien Oliver’s magnificent victory in the Melbourne Cup just days after his beloved brother had been killed in an accident.

Among those interviewed are top jockeys Darren Beadman, Shane Dye, Roy Higgins and the late George Moore; leading trainers Bart Cummings, Lee Freedman, David Hayes, Gai Waterhouse and her father, the late Tommy Smith; well-known racing writers Les Carlyon and Bill Whittaker; successful breeders John Messara and Antony Thompson; colourful bookmaker Mark Read; celebrity race callers Alan Thomas and Bryan Martin, and the wealthy owner Bob Ingham.

Produced by Graham McNeice Productions (Crime Investigation Australia and The Spirit of Australian Sport – Rugby League), this commemorative television event is a spectacular tribute to 200 years of Australian thoroughbred horse racing.