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Boys in Horseracing - WMASG - 12-30-2025
Prologue
Gerry had done many things since they left the farm. His pacing filly had been a total disaster, regularly throwing herself down and refusing to pace, Not even one trial had been possible. His wonderful Darren, the love of his teenage life, had progressed from strength to strength, winning many races at Harold Park and even interstate plus two heats of the Interdominion Pacing Championship, when it was held in Auckland, New Zealand, last year. Darren was now branching out on his own as a trainer and Gerry was looking for a horse to get him to train for him.
However, Gerry's main love was still for the gallops, and always dreamed of being able to own, breed, and race some racehorses. The only thing stopping him was the necessary capital, millions to do it properly. He dreamed and fantasized about it constantly, but only an impossible major win in the elusive Lotto would ever make his dreams come true.
1.0 - Apprentice Jockeys.
Pretty boys the world over get fantasized about. Whether they are stars of screen,, stage or the sporting fields, they are all fodder for those nighttime dreams. Justin Beiber in his teenage prime would have been dreamt about, naked in bed, by millions of men, women, boys, and girls. I was no different having crushes on many, you would meet by accident. and become lifetime friends. However, for me, the biggest turnon has always been apprentice jockeys. Not the ones with a broken nose or cauliflower ears, but the cute ones their beauty highlighted by the pretty pastel silks they wore. There had been many of them, the baby-faced teenage Darren Beadman after winning the Golden Slipper as an apprentice, you just wanted to hug him.
As an avid watcher of Victorian racing via the wonderful TV station Racing.com, even though a Sydneysider, I was spellbound when I saw two young Victorian apprentices interviewed. Both caught my imagination yet they were so different/ The first was Cameron Brown, son of world-famous jockey Johnny Brown, he had the face of an innocent angel, a perfect tanned complexion with soul-searching blue eyes under fair hair that was slightly sunbleached. Even though experience tells that stable life is for the rough and tumble, this boy was humble, well mannered, and respectful. You could believe that he was the original virgin, untouched by human hands. An unlikely possibility in that industry.
By contrast, the other boy, although one year younger at 18, gave the impression, by his cheeky little smiles, that he had been at it since 12. Also well-spoken and mannered, Mathew Watkins was also from a family of jockeys, though in his case more bush jockeys than international ones.
They both fascinated me and I began to follow their careers, even having small bets on all their rides as both had excellent winning percentages. in the case of young Cameron, a freaky habit of getting into a place, even sometimes winning on big-priced longshots. In my dreams, I owned many champion racehorses and insisted, against the trainer's wishes that these two boys were always the jockey. Naturally, the winning celebrations included much more than just drinking champagne. Matt started to get involved with the big stables and began getting rides in the city and winning quite a few, although Cam was not that far behind. Cam, I was in love with, Matt, I just wanted to have sex with him. On many nights, alone in my bed, I did both. In reality, what I wanted more than anything else was to become friends with them.
2.0 - The Impossible Dream.
The only way my racing dreams could ever come true was that impossible dream, Lotto! Every time a big draw came around I planned on just how I was going to spend the winnings. So much for family and friends, the rest invested, half in blue-chip property and shares, the other half to fuel my love of horses, breeding and racing, and of course back to a farm with my boutique horse stud, a handful of high-class broodmares, and of course the essential farm boys.
The Lotto dream was one, of course, that was shared with millions of other Aussies too. Every week more investment, more high hopes, and more disappointments.
At the appropriate time at night when I logged into the website to check that night's Lotto results, I often thought 'why bother, it's a waste of time'.
That was the case tonight when I checked on the $70,000,000 OZ Lotto results. I looked, blinked, and looked again. One row with all blue-colored numbers. The impossible had happened and I have won the 1st Division prize. I was shaking with excitement, the impossible had happened. The only remaining question was how many others had also won. Then comes the 20-minute wait to discover the answer. No matter what my share of the 70 mil was, it was going to change my life, and with so much prior planning [dreaming], I knew exactly what I was going to do.
Unbelievable jubilation, I am the sole winner!
That night I could not sleep. prioritizing all the things I was going to do first thing tomorrow, even though the cash would not be paid for 15 days. I could not wait to see my then bank balance, with so many zeroes. I wanted the win to remain private and confidential not wishing to be contacted by all and sundry/ I would tell those who would benefit and no one else. A fortune earned is respected, a Lotto win is not! 'Ýou got it for nothing, so give me some!' the normal reaction.
