Under the Auld Pump: Pat Gleeson's career in the bag

Wife: Sue.

Child: Jess.

Parents: Greg and Carmel.

Siblings: Paul, Frank, Margaret, Geraldine and Denis.

Education: St Brigid's Catholic School Crossley before going to Warrnambool CBC and then I went to Warrnambool North Technical School for years 10 and 11.

Sporting highlight: would be as a part-owner of Lady Selkirk when she won two races at Flemington within a two week period back in 2016.

Pat, what are your memories of going to St Brigid's School in Crossley?

They're a bit hazy. It wasn't a big school, but I enjoyed my time there.

My parents had a dairy farm not far from the school. The farm was on about 140 acres. We used to milk cows and grow potatoes.

I was lucky because I had what I considered a great childhood. We were always outside playing footy, cricket, or down swimming at the Killarney beach.

I can remember going down to watch Tower Hill play footy when I was a youngster. Tower Hill used to play at Mahoney's Cow Ground before they transferred down to the Killarney oval, which was around the corner from home.

I've got fond memories of watching blokes like Peter Madden, Merv Craig, Frank King and Pat Brady playing for Tower Hill on the windswept Killarney ground.

Tower Hill defeated Old Collegians to win the premiership in 1961 but sadly, the club folded in 1969.

Did you play junior footy with Tower Hill?

No, as I was 12 years old when the club folded. I focused my life on my apprenticeship as a panel-beater with Callaghan Motors. I worked there for more than six years before a career change in 1975.

What was the career change you had back in 1975?

My late brother Frank worked as a penciler for Warrnambool bookmaker David McLaughlin. They were heading off to the races at Coleraine, and David said he needed a bagman to work for the day.

Frank suggested they get me to do the job. I went off up to the Coleraine races for the day, and I must admit I never liked the job. The best thing about it was I got paid $25 for the day, meals, a few beers, and plenty of light-hearted entertainment on the way home.

I was like a fish out of water watching people betting all day. I thought to myself, 'I will not do that job again', but they were racing at Casterton the next week, and I found myself working as the bagman for David again.

I was also picking spuds on farms around Koroit, Southern Cross and Tower Hill, but I soon found myself working at more race meetings.

I did a bit of bag work for another local bookie Con Gavin. My brother Paul worked for Con at race meetings for more than 20 years.

A Melbourne bookie, Ray Swannie, offered me a full-time job as a bagman in 1991, and I took up the offer.

How many race meetings did you work at in your job back in 1991?

We worked at 250 race meetings in 1991. We were all over the state of Victoria from races at Warrnambool to races at Sale and anywhere in between, plus all the Melbourne metropolitan race meetings.

I used to have accommodation in Melbourne for three nights before coming home to Warrnambool for two days, and then I would go back to work again. It was like I was on a big merry-go-round. I loved the job and was fortunate to have met some lovely people.

This was all before the big corporate bookmakers and Betfair came into existence, and there was no watching races every day on the television at home.

We used to hold lots of money; for example, at city race meetings back in the early 1990s, we could hold $200,000 a day. It was huge money back in that era.

Did you work at many Melbourne Cups?

The first Melbourne Cup I worked at was in 1977. It was the year Gold And Black defeated Reckless.

I'll never forget that day as Reckless was the sentimental favourite with punters because Tommy Woodcock trained him, but unfortunately, the Bart Cummings-trained Gold And Black was just too strong.

I can still remember back to those times there were huge crowds at the Melbourne Cup Carnival and, believe me, working as a bagman on the rails where all the big punters bet there were huge amounts of money. There would be more than 70 bookies betting each day of the four-day Flemington carnival.

I've only missed working at four Melbourne Cups since 1977. Two of those were because of COVID, and another one was when we worked at Hamilton.

Pat, I take it you've seen many big punters come and go and witnessed many changes in the gambling landscape. Have the changes been for the better or, the worse?

Let's just say there are always changes, and you've got to adapt. I would say I witnessed the best times. Bookmakers used to be gamblers; now, all they do is trade.

The corporate bookies and Betfair have taken a lot of colour and atmosphere out of racing as far as I'm concerned.

I don't work at as many race meetings now, but one of my favourites is the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival. It's a huge event for this region.

Away from the racetrack, I still do some work from January to June for the Lane Brothers at Southern Cross on the spud harvester. I really enjoy working with blokes like Ray "Rattler" Carey.

Who do you barrack for in the footy?

I barrack for Koroit and Collingwood. I'll be at the Reid Oval this Saturday to watch the Saints take on North Warrnambool. I've only missed one of Koroit's 11 premiership victories, and I've got my fingers crossed they may win another one this Saturday.

Koroit's grand final win I missed was in 1973. I went with my brother Frank to watch Collingwood play Richmond in the 1973 preliminary final; it was the same day that Koroit beat Colac to win its second flag.

Sadly for Frank and me, plus lots of other passionate Collingwood fans, Richmond beat us in that preliminary final.