Latest news with #Mike Hirst
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jimmy The Bear named after Frankston YCW teammates of owner-breeder Mike Hirst
Jimmy The Bear has more than made up for suburban football silverware missed as Frankston YCW past players Mike Hirst, Jimmy Bruin and Nick 'the Bear' Wright enjoy an ownership dream. Former Racing Victoria chairman Hirst, a passionate owner-breeder, gifted five per-cent shares in Jimmy The Bear to ex-Stonecats Bruin and Wright as an excuse to catch up at country race meetings. Stuck on a name for the home-bred Jimmy Creed gelding, now a $1.35m earner, Hirst's partner Lizzie Sweetnam floated the Frankston YCW backline tribute. 'Lizzie said you could call (the horse) Jimmy The Bear and give them both a share each,' Hirst said. 'We said (at the time) it would be great just to drive around country Victoria catching up and having a good time … his first two runs were in the country and he's barely been back since.' Hirst played fullback, with resting ruckman Bruin and converted rover Wright in the pockets. The trio won an U17 premiership in 1974 but lost senior Mornington Peninsula grand finals to Pines, Crib Point and Bonbeach in quick succession. Wright earned the nickname 'the Bear' as he could often be found asleep on massage tables after post-game ales in the Stonecats' clubroom. 'Everyone knows him as 'the Bear', he's been known as the Bear for 40 years,' Hirst laughed. 'He'd always start work early, by the time 10pm came around on a Saturday he was pretty buggered so he'd go out and lay on the trainers' table and we'd wake him up at 1am wanting to go home. 'The koala bear … he spent all his time sleeping.' Jimmy The Bear, trained by Patrick and Michelle Payne, has won 12 of 39 starts and placed 10 times. The six-year-old has dominated middle distance ranks this campaign, with four wins including the Listed Winter Championship Series Final and two second places. Jimmy The Bear is $1.60 favourite to add to the tally on Saturday in the VOBIS Gold Stayers (2400m) at Caulfield. Jimmy The Bear has not raced beyond 2000m before but a win would tip another $126,000 into the prizemoney kitty, including the $30,000 VOBIS bonus. Jimmy The Bear has to date earned Bruin and Wright about $70,000 apiece in prizemoney. 'For Hirsty to make us part of that and Lizzie named the horse, it's just wonderful,' Wright said. 'Originally we were going to go out to the country meetings … we thought better celebrate with a couple owners than only one owner, but he turned out to be a bit better than that. 'Absolutely thrilled, we're bloody rapt, very generous of him.' Wright played alongside Hirst since U12s through to senior Stonecats ranks. 'Jimmy was the resting ruckman at that stage, because of my size, I started out roving but went to back pocket,' Wright said. 'I thought it was a lot easier, not as much running, alongside Hirsty, fullback all the time, it was a good combination.' The good combination has continued on Melbourne racecourses these days and winner's bars.
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jimmy The Bear worth the shout for passionate owner-breeder Mike Hirst
Jimmy The Bear could again pay for drinks in a Hobart sports bar on Saturday with Caulfield victory but not at the direct expense of passionate owner-breeder Mike Hirst. Hirst shouted drinkers at the Pavilion, a Salamanca Place, Battery Point, watering hole last Saturday after boisterously cheering for triumphant Jimmy The Bear in the Listed Winter Championship Final at Flemington. 'People were looking at me stupid,' the former Racing Victoria chairman laughed. '(Partner) Lizzie and I were screaming out, 'Go Jimmy, go Jimmy' to the point they were all looking at us silly. 'I decided I better shout the bar because I interrupted their afternoon a little too much, it's a small pub though.' Jimmy The Bear, trained by Patrick and Michelle Payne, is the $1.65 favourite in the VOBIS Gold Heath (2000m) at Caulfield. The six-year-old Jimmy Creed gelding, out of Hirst-owned Belvedere Road, has won three of his past five starts and placed second twice in a stellar winter campaign. Jimmy The Bear, a $1.2m prizemoney winner, is a product of a 30-year dedication to a breeding theory – built around a direct descendant of 1955 Kentucky Oaks winner Lalun. Hirst discovered a great-great-granddaughter of Lalun racing in Rockhampton, one of only two relations of the American mare in Australia at the time, and eventually bought her for $3000. Hirst initially offered $20,000 to buy River Royal, the great-grandam of Jimmy The Bear, but the former owner insisted on racing the filly in north Queensland. Hirst tried a second time – at $15,000 – after River Royal raced without success only to be knocked back again. Hirst finally secured River Royal, placed once in seven starts, and chased the dream to breed a Derby or Oaks winner. He almost achieved the feat in 2019 with Victoria Derby runner-up Southern Moon, son of Puissance De Lune out of South Street, a daughter of Jimmy The Bear's grandam On Southbank. 'River Royal's progeny and her progeny's progeny have now won north of $4m (prizemoney),' Hirst said. 'It doesn't mean it's been profitable, by the way, in fact, it's not been!' • Childs to carry out trainer's long-term Monash plan Descendants of River Royal include 2006 Adelaide Cup runner-up Tubular Bells and 2012 Grand Annual Steeplechase winner Awakening Dream. Jimmy The Bear's sister Jenny The Beaver has won two of 15 starts and is an $8 chance in a 2450m Benchmark 64 at Geelong on Thursday. Belvedere Road is in foal to Blue Point. Jimmy The Bear has two young half-brothers, an unraced Omaha Beach two-year-old and Ghaiyyath weanling. JIMMY THE BEAR ðŸ�»ðŸ'° The Winter Championship Final goes to Patrick and Michelle Payne's warhorse! Forgot You was a mighty run for third at $61 for Team Busuttin/Young in honour of Peta Tait ðŸ'– @TheBeeegan @mj_payne — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) July 5, 2025 'I was probably breeding a bit too much stamina and stayer, originally, so I've tried to put a bit more speed into (the family) as we've gone along,' Hirst said. Jimmy The Bear could be freshened after Saturday but Hirst deferred to Payne for any future decisions. 'I don't pretend to tell Patrick what to do, he's a genius at placing his horses,' Hirst said. 'We did push him last year to run in the Toorak (Handicap) and after he went no good (eighth), and Patrick didn't think we should do it but we wanted to have a crack, after that I promised we'd never, ever have a say in where he went, so I don't. 'That will be up to Patrick, I'm not sure what he wants to do but he's got to a rating now, if he wins again on Saturday … and it's no certainty, I'd imagine Patrick will freshen him up a bit … if he wants to have a crack in spring so be it, and if he doesn't, that's fine too.'
