JOCKEYS TO WEAR BLACK ARMBANDS AT NEWCASTLE TO HONOUR PAT FARRELL

JOCKEYS will wear black armbands at Saturday’s The Hunter meeting at Broadmeadow as a mark of respect for the late Muswellbrook trainer Pat Farrell.

“Newcastle Jockey Club wants to honour Pat,” chief executive Duane Dowell said today.

“Jockeys riding in the Lees Racing Legend Mile will wear black armbands.

“We feel this is an appropriate race for this recognition.”

Farrell, whose career spanned more than six decades, passed away last weekend, aged 83.

He was inducted into the Newcastle and Hunter Racing Hall of Fame in 2021.

Farrell began training at 21 years of age after his father (also Pat) passed away, and well-known former Sydney jockey and then trainer Kevin Moses rode his first winner (Spotted Lightning) for him at Orange.

At the peak of his powers, he built up an impressive list of prominent owners, including STC chairman George Ryder, the ARABS (Australian Racing and Breeding), Derby King Ranch, Alf Ellison, Stanley Wootton, and former Newcastle Jockey Club and Gosford Race Club chairmen Roy Mahony and Malcolm Cusick.

Farrell had more than 100 horses in work at one stage, and won eight premierships in the Hunter.

At the height of his success, he won 150 races in a single season (120 at provincial and country meetings and 30 in the city).

Rightfully acknowledged as the “Theo Green of the bush”, Farrell successfully brought a stack of apprentices through the system, just as the former Sydney trainer did with proteges such as Ron Quinton, Malcolm Johnston, John Duggan and Gordon Spinks to name a few.

Farrell’s apprentices included Wayne Harris, Darryl McLellan, Neil Rae, Paul Sylvester and George Michaels.

Harris, the Muswellbrook “whiz kid” became the first apprentice to win the Golden Slipper Stakes (on Century Miss for Bart Cummings in 1979), and 15 years later also won the Melbourne Cup on imported stayer Jeune.

Coincidentally, Farrell only ever had one Golden Slipper runner; Food For Love, who ran second to Melbourne youngster Full On Aces in 1981.

Former Hunter and North-West Racing Association chief steward Shane Cullen also was under Farrell’s wing early in his racing career.

“Shane was apprenticed to me, but got too heavy,” Farrell said in an interview for From The Track magazine in 2015.

“He was a terrific foreman, but was born to be a steward.”

Farrell said in that interview he would never consider taking on another apprentice because it was an entirely different system.

“Previously you could sign up an apprentice for five years,” he said.

“Now if they’re not happy with their master, they transfer to another. I don’t agree with it.”

Farrell named the late Bill Wade as the best “money rider” he saw in his time in racing.

“Whenever Bill declared a horse, they rarely got beaten and more often than not won easily.”

Story John Curtis, November 13, 2025 - Main Pic Muswellbrook Race Club