Of course, those two intriguing boys were going to feature in my plans going forward, though at this stage they had no idea..
I had checked out the website of Lochie Nelson, the master for Cameron. He had been advertising shares being available in a two-year-old colt by Toronado. One of my first things to do this morning was to check on its current availability. Not only did I like its breeding, the possibility of it always being ridden by Cameron was an added bonus. I thought that 10.00 would be a good time to telephone a busy horse trainer. I did so and was told that there was still 30% left unclaimed. At $15,000 for a10% share, I may well take all. I promised to fly down to Melbourne the following week. The week after that was the first Melbourne Inglis yearling sale of the year so I would also stay there for that?. I would also have plenty of time to check out the establishment where Mathew plied his trade.
I had long ago decided that my Sydney trainer would be the famous lady trainer Bridie Kelly. She had revolutionalized the buying and preparation of young horses. By the time they paraded in the sale ring as yearlings she had already inspected them as foals, and weanlings at their breeding farms. Originally the old-style trainers had all dismissed her antics as being over the top and unnecessary but after her success at winning many of the 2-Y-O classic races they mostly all now followed more or less the same process. So meeting with Bridie was also high on my to-do list. I had already decided on a principle of horse ownership. As breeding still took pride of place with me I would own most fillies and mares outright but only take a % share in any colts. So a possible 10% share in each of ten colts would be the same total cost as owning just one colt outright. To own a champion outright is still a dream result but owning 10% of a champion is still far better than owning 100% of nothing!
Years ago, on a wonderful holiday in Bali, one that still had many fond memories, I stayed at a small village just outside of Ubud, called Sayan Ridge. At the time I thought 'what a great name for a horse stud', So I would register that as an Australian Business Name [ABN], and when I purchased a shelf company I would transfer that name to it. So I had four things to invest in; shares, property, horses, and a farm. My first priority was to establish a Sydney base. As I expected to travel extensively now, intrastate, interstate, and overseas, I wanted a combined office and a hotel room. So, a two-bedroom apartment in the Elizabeth Bay area was a top priority, one-bedroom to be converted into an office the other to serve as my Sydney hotel room.
Later that day I began to search the front windows of the many real estate offices on the Kings Cross/Potts Point area. Still formulating exactly what I wanted I shied away from getting harassed by any smooth-talking salespeople, That was until I noticed a very smartly dressed and stylish young man inside the offices of John Lang & Associates. Probably just out of high school he no doubt was only allowed very limited access to prospective customers, but he would be perfect for me in many different ways. Standing in their doorway reading some of their advertised property notices I was aware of him watching me, so I beckoned to him to come out. He did so and I dragged him to the front window and asked a base stupid question about one of the properties. I then laid it on the line..
"'I don't suppose that you are allowed to handle property sales from start to finish as yet?"
"No, I am only a trainee."
"Well I have a problem, I refuse to be hassled by senior salespeople, so if I insist that I only deal with you, do you think they will wear that?"
"I can ask?"
"Before you do, I need to tell you about what I am looking for, OK?"
To that, I got a very dubious nod.
"I will tell you what, there is a coffee shop a few doors down, can you escape for a few minutes, I will wait for you there and buy you a drink while I explain?
The boy had enough nouse to nod and go inside for permission to escape. Whilst I went to the Fountain Coffee Shop. sat down, ordered a Long Black for me, and waited.
He arrived before my coffee did so I added an Iced Chocolate for him as well.
I explained what I wanted. An apartment with two large bedrooms, an open plan kitchen and living areas, a covered terrace [with smoking allowed, preferably with sea and/or
park views], secure parking, and a lift if not on the ground floor. They were the basic essentials, extras could also be considered. My rules were that I only ever dealt with him, Rodney was his name. Of course, he was able to avail himself of advice from his bosses, just that I never wanted to have any dealings with them. I gave him my card and number and asked him t call me as soon as he had any properties to inspect, again only him and me.
"It will be good training for you, "I added.
He nodded, but still did not look too confident.
We departed and I ticked another item off my long list.
