LEGEND OF THE TURF
Tony Ottobre was just an ordinary schoolboy at ACK in the 70s. He was neither angel nor devil — just a kid you could have some fun with in the classroom or on the playing fields. From humble beginnings in the northern suburbs, he clearly intended to do his best in life. After leaving ACK, he worked for a time in racing stables. He was always keen on horses and racing — the ‘sport of kings and queens.’ Later he was to build up a successful business by dint of hard work, business smarts, perseverance, and above all, integrity. The latter trait is in pretty short supply in the world of today. Eventually, he sold his business to an overseas company and he and his truly lovely wife Lynn moved to the Mornington Peninsula to establish his horse stud at Cape Schanck. The people who worked for Tony over the years speak so highly of him and his wife. Many of the families have been helped greatly in times of trouble. Life hasn’t been all sunshine for the couple, however, who lost their beautiful daughter Jenni to cancer shortly after she was married. The name and their daughter’s spirit lives on in the stable of ‘Jenni’s’ led by Pride of Jenni, which has known much success.
In the year from August 1 in 2023 to July 31 this year — coinciding with the ‘horses’ birthday’s’, the stable has had 96 wins across the following: 19 wins (some group one), fifteen seconds, and eleven thirds. Back in April Pride of Jenni was named number one in the world — a fine achievement.
A keen golfer and for a brief time a cricketer with Kilmore Cricket Club, Tony deserves to be labelled a legend of the turf for his success and contribution to the racing industry. He is rightly proud of his achievements in life, as well as his family, childhood sweetheart Lynn, beloved late daughter, son Michael, and grand granddaughter — a student at Carey Grammer. Tony and Lynn are looking forward to the upcoming spring racing season.
GARETH IN THE RUNS
Young Broadford cricketer Gareth Sharp is enjoying his time in the Hampshire League. He hit 109 V Ryde CC on the Isle of Wight. It is one of the most picturesque grounds in England. Prior to the ‘ton’, he clocked up a run of good scores in league fixtures before teeing off in Torquay as part of his club’s tour to glorious Devon — at the weekend he hit 151. There are several hundred Aussies playing club and league cricket in England, Scotland, and Ireland this northern summer. Pictured is one of the picture postcard fields Gareth Sharp played on, but this was a village ground in Devon in the 1930’s.
PENTRIDGE PANTHERS
In 1982 and 1989 the Assumption first XVIII played the Pentridge prison team — the Panthers — on their home turf. The visits were arranged by legendary Chaplin Fr John Brosnan, himself an ‘old boy’ of ACK. The trip ‘inside’ was very interesting. Sniffer dogs came on board our bus when it reached the gates and guards ringed the oval during play. The Panthers played about a dozen games each winter — all at home obviously. They had some good players, guys who had played in various leagues. The ‘89 nine side had a brilliant on-baller who had signed with Fitzroy, but the police drafted him for armed robbery before the Lions got him. An incident in the latter game was at the quarter time huddle. ACK forward Mark Shaw kicked two early goals but at the break he was white and shaking, ‘please can I be moved?’ he begged. ‘That feller on me grabbed me round the neck and said — ‘if you kick another bloody goal, you’ll cop the same fate as my late wife — I’ll strangle you’. It was the notorious Peter Lawless. He was joking, but Mark Shaw didn’t think so. The famous prison is now part of history. Another little sidelight was when the two teams lined up before the ’82 game. I looked across at the prison side and grinning back were two former college boys. I thought ‘Hell, am I on the right side?’.
