Shopkeeper and singer own horse

[MacMan]

smh.com

Michael Evans owned a horse once. It had wheels at one end and a tail of hemp.



THERE'S no obvious link when you ponder a list of names including Myer baron Bill Wavish, Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks, pub owner Bruce Mathieson and music promoter Andrew McManus.

But add Gai Waterhouse and you start to get an idea there might be a neddy involved.

Sure enough, shortly before 10 am today, an upcoming three-year-old called Illume will prance around Randwick in a practice run for horses still on training wheels.

That odd collection of names are, in fact, the horse's owners.

The story goes that chums Wavish and Mathieson invested in the horse with Waterhouse.

But some time after Nicks, the chanteuse, was brought by McManus for the 2005 Melbourne Cup, Waterhouse apparently sold her stake to the American singer, with another stake going to Gai's mum.

Waterhouse still trains the gee-gee, named after a Nicks song.

Whispers around the track suggest one name tossed around for the horse was Illegal Substance although we can't imagine such a link to a wholesome band such as Fleetwood Mac.

Horsey officials apparently thought the name inappropriate and ruled it out.

Nevertheless, we're just happy it wasn't named after another Fleetwood Mac song, Little Lies .

Wavish wouldn't be too keen on Nicks wowing him with the chorus: "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies."

[strandinthewind]

How cool that she chose a CM written song!

Thanks for posting this.

[mikeschmike]

Originally Posted by MacMan

Sure enough, shortly before 10 am today, an upcoming three-year-old called Illume will prance around Randwick in a practice run for horses still on training wheels.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

How cool that she chose a CM written song!

Thanks for posting this.

[strandinthewind]

Never mind - I totally misread that - where is my dunce cap

[MacMan]

Nag turns out all right

Myer's Bill Wavish might run the number two department store. But he's scored a winner.

And chaunteuse Stevie Nicks might not have topped the charts in these parts with Fleetwood Mac since 1977. But now she's got another hit.

So has pub and pokies baron Bruce Mathieson.

And music promoter Andrew McManus. And the mum of horse trainer Gai Waterhouse.

All the co-owners of three-year old neddy Illume, named after a Nicks song, are celebrating a maiden win in an 800-metre prance for horses still on training wheels at Warwick Farm on Friday.

Illume lined up in the ninth, an 800-metre dash for three-year old colts and geldings.

Not only did the nag with the famous owners come home with the goods, it ran the fastest time of the day over the distance, outperforming older and more fancied horses in other events.

Might not be too long until we see the American singer Nicks back down in these parts to watch her nag do its thing.

Her interest in the horse apparently stems from a 2005 visit to the Melbourne Cup promoted by McManus after which she bought a stake in the horse from Gai Waterhouse.

Waterhouse still trains Illume, named after a song written about the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.