On the way back I stopped in front of another agent's office, Again there was a rather cute boy inside, a little older, and probably wiser, than Rodney. I gave him the same instructions but hoped that it would be Rodney with places for me to inspect..
Next on the list was to make contact with the horse agents, Inglis, to obtain catalogs for both upcoming yearling sales and the future broodmare sales in both Sydney and Melbourne.
The wheels were in place and were slowly beginning to turn over.
I was impressed, only an hour or two later and Rodney called me, he had two places for me to see. We decided on one later this afternoon and the other early tomorrow. I picked him up outside his office at 4.00. In the car on the way there, we chatted amiably. He was a country boy having been educated at the famous Scot's College in Sydney where his best friend had been the son of the real estate agent he was now working for. Boarding school boys always interested me as usually they had experienced all the normal curiosities of teenage years and with fond memories of same.
The property was interesting, he had stuck to my essential requirements. One bedroom was a little too small but still possible. My mind was constantly switching between the apartment and Rodney himself. The moment of chance arrived as we were in the bathroom. So, I asked him?
"Ï suppose Rodney has many girlfriends now, here in Sydney"
"Sadly not," he replied.
"What, no work for the monster?" I inquired, very lightly touching his mound, in a boy-friendly manner.
"Not much," he admitted. I noted that he did not say never.
"You should look after it better than that," I added, this time giving it a much firmer pat. I detected a slight hardening as I did so, so got ready to go in for the kill.
"The girls of Sydney do not know what they are missing. A big, hot, country cock," so saying I gave it a real grope. It was now almost fully erect, so I lingered and squeezed it a little. I could tell that he was getting turned on, he had made zero attempts to stop me or move away. Sure I was a prospective customer and he was trying to make a sale but nevertheless, I sensed a mutual happening.was about to eventuate.
"So hot," I whispered, now with a very rigid lump in my hand. This is where the experience takes over. I quickly slipped his zipper down and put my hand inside to free it from its prison. It fell out into my hand and it was all mine to do whatever I wanted to do with it. Rodney turned me on so much, as did the developing scenario, that I only wanted to do something for him, anything more could come at a later date. So, I dropped down and took him in my mouth. A great sigh escaped from his lips and I felt his body shake as I went to town on him. It was not long and he was spraying all across the bathtub we were standing beside. The clean-up was simple, just full blast with the taps, and the evidence was down the drain, more unborn babies.
The inspection was over, there was another one tomorrow morning.
Later that evening, I had a call from the other agent, Chris, so I agreed to meet him that night to look at a place in nearby Rushcutter's Bay, not fully to plan but close enough. This time during the inspection we passed each other in a rather cramped fashion both trying to go through the same doorway at the same time. Again my hand grazed his well-stacked front but unlike Rodney, he jumped and glared at me. I pretended nothing had happened and walked on. I came upon the kitchen which was in a separate room, and I let fly at him, attack always being the best form of defense.
"What is this, an open plan kitchen? Don't waste my fucking time!? When I say essential, I mean essential!"
With that I stormed out, he followed me rather sheepishly. In the car, not a word was spoken. I dropped him off, determined not to bother with him anymore.
The next morning Rodney showed me an almost perfect apartment, I decided to put an offer in immediately.
"i want to hear that your boss rewards you appropriately with the full commission for this sale, you have been perfect!".
"You are very kind," he answered humbly.
I already had the contact details for an established interior decorator, so met with her to arrange the fit-out as I had envisaged, old-fashioned in the office, modern elsewhere.. That was one project ticked off. Now to set up my company and then fly off to Melbourne.
3.0 - Melbourne
I flew to Melbourne the following Wednesday booking a room at the Hilton, knowing that a visit to the health club any afternoon would keep me content with their very active sauna and steam room. The Inglis yearling sale was the following Monday and Tuesday, their broodmare sale the Wednesday and Thursday. I was intending to buy a couple of 2-Y-O fillies with a view to them being future broodmares and two now broodmares as there were two Victorian-based sires that interested me, Nicconi and Toronado. By the time that they were served, I would have my long dreamed about horse stud in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia's bloodstock nursery.
Now to meet the two boys of my dreams.
