6 minute read
Own The Dream
from 2024 MMWA Magazine
Contestants in Racing WA’s award-winning Own The Dream competition ask the same question every year – what’s the catch? The answer is simple. There isn’t one.
Own The Dream gives everyday people with limited or no knowledge of the racing industry a behind-the-scenes look into how the sport operates The unique competition is free to enter and there are a raft of prizes up for grabs, headlined by the major prize of a $20,000 bundle for a share in a Westspeed Platinum yearling at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale
“Own The Dream gives prospective owners the chance to find out about getting involved in racing,” Racing WA’s racing marketing manager Brennan Fyans said “It’s one thing going on to a website to find out how to become an owner, but it’s that hands-on experience that the competition provides that makes the difference
“Teams have the opportunity to learn more about the industry with four free events They find out pathways to get into ownership and have the chance to win a share in a horse It’s the best of both worlds ”
Teams of between four and 10 members must include no more than 50 per cent of current racehorse owners, with the aim to introduce more newcomers to the industry
In 2024, Own The Dream kicked off with a stable tour at leading co-trainers Dan and Ben Pearce’s property in Karnup The sundowner event gave contestants an insight into how the Pearce brothers’ stable operates and how they prepare their gallopers for raceday
The second event was a tour of leading WA studs Lynward Park and Yarradale “Teams will meet the breeders and see yearlings that will be sold at the Magic Millions sale,” Fyans said
“A lot of them won’t have any idea what to look for in a racehorse, so the breeders will take them through that and how to get a foal to yearling stage ”
Breakfast With The Trainers, the third event, was a trackwork morning at Ascot racecourse
“It’s a really good opportunity to meet five of our leading metropolitan trainers,” Fyans said “They will all have horses galloping on the main grass and take teams through how they run trackwork and their training regimes ”
The grand finale takes place at Magic Millions’ Middle Swan sales complex on day one of the Perth Yearling Sale Teams will experience the excitement of the sale before the allimportant major prize draw “There are three major prizes and five other teams will win consolation prizes, which are $2000 vouchers to use for a share in a Westspeed Platinum yearling,” Fyans said
“It’s also a good opportunity for teams to meet trainers and syndicators to see what yearlings they bought on day one and potentially buy shares in ”
“We also have three challenges throughout the competition with more prizes up for grabs There is a name a racehorse challenge, design racing silks and a pick seven tipping competition for the Magic Millions raceday at Pinjarra.”
First introduced in 2018, Own The Dream has soared in popularity to the point where a cap of 40 teams had to be put in place
“In it’s first year, there were an average of 32 people at each event,” Fyans said “When I took over in 2019, it went up to 119 and in 2020 it got out of hand with more than 600 at each event In 2021, we put a cap on to reduce the numbers we were taking to studs and stables That’s been the system since and it’s worked ”
“We’ve had more than 250 team applications for 2024 and we’ve got to reduce that to 40, so the teams have to put forward a good application It’s grown really fast ”
Own The Dream’s success was recognised in 2020 when it was awarded the Australian Marketing Institute WA Event or Brand Experience State Award for Marketing Excellence
“There’s nothing else like it in the country,” Fyans said “It takes a lot of work and we need an engine room of staff in the Racing WA office to run it We’re really proud of it ”
There have been many success stories from the competition, with contestants experiencing the thrill of being winning owners in horses they used Own The Dream vouchers on
Without Own The Dream, there is no way the other guys in our syndicate would have bought shares in horses. It’s superbly run and I can not recommend it enough
Rich Walker, a 33-year-old FIFO worker, spotted an Own The Dream ad on Facebook and jumped at the chance to enter in 2022
“I always watched the races and wanted to go and get involved,” Walker said “I got the whole family together to make a team It really opens your eyes to everything and coming second was just a bonus ”
Walker’s team Walkertothestable used the second prize voucher to buy a share in a War Chant colt That horse, named Hostile Talk, made a spectacular start to his career with a dominant win at Belmont on debut for the Grant and Alana Williams stable.
Own The Dream also led Walker to buying a share in star filly Super Smink, who became the first ever two-year-old to win the $250,000 Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic, $500,000 Karrakatta Plate and $200,000 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes.
“I got invited to Dan Morton’s open stable day after the sale,” Walker said “Mum and I went into Super Smink separately to our team She was our first horse to race Without going through Own The Dream, we wouldn’t be in Super Smink.”
Andrew Durnin, a former business owner who is now retired, also credits Own The Dream to him buying a share in Super Smink “I put a team together with my brother and some mates and it was really fun,” Durnin said “We learnt a lot I saw Super Smink come out (at the Perth Yearling Sale) and had to buy a share Five of the eight people in our syndicate, FHRUS racing, are first-time owners.”
“We now have three horses in the syndicate and the wives and partners have a share in an all-female owned horse, as well Without Own The Dream, there is no way the other guys in our syndicate would have bought shares in horses It’s superbly run and I can not recommend it enough.”
