WITH the Melbourne Cup done and dusted for another year, there was one well-known face missing from the spring racing carnival.
John Brady, known trackside as ‘Crewy’, would’ve been glued to his television set this week, cheering home runners trained by his former boss, Gai Waterhouse.
Not that long ago, he would’ve been strapping them.
Sadly, the man who handled the likes of Tulloch, Kingston Town and Gunsynd for Gai’s dad, legendary trainer Tommy Smith, passed away last month at Goulburn.
He was 89.
Crewy Brady and trainer Gai Waterhouse, with the cherished Melbourne Cup (Image supplied).
Crewy’s cousin, well-known Moree resident Darryl Brady, said the familiar face of racing at Randwick began working for Tommy Smith in 1952 at age 15.
“Crewy worked for Tommy in the early days at Randwick and then his daughter, Gai, until retirement 71 years later,” Darryl said.
“He strapped some of the well-known gallopers of the day, including Kingston Town, Gunsynd and the mighty Tulloch.
“Tommy Smith started calling him Crewy when he applied for a job at the stables in 1952, and the nickname stuck.
“Crewy’s very colourful career with the Smith stables spanned seven decades – an astounding feat that is hard, if not impossible, to match,” Darryl said.
Gai Waterhouse, who now trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, said in a social media statement, it was a sad day for Tulloch Lodge when staff learned of Crewy’s passing.
“He was loved, admired and respected by all the boys and girls who worked with him over many decades,” Gai said.
“Crewy’s work ethic was second to none, and even in his late 80s he could be seen carrying buckets of oats from the back of the stables to the top – no mean feat for a fit young man, let alone a rising 90-year-old.
“Crewy was a highly intelligent person, and had an amazingly retentive memory. If ever I needed advice, Crewy was the man to go to.
“As a young girl, I’d only known Crewy by that name. One day, a letter came for John Brady, so I went into the stable and asked Crewy ‘do you know John Brady’, to which he piped up: ‘that’s me’,” Gai laughed.
“There can’t be many people in any industry who have worked with such dedication and loyalty as Crewy. My father regarded him as one of the stable’s great assets, and so do I.”
Three years ago at the Gold Coast, Crewy took out the Thoroughbred Excellence Award at the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards after finishing runner-up the previous year.
“From humble tasks of mucking out boxes and blending feeds, Crewy’s dedication saw him master the art of riding trackwork well into his 50s. He guided some of the greatest horses in Australian turf history along his unique path, solidifying his position as a trusted hand.”
Darryl Brady said his cousin was a gentle and kind man.
“Crewy was very easy to talk to and listen to, with a wealth of racing knowledge,” Darryl said.
“What Crewy didn’t know about racehorses, especially ones trained by Tommy and Gai, wasn’t worth knowing.
“He will be sadly missed by his daughters, Debbie and Lee, and his many family and friends,” he said.
A great tribute for a outstanding gentleman. Thank you Bill. His funeral was held last week at Matraville where he was farewelled by family, friends and members of the racing fraternity led by Adrian Bott.