The first was Cameron. I met with his master, Lochie, a true old-fashioned racing type. Down to earth and steeped in hard-earned knowledge. No doubt he had been an excellent mentor for Cameron, as the results had shown. He had the Toronado colt paraded. He looked magnificent but to my eye they all did. So I pretended to appraise him offering the right words, or so I thought. I said I would consider taking the remaining 30% and also mentioned that I expected to be a buyer at next week's sales. Then came the main reason for my visit.
"You have many stars in your stable, but one of them only has two legs, not four," I commented, rather cynically. "I am an unabashed fan of your apprentice Cameron.Brown. I must have watched his last 50 or so winning rides on TV and have been so impressed, He rides from the front with an excellent judge of pace and he can also sit patiently and come from the rear with a late run in the straight; I know that selection of jockeys is your prerogative but I want to let you know that my own preference would always be to have Cameron as the rider, whether it be a maiden race at Yarra Valley or a Group race at Flemington."
At this moment the boy in question came around the corner. Lochie called him over.
"Cam, this is Mr. Gerry Hanley, a new client for our stable" he introduced Cam to me. I was dumbstruck, totally speechless. The boy looked at me directly with those pool-deep blue eyes, a lock of his sun-bleached hair dropping for a moment in front of them which he blew away with a slight twist of his lips which did not work so it was followed by a flick of one finger, the smile on his lips exposing that perfect set of white teeth, with just the faintest hint of a small dimple high on his left cheek.
"He seems to think that you are a ready-made jockey, maybe he is mixing you up with your father," He said with a gentle smile."Why don't you take Mr. Hanley on a tour of our stable complex."
Cam motioned for me to move off with him, I followed him like a lost sheep. I had fantasized about this moment a hundred times but now that it was happening in reality I was at a loss for words. All I could do was check out the small perfect body that I was walking beside, the trim body shape in his well-fitting clothes. every time he turned around and gave me a smile, my heart melted once more.
"So you have many horses>" he asked.
:I have a few with Bridie in Sydney and intend to buy another couple at the sales here next week, are you going to ride them all for me?".I only lied temporarily.
"I would love to, but it all depends on the trainer." said a thoughtful Cameron.
"As the owner pays the bills he should also have a say on that."
It was obvious that Cam was not going to get involved in that type of conversation, too political..
"There is only one problem with riding for me," I said as Cam turned towards me again but with a curious look on his angelic face..
"Every time you win a race I insist on taking you out for a small celebration dinner. Now I know you have a very strict diet with your weight problems but I can assure you that any place that I take you to will be very fine dining and one where I have been able to talk to the chef and arrange a special meal for you. I also follow a strict dietary program so I understand your problem," then I added light-heartedly, ": If all you can eat is a lettuce leaf, then it will be the best lettuce leaf in Australia, with a glass of extra-dry champagne on the side of course!"
"And it is at the dinner that I give you the envelope." Every jockey knows what that means, the sling for a winning ride.
He just nodded, almost non-believing, as it was not an immediate problem.
The tour was over and we shook hands. I would have preferred to pull him into a hug but instead, I left him with me in a dazed state. I have no doubt that our first meeting has left the boy totally non-plussed. A lasting impression, other than maybe as a weirdo, I am afraid, I did not make.
Next was to make contact with young Mathew and his trainer mentor. In this case, also in the Mornington district, Mathew was apprenticed to his aunt, LIz Moriarty, who is an ex-jockey and now enjoying reasonable success with her small team. Not a battler but still yet to make it, in the big time.
I met with Liz, and explained that I intended to buy a couple of fillies with a view to being future broodmares, and any racing success in the meantime would only be an added advantage. I also mentioned my admiration for her apprentice Mathew and explained that.was how our meeting came about. Similar to the earlier experience with Cam, Liz called Mathew, or Matty as she called him to show me around. Mathew was, as I had expected, totally different from Cam. A cheeky rascal was more his image and very easy to talk and joke with. A year younger than Cam but perhaps a couple of years closer to manhood. When we were alone in the stable complex, I said.
"As you have such a reputation with the girls, I thought that this was the best place for my fillies. See if you can work your magic on them?"
"What me?" he replied, trying, unsuccessfully, to look innocent.
"Yes, you, the Cassanova of Mornington/"
Then I explained about the celebration dinners, he did not seem very impressed, that was until I mentioned the envelopes, he was suddenly all ears.
