thanrldiva
Matthew Rodwell
Look out, Randwick, a frisky Reg Reagan is about to hit the track, writes John Schell.
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CULT hero Reg Reagan plans on taking Randwick by storm on Saturday to watch his namesake make its racetrack debut. Reg told The Form on Thursday he had seen the robust two-year-old colt in the Rosehill stables of trainer Tim Martin and liked what he saw.
"He's just like me," Reg boasted. "He's bold, he's powerful and he's exciting. And he'll probably make a lot of money when he goes to stud."
Regreagan, an Encosta De Lago juvenile, is part-owned by Reg's alter ego, former Australian rugby league star Matthew Johns.
Joining him in the ownership are his brother - league great Andrew Johns - Martin's wife Melanie, and main shareholder Eddie Hayson.
Matthew Johns has delved into the thrill of racehorse ownership before, only to be disappointed.
"I've certainly had a chequered past when it comes to racing horses - both thoroughbreds and pacers," Johns said. "I've had a few [horses], and the trainers of all of them kept telling me they were either going to win the Golden Slipper or the Miracle Mile.
"But they haven't. The lowest point was when I bought into a horse called Royal Deviot a few years back. The only thing was they didn't tell me it was a nine-year-old until I was already involved in it."
Hayson races the Kris Lees-trained galloper Onion in partnership with Andrew, and Matthew entered the scene following a telephone call from Hayson.
"Eddie said to me a little while ago that he was thinking about calling one of his horses Reg Reagan," Johns said. "He said he had a couple of good horses coming through and wanted to use the name on one of them, and did I have any objections?
"I asked Reg and he didn't care, so it went ahead. Fingers crossed now that he can live up to the name."
The two-year-old finished fourth in a Rosehill barrier trial under the name of Reagan Reg after an initial request for the Reg Reagan moniker had been rejected. But racing's registrars went against protocol and allowed the colt to be registered under the name of Regreagan.
"Reg Reagan is a fictitious character and there was an agreement from Matthew Johns to use the name, so we passed the name," Racing NSW's Keith Bullock said. "It can only be a good thing for the exposure of racing."
Bullock pointed out there was already a horse racing in NSW by the name of Joeejonz, named in honour of Andrew Johns.
Both Johns boys cut their teeth in league in Newcastle, so it seemed apt that Novocastrian hoop Allan Robinson took the ride on Regreagan on Saturday at Randwick.
"I never thought I'd be riding Reg Reagan," the larrikin jockey said.
"Let's just hope I can come out and do the right thing by the boys and get a winner on the board.
"Actually, it will be interesting to see if Matty and Andrew sling. Coming from Cessnock, they might not have heard what a sling is."
Martin said Regreagan was a "nice horse that I've got a lot of time for".
Among others, Hayson has already raced Gonski with Martin before that colt was sold to Darley Stud.
Matthew Johns said he would be at Randwick on Saturday and "give the kids a look" at the races.
He was hoping Reg Reagan would make an appearance as well. "I'm keen to get out there with the family, and I think Reg wouldn't mind getting there either. He's actually looking forward to the day," Johns said.
As for the other Reg's debut, in the domain.com.au Sprint, on Saturday, Reagan has no doubts which horse will be first over the line.
"Regreagan is a winner," he said. "I know how good he is. I've ridden it, and I've also rode it. Like his namesake, he has got a ton of ability."
AdvertisementAdvertisement
CULT hero Reg Reagan plans on taking Randwick by storm on Saturday to watch his namesake make its racetrack debut. Reg told The Form on Thursday he had seen the robust two-year-old colt in the Rosehill stables of trainer Tim Martin and liked what he saw.
"He's just like me," Reg boasted. "He's bold, he's powerful and he's exciting. And he'll probably make a lot of money when he goes to stud."
Regreagan, an Encosta De Lago juvenile, is part-owned by Reg's alter ego, former Australian rugby league star Matthew Johns.
Joining him in the ownership are his brother - league great Andrew Johns - Martin's wife Melanie, and main shareholder Eddie Hayson.
Matthew Johns has delved into the thrill of racehorse ownership before, only to be disappointed.
"I've certainly had a chequered past when it comes to racing horses - both thoroughbreds and pacers," Johns said. "I've had a few [horses], and the trainers of all of them kept telling me they were either going to win the Golden Slipper or the Miracle Mile.
"But they haven't. The lowest point was when I bought into a horse called Royal Deviot a few years back. The only thing was they didn't tell me it was a nine-year-old until I was already involved in it."
Hayson races the Kris Lees-trained galloper Onion in partnership with Andrew, and Matthew entered the scene following a telephone call from Hayson.
"Eddie said to me a little while ago that he was thinking about calling one of his horses Reg Reagan," Johns said. "He said he had a couple of good horses coming through and wanted to use the name on one of them, and did I have any objections?
"I asked Reg and he didn't care, so it went ahead. Fingers crossed now that he can live up to the name."
The two-year-old finished fourth in a Rosehill barrier trial under the name of Reagan Reg after an initial request for the Reg Reagan moniker had been rejected. But racing's registrars went against protocol and allowed the colt to be registered under the name of Regreagan.
"Reg Reagan is a fictitious character and there was an agreement from Matthew Johns to use the name, so we passed the name," Racing NSW's Keith Bullock said. "It can only be a good thing for the exposure of racing."
Bullock pointed out there was already a horse racing in NSW by the name of Joeejonz, named in honour of Andrew Johns.
Both Johns boys cut their teeth in league in Newcastle, so it seemed apt that Novocastrian hoop Allan Robinson took the ride on Regreagan on Saturday at Randwick.
"I never thought I'd be riding Reg Reagan," the larrikin jockey said.
"Let's just hope I can come out and do the right thing by the boys and get a winner on the board.
"Actually, it will be interesting to see if Matty and Andrew sling. Coming from Cessnock, they might not have heard what a sling is."
Martin said Regreagan was a "nice horse that I've got a lot of time for".
Among others, Hayson has already raced Gonski with Martin before that colt was sold to Darley Stud.
Matthew Johns said he would be at Randwick on Saturday and "give the kids a look" at the races.
He was hoping Reg Reagan would make an appearance as well. "I'm keen to get out there with the family, and I think Reg wouldn't mind getting there either. He's actually looking forward to the day," Johns said.
As for the other Reg's debut, in the domain.com.au Sprint, on Saturday, Reagan has no doubts which horse will be first over the line.
"Regreagan is a winner," he said. "I know how good he is. I've ridden it, and I've also rode it. Like his namesake, he has got a ton of ability."
