Honour for Herb

By Ben Hope
TWO Pakenham trainers will honour the memory of a friend and local racing identity with the 1400 metre Herb O’Neil Handicap at the Pakenham Racing Club’s Super Jumps Sunday this weekend.
Nar Nar Goon trainer John Gunning and Pakenham Trainers Association president Julian Welsh said they wanted to sponsor the $15,000 race to honour the memory of the long-time club member who passed away last month, aged 87.
“Herb was a great bloke, someone who could get on with anybody,” Welsh said.
“He was especially popular with young people.
“They wouldn’t think of him as an old bloke, he was always one of the boys. That was the great thing about him; he could sit in anywhere and was never short of an entertaining story or joke.”
O’Neil had a long association with the Pakenham Racing Club, having worked on the gate and as track supervisor for a number of years.
“Herb put a lot of time into this industry and I think that needs to be recognised,” Welsh said.
“He was always there when we needed him.”
O’Neil also spent nearly 20 years working with Gunning on his Nar Nar Goon property as a strapper and assistant.
“He continued to work right up until he couldn’t get around any longer,” Gunning said.
“He just loved the horses and racing. He always attracted a crowd with a laugh or a story to tell.”
The winner of Sunday’s Herb O’Neil Memorial Handicap will keep the trophy, but the trainers are considering establishing an annual memorial trophy to stay with the Pakenham Racing Club.
“We haven’t discussed what we will do each year, but there are a few possibilities,” Welsh said.
Neither Welsh nor Gunning have a horse running at the meeting and will spend the day in the committee room with O’Neil’s family and friends.
“All my staff are coming along as they were pretty close to Herb,” Welsh said.
“We will be joining Herb’s family and celebrating his life with a great day at the races.”
Pakenham Racing Club chief executive Michael Hodge said the club was fully behind the memorial race, as it honoured a long term legend of the PRC.
“As far as the racing community goes, it doesn’t get much bigger than Herb,” Hodge said.
“When Julien and John came to us we thought it was a fantastic idea and we are doing as much as we can to support the whole concept. We have been working closely to make it an important day.”