"I am not a big punter but I do like a punt so the envelope is a direct result of, my punting success. A 10/1 maiden winner at Yarra Valley could well provide a bigger sling than an even-money favorite in a group race. After all, in a big race, you have already earned a percentage of the prizemoney."
I could see that Mathew was motivated by money whereas Cam was motivated by success. Two different boys indeed, but both highly attractive and very sexy.
4.0 The Sales
The first sales were the Inglis ones in Melbourne. I was particularly taken with a colt by Pierro, and was happy to get him for $250,000, he was going to Lochie. As for the fillies I was very keen on a Nicconi filly, out of a Zabeel mare, which I secured for $275,000, and a Toronado one out of a Lonhro mare at a bargain $150,000, both from very strong dam lines. The fillies would go to Liz for the mercurial Mathew to work his magic charm on them. Later at the broodmare sale, I purchased another two, both with very strong dam lines, one with Galileo and the other with Zabeel in the background. The Zabeel one, Love to All, was still a possible racing proposition for maybe one more preparation.So I sent the Galileo mare to Widden to be mated with Nicconi, looking for another Nature Strip and sent Love to All along with the two yearlings to LIz.
The following week it was the turn of Sydney to host sales. I had studied the catalog endlessly and had given Bridie my lot numbers for her comments. Top of my picks was yet another Pierro colt, although my intentions were to just take a 10% share in 10 colts that Bridie purchased after her extensive pre-sale inspections. However, this colt fascinated me with his breeding and I was thinking of making him an exception. I was disappointed when Bridie's comment came back 'too small'. So on sale day I went and inspected the colt. He was quite small for a Pierro but still very neat and seemed to have much character. I spoke with the strapper, commenting on his size.
"Small in size but big in heart," he assured me..Then he explained. "He was very sick as a young foal, almost died, I had to hand feed him for almost three months, even slept with him many nights when I thought he would not last the night. But he is tough and he pulled through, that is why he is a bit smaller than the other colts.
I could see that boy and horse had a special relationship, as the boy, Tim was his name, caressed the colts neck, he rested his head on Tim's shoulder-rubbing his head up and down against his head, then just resting his head on the boy's shoulder. Not the usual behavior for an unbroken flighty yearling.
"His name is Percy." the boy explained, "No idea why I just called him that from day one.".
I went back to the sale ring and sat near to Bridie to watch her in action buying lot after lot. Eventually, the Pierro colt came into the ring led by young Tim.
"Ï still like him," I whispered to Bridie. "Too small," she repeated.
"So was Groucho,"I replied referring to a pocket rocket of past years who won many big major races.
The bidding on the colt was very slow, obviously, most buyers shared Bridie's opinion. When the bidding seemed to stall at $90,000, I said to Bridie, "Buy him for me."
He was a part of the Coolmore draft and they always sold irrespective of price, never passing them in. So Bridie bid $95,000, less than Pierro's service fee, and he was mine. I did not have more lots coming up before the lunch break so I went back to tell young Tim about his colt's new home. When I got there I witnessed a very moving moment. Tim was standing with his back to me, his arms around the colt's neck, the colt resting his head on Tim's shoulder. Tim was saying, :
"Goodbye my friend, I will follow your career every day and come to see you whenever I can."
Sensing my presence Tim turned around to face me, his cheeks streaked with tears.
I was so moved, I reacted instinctively." How good is your job at Coolmore?" I asked.
"It was fantastic but now with Percy gone, it will be horrible."
"Well I'll tell you what, I am just finalizing to purchase a small stud in the Hunter, nothing as grand as Coolmore, but if you are interested you could come and work for me and look after Percy \whenever he comes back for a spell."
Suddenly his tear-streaked face was split with a grin from ear to ear.
"Really, I'd work for nothing!" he blurted out in his excitement.
"No, you won't do that, I pay very well and I pride myself that we will have the best staff meals and accommodation in the Valley.",
With that, I put my arms around the boy and he almost strangled me in return.
"Careful, Percy will get jealous!" I joked.
5.0 - Financials.
The money had now hit my bank account. I kept logging into my internet banking to look at the amazing balance before it started to decrease. Settling for the office/hotel room apartment was now due and the Melbourne and Sydney sale purchases also had to be paid, as well I am off tomorrow for a week checking out available properties in the Hunter Valley centered around Scone, the heart of Australia's bloodstock breeding industry, Australia's Kentucky...
