Those of us that remember Ivan Spalding, and there may not be that many now, he was riding back around the late forties.

Ivan was apprenticed to Steve Murphy at Werribee, when he joined the stable he had to compete for rides with Vin Caddy and Ken Tresize, both were established apprentices.

The lads generally lived with the trainers, that has all changed now, most of the major trainers have their horses stabled on course.

Ivan was wearing his britches out to the bare threads riding track work for Murphy, but getting no race rides.  

He was always a willing worker and outside trainers responded, he was riding work, getting a few winners, keeping the wolf from the door.

Until that fateful day in a race at Albury, when three horses crashed and two jockeys laid motionless on the track, Doug Barclay and Morrie Gray, both were killed, Ivan never forgot that tragedy, or spoke of it afterwards.