Joe Painting has been remembered as a gentleman that helped spark the careers of two of the region's most successful current reinsmen.
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Painting spent more than five decades in the sport, mostly as a breeder, owner and trainer.
He tasted the most success with Go Like Lyal, who won 17 races in the region in the early 2000s before being sent to Sydney where he won four more at Harold Park, trained his last winner Annies Flight in 2007, while in more recent times had a lot of success as an owner including with Bryce Cooper.
Good Girl Shirl, named for his late wife Shirley, was also a real sentimental favourite.
Painting's son Matt followed him into the sport and remembered the 92-year-old for guiding so many of his family into the sport.
"He was always a gentleman, never got cranky but would always teach you and point you in the right direction," Painting said.
"Ever since I was a kid when he got into the horses just as a hobby, breeding and training his own and that's how I got involved.
"Blake used to come on weekends and is now right into it, so we've got him to blame for it."
Painting intends to keep his father's legacy alive through the breed he has retained.
Riverina Paceway will hold the Vale Joe Painting (1740m) following the former Coleambally trainer's death on Saturday.
Jackson Painting has the chance to win a race named in honour of his late grandfather when he lines up Escalera on Friday.
Another of Painting's grandsons is Blake Jones, who will not be driving at the meeting, but was pleased to win the Murray Cup with Glenledi Elvis the night before his death.
Painting is survived by his four children, Garry, Leanne, Kerry and Matt and their families.
His funeral will be in Coleambally on Monday.
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THE Turnbull family dominated the return to Temora on Tuesday night.
Father and son combination Nathan and Jett Turnbull made the trip from Bathurst after the club's first three meetings of the year needed to be transferred to Young due to the state of the track.
They won the five of the seven races between them with Nathan driving three winners and Jett the other two.
The meeting also saw the region's first two-year-old winner of the season with Business In Heaven proving too strong for the older horses for Leeton trainer Col Thomas.
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FIRE Fox made it two straight wins at Menangle on Saturday night.
Owned by Leeton's Michael Boots, the seven-year-old took out the free-for-all in a new career best mile rate of 1:49.2.
It backed up his first win since March last week.
Boots also tasted success with Aliberto at Menangle on Tuesday.
Meanwhile former Young horseman Jason Grimson trained four of the nine winners on Saturday with Cameron Hart training three of them.
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YOUNG trainer John Downey tasted success on his trip to Parkes on Friday.
Downey was able to score with Poppy Wah Wah.
It was the three-year-old's first win at start eight.
The 73-year-old is looking to back up the performance at Wagga on Friday.
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RACING returns to Riverina Paceway on Friday.
It is the first time the club has raced all month with a nine-race card assembled.
The first is at 12.49pm.
Leeton then races on Tuesday.
With On The Pace having a short let up, Wagga will also race again next Friday ahead of Temora's next meeting on March 5.
Courtney Rees
Courtney is a sports journalist from The Daily Advertiser focusing on Group Nine, Southern Inland, cricket, harness racing and greyhound racing.
Courtney is a sports journalist from The Daily Advertiser focusing on Group Nine, Southern Inland, cricket, harness racing and greyhound racing.
