Marburg honours racing identity Smyth

By Jordan Gerrans

The late Terry J Smyth loved a party and country racing - so the long-time horseman was given an appropriate send-off at Marburg last month.

The Marburg Harness Racing Association held a special race meeting in Smyth’s honour in late April, naming a number of races after his former stable stars, as well as running the Terry J Smyth Memorial Pace.

Smyth passed away in late March of this year. He was 84 years of age.

Smyth had a long association with the Marburg club, spending time on the committee as well as being actively involved in racing activities as an administrator and timekeeper.

Smyth’s daughter Tess Neaves said the event was a fitting send-off for her late father.

“That was actually his funeral, we did that in lieu of a funeral,” Neaves said.

“He just said he wanted a party, so we organised a race meeting, instead. As soon as he stopped rodeoing, harness racing was his life, pretty much.

“He figured when you're gone, you're gone and we might as well just celebrate, have a few drinks, sit around and have a yarn.

“It was really good. None of my brothers have had anything to do with harness racing.

“They all moved away but they enjoyed coming back to a meeting and re-involving themselves.”

Marburg named races after Smyth’s former top horses across the meeting, including Auditors Corner, Regal Drum, Deadly Smile and Chapter Three.

“He mostly did the Show circuits,” Neaves said.

“But, he did have horses who won on a Saturday night. He had a lot of his winners in Tamworth around New South Wales.

“We still have got race photos from that, but they're all faded.”

As the late Smyth usually toiled away with low-rated pacers, the family were keen to honour that in the way they programmed his memorial race.

The event was run over 2200 metres with Shes Bewitched landing the prize, which was the mare’s sixth win of her career from 72 starts.

Trent Hodges prepared Shes Bewitched to victory with Noel Parrish in the sulky as the six-year-old scored by more than four metres in the end.

“I think Parrish stable were surprised there was a winning rug and they were pleased to have a rug,” Neaves said.

“It was nice to have it for the low-rating horses.

“There was no extra prizemoney for the race but with the rug, there is something to take home and look at.

“Dad's horses were never much good and he mostly spent his time around the Show circuits, which was where he enjoyed it the most.

“So, I figured we'd celebrate the quality of horses that he had and the people he raced with more than the harder classes ones.

“Shaun Gillespie and the Marburg committee, they did the catering for the food and they were really easy to work with.

“They were happy to name the races the way we did so it was good to see.”

Marburg Harness Racing Association Secretary Janet Keats said the club was honoured to host the race day for the late Smyth.

“The meeting was a very special tribute,” Keats said.

“The MHRA had a private marquee for family and friends.”

The 44-year-old Neaves followed her father into the training ranks and recently brought her 100^th career victory when Specialandiknowit won at Marburg.

She prepares a team of five.

Neaves’ husband Scott was the long-term president of Marburg before stepping away from the role in recent years.