I had, back in my Dreamtime, been preparing a watchlist of mainly blue-chip shares that I was interested in investing in, and now was the time to action that list. by investigating each share
and deciding what I would now buy. My new life as a well-to-do businessman was beginning.
My accounting background had not been forgotten, I had selected the XERO accounting package and was busy setting up the parameters. There would be six divisions and to try and control the investing I was going to use a double, double-entry system, Whilst the actual bank account would remain in the Head Office division, I would create digital bank accounts by allocating funds to each division. Meaning that every cash transaction would have not one, but two, double-entry transactions Perhaps not the way the purists would do it but for me, it would work perfectly.
6.0 - Scone.
I was booked into the Scone Motel for five days. I arrived just in time to check out the motel restaurant for lunch. It was OK without being anything special so in the future, it would be for convenience sake's only, although I did notice the attractive small bar together with its charming barman, with whom I engaged in conversation when he served me my drinks, as I was the only lunch customer for the restaurant that day.
The memory of my real estate selection method in Sydney for the apartment was fresh in my mind and I wondered if I could be two times lucky? Accordingly, I strolled aking Scone's high street, reading the display items in the front windows of the land and stock agents, whilst also peeping inside to check out the staff. After six such inspections and seeing no one under 40, I despaired in ever finding a fresh young and eager face. reaching the business end of Scone on the left side of the street, I crossed over and began the inspection tour 'walking back on the other side. I soon came across Australia's largest such firm, Elders. now they were sure to have many management trainees.
Elders had a double frontage, two windows full of real estate offerings, at the center was a double doorway, inside many people gathered. I could see that all of the senior-looking staff were well occupied with current or future clients. a group of three young guys was gathered together joking with each other. The three were vastly different, one was a real Aussie, already slightly overweight, looking uncomfortable in his shirt and tie, the top button of which was undone, his tousled hair looking unkempt. He looked as if he had once suffered a broken nose and he had cauliflower ears and a very freckled face that told of many hours spent outside in the sun, in all he looked as if he would be more at home on the rugby field, packing down in a scrum. The 2nd was rather insipid looking certainly not a man of the land, more of an office worker.
,
The 3rd boy was tall, lean, and well presented. He seemed to have a natural style about him, very self-assured. When I caught his eye, I walked towards him and jokingly said.
"Are you the boss?" he looked surprised, the others guffawed.
"No. he just thinks he us." interjected the unruly one.
"Well, maybe you can help me anyway? Can you explain something to me," I said as I led him outside to the window?
Standing beside him on the footpath I asked an inane question about a property that I had absolutely zero interest in, then asked?
"I assume that you are still a trainee, but are you allowed to deal directly with a new client?"
"I really don't know but I assume that we would be expected to refer them to one of the senior staff."
"Well let me explain. I have a distinct aversion to dealing with real estate agents. Now I am sure that the guys inside would not refer to themselves as such but to me, they are just that, their job is to create sales. I would prefer to deal with someone just like you. You can go to them for information but only you deal with me. Do you think that would be workable?"
"I am not really sure?"
"It is difficult to discuss this here on the street, what time do you go for lunch?
"I am on early today, so in ten minutes' time."
"Well, how about a free lunch?"
"Meet me over the road at the Blue Rose Cafe, I will go there now and wait for you I will be at a table in the back somewhere so you won't be seen."
The boy just nodded absentmindedly, as I turned to cross the street to the cafe.
7.0 - Randall.
I ordered my coffee, a Long Black as usual. It arrived and I was perusing their small menu when he arrived. The first thing we did was to introduce each other, his name is Randall.
He sat down, rather nervously, but at least he was here. I explained my aversion to salesmen in general and real estate salesmen in particular.
"They may not lie to you but they just conveniently forget to tell you that a previous landowner was reduced to bankruptcy by the 2016 drought, or that the nice new Yearling Barn was a direct result of the 2018 bushfires, etc." I further explained, "plus. most are pushy, pushy.".
Randall just smiled.
