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McGraths connected through racing

*Article by Michael Manley for racing.com


D’jumbuck’s win at Flemington in the 1200-metre Benchmark 78 on Saturday was a celebration of the McGrath family’s 80-year involvement in the racing industry spanning three generations.


Brian McGrath Racing
Image Courtesy of Racing Photos

D’jumbuck gave Brian McGrath his first Flemington winner and his uncle, the VRC’s Racing Engagements and Cup Tour Manager, Joe McGrath, said the McGrath clan celebrated the win all over the globe via a WhatsApp group.


"Racing has been an important part of our lives and our family, and for Brian to train his first Flemington winner gave us all an immense thrill," Joe McGrath said.


The McGraths involvement with racing began with bookmaker Brian McGrath in the 1940s and continues with his namesake and his grandson who trains from Cranbourne.


Brian McGrath was one of Melbourne’s leading bookmakers in the 1950s and 1960s and became President of the Victorian Bookmakers Association.


Joe McGrath said the passion for racing for the family was ignited by his father and his mother Kath, and the purchase of a New Zealand mare Bellition.


“Brian purchased a mare Bellition from New Zealand in 1967, from Arthur Didham, for mum to race and gave her to George Hanlon to train, and she won the Feehan Stakes and finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup,” Joe McGrath said.


Brian also purchased a share in a stallion called Showdown, who went on to become Australia’s leading stallion.


When Bellition was retired to stud, she had three top gallopers by Showdown, which were The Judge, Victoria Peak and Red Rebecca, which were raced by Kath McGrath.


“The halcyon days in terms of racing horses for the family was in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s with the horses mum and dad bred, which had great success,” Joe McGrath said.


“What it also did was produce a great interest for our family of seven and gave us a great passion for horse racing, which we still have through to today and having Brian train is a great continuation of this.”


Since those times, the McGrath family has become synonymous with horse racing.

The trail blazer was the eldest son Jim, who has had a celebrated international career as a racing journalist and broadcaster, firstly in Hong Kong and then in the United Kingdom and Europe.


In addition to Joe’s long tenure at the VRC, another son, Pat, worked as a freelance racing photographer for 25 years in the 1980s and 1990s.


Another son, Martin McGrath, became an award-winning cinematographer. He was also Director of Photography for the movie “Ride Like A Girl”, which focused on Michelle Payne’s win in the Melbourne Cup.


His wife, Heather Mitchell, is regarded as one of Australia’s best actresses, and she is also a part-owner of D’jumbuck.

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