"I am fairly open as to what I am looking for, I want to run say 100 breeding cows, and a small band of exclusive broodmares, with the ensuing calves, foals, yearlings, etc. Maybe 500 acres, but my priority is soil quality and water supply, but I have my own tech experts who will come in and advise me on that. Nothing else is as important, as the rest can, at worst, be demolished and rebuilt. So, the very best grazing land, rather quite simple If you can go through the properties that you have and select out those that you think would be of interest. Talk to your bosses, just tell them I am an eccentric but one who has the cash to buy and do so quickly, and someone who will only deal through you, ok?"
"I already have 11 horses with Bridie in Sydney and another 5 with two trainers in Melbourne, so I am not without a dollar. Tell them that I want you to deliver the property details to my Motel at say, six o'çlock tonight and I will tell you in the morning which, if any, of the properties, I wish to inspect. In reality, rather than just drop in the details, I hope that you can join me for dinner at the Motel restaurant and we can discuss the properties after dinner over a few drinks, but no need to tell them that. It is the way I like to do business. Now let's get lunch ordered so you can get back to work?"
"So, are you a local?" I asked.
"Raised on Segenhoe. My father was their Stud Manager for ten years, then my parents received an unexpected inheritance, they bought their own small farm in Aberdeen and I was sent to board at St. Joseph's College in Sydney.
"A good old-fashioned school, "I commented," what you did not learn in the classroom, you learned in the dorms."
He just nodded. maybe not quite sure what I meant. Boarding school is a good place to start. Even if he had not engaged in any night games in the dorms, with the communal nature of the place, he will, at least, be comfortable with his own nudity..
*******
I am sitting at the motel's bar enjoying a pre-dinner drink, my usual whiskey soda when Randall arrives.
"I think I have found some interesting properties for you /" he excitedly announced.
"Later, sit down, relax, and have a drink first, then dinner, then we can talk about your discoveries."
It took a while to defuse him but he eventually relaxed, with a drink and a smile, no doubt still feeling the pressure he had been on ever since our late morning meeting.
"Did your bosses give you any flack over this?"
"Surprisingly not, just warned me not to fuck up."
"I don't think there is any chance of that happening," I assured him.
After a cooling-down drink, we adjourned to the dining room and had a pleasant if not outstanding meal, at first he was a bit reticent about sharing a bottle of wine, but that soon
disappeared and he drank his share. It wasn't too hot outside so we ordered some drinks and retired to a table beside the pool just outside of my motel room where Randall gave me all of the particulars of the three properties that he had discovered. We both agreed that one of them, on the road to Jerry's Plains, looked the most interesting. 530 acres with many new outbuildings including a massive high-tech Yearling Barn, currently carrying 160 cattle, of all ages, and 22 horses, likewise. We made that priority no.1 for an inspection, the following morning if possible.
It was now time for us to just relax and enjoy the rest of the evening, things getting a bit more personal.
"So, how many girlfriends does the dashing Randall have?"
He smiled rather sheepishly, looking down at the ground."
"None, I'm afraid".
"I am shocked," and I was.
"After high school in Sydney, and living in Aberdeen, I have been out of the Scone social circle for many years, I have only been back here for the past three months with Elders."
"And the word has not yet got around about a new well-groomed young spunk being available. What the girls of Scone are missing out on!"
Randall just smiled, self consciously.
"I bet that situation doesn't last much longer."" I added.
The conversation then got onto the safer option of sport in which we shared many interests, including support of the Sydney Swans, which I found surprising for a boy from such a famous rugby school as Joeys. After a few more drinks Randall started to take discreet looks at his watch so I guessed that he wanted to depart. I had one more surprise for him yet.
"It's still quite hot, how about a swim?"
"Sounds good, but no costumes."
"Swimming in the dark with no one around never needs costumes." he looked shocked.
"Wrapped in a towel from the room to the pool edge, drop towel for 5 seconds, then surrounded by water, another 5 seconds when getting out and you are back in the safety of the room behind closed doors," I explained rather simply.
He was not convinced, so I left it till another night. We said goodbye till tomorrow and I arranged for him to come by around 7.00 and join me for breakfast, to which he agreed.
*******
I was naked, bar a towel around my waist, just finishing my shave, when I heard the soft knock on the motel door.
I opened the door to admit a shy-looking Randall, who took up a place on the corner of one of the beds whilst I dropped the towel and began to dress.
We strode off for a companionable breakfast before heading off for the inspection which he had already been able to arrange for 9.30.