The Thoroughbred Magazine - Spring 2008 by The Slattery Media Group

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A U S T R A L I A’ S R A C I N G A N D B R E E D I N G M A G A Z I N E

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AUSTRALIA’S RACING AND BREEDING MAGAZINE

I N C .GS T

MICHAEL RODD From the surf to the turf

SOUTH AFRICANS COME TO TOWN Taking on the cream of Australian talent

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LUCK IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT The story of Hussonet

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M Donald THE HARD-NOSED HORSEMAN

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$1 MILLION BREEDERS’

BONUS Patinack Farm has launched the 2008 Patinack Breeders’ Bonus — a scheme that will see $1 million in bonuses divided between the breeders and owners of metropolitan winners sired by Patinack Farm’s stallions*.

An annual pool of $1,000,000 will be distributed 50/50 to both the breeder and the owner/s of every metropolitan race winner (2YO & 3YO races only – not including group races) sired by a Patinack stallion*.

This bonus emphasises the lengths to which Patinack Farm will support our stallions, and our clients. Our plan is to do everything possible for our clients to ensure them the best return, and the bonus applies not only for commercial breeders, but also for those who breed to race.

The break-up will be:

This plan also includes supporting our stallions with the best of our high-quality band of broodmares; by a commitment to purchase the best progeny of our sires at the yearling sales; and our unique live foal guarantee.

$20,000 for each Saturday metropolitan winner in NSW or Victoria. $10,000 for each mid-week metropolitan winner in NSW and Victoria. $10,000 for each Saturday metropolitan winner in Queensland. * Not applicable to Beautiful Crown

Patinack Farm, Segenhoe Road, Aberdeen, NSW, 2336. Ph: 02 6543 7329, www.patinackfarm.com

CLASS OF 2008 FIRST SEASON SIRES

CASINO PRINCE

HUSSON (ARG)

WONDERFUL WORLD

Flying Spur – Lady Capel $38,500*

Hussonet (USA) – Villa Elisa $30,250*

Agnes World (USA) – Success Tale $22,000*

Don MacKinnon, Mob: 0402 023 008, Rick Connolly, Mob: 0421 226 246 Troy Jones, Mob: 0428 632 966 * All prices inclusive of GST and Free Return

PUBLISHED BY:

The Slattery Media Group MANAGING EDITOR: Geoff Slattery PUBLICATIONS MANAGER: Alison Hurbert-Burns PRODUCTION EDITOR: Howard Kotton CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Danny Power

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ART DIRECTOR: Andrew Hutchison DESIGNERS: Joanne Mouradian, Beck Haskins

6 GOD BLESS HARADASUN Editorial by Danny Power. 10 THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST The Thoroughbred has a new direction, and join in the chance to race a beautiful ﬁlly. 12 ROUGH ‘N’ READY Matthew Stewart talks to Ross McDonald as he prepares Weekend Hussler for the enormous challenges in the spring. 18 LUCK IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT The story behind the purchase from Chile by Arrowﬁeld Stud of champion stallion Hussonet. 26 WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S GOLDEN BOY Stephen Moran looks at the burgeoning career of West Australian whiz-kid jockey Willie Pike.

40 LUCA CUMANI’S QUEST Writer Emma Berry talks to Cumani and other trainers with a desperate desire to win the Melbourne Cup.

58 WHO’S THE BOSS Adrian Dunn interviews a trainer-jockey combination who have found love off the track.

44 THE PUSH FROM EUROPE

69 CHECKING OUT THE FORM In the spring, racing’s focus turns to the form and fashion.

Detailed proﬁ les on the major European contenders for this year’s Spring Carnival. 48 UNDER THE KNIFE Writer Peter Ryan spends an intriguing day with prominent veterinary surgeon Alastair Maclean. 52 SOUTH AFRICANS COME TO TOWN South Africans David Payne and Jeff Lloyd have renewed their strong association in the cauldron of Sydney racing.

73 BUILDING A MONUMENT Historian Andrew Lemon writes about his passionate exploration into the history of Australian racing. 76 GRIPPED BY CUP FEVER Ray Huxley reminisces about the Melbourne Cup, from Toparoa to Efﬁcient. 82 THE MAN WHO SELLS THE CUP Leigh Jordon is the man to look after the internationals in the spring.

32 FROM THE SURF TO THE TURF Michael Rodd talks to Ben Collins about his unusual background before emerging as a top jockey.

AUSSIE HOPE LIES IN ENGLISH FIELDS After disillusioned South Australian trainer Jeremy Gask answered an advertisement, he found himself training in England.

PHOTO EDITORS: Tom Kearney, Serena Galante, Natalie Boccassini PRODUCTION: Troy Davis PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR: Penny McVey BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (RACING):

Tanya Fullarton, tanyaf@slatterymedia.com ADVERTISING SALES:

Nathan Hill, nathanh@slatterymedia.com MARKETING MANAGER:

Dianne Biviano, dianneb@slatterymedia.com CONTRIBUTORS: Emma Berry, Bruno Cannatelli, Ben Collins, Peter Di Sisto, Adrian Dunn, Ray Huxley, Andrew Lemon, Martin King, Matthew Stewart, Stephen Moran, Peter Ryan, Ray Thomas. PHOTOGRAPHY: The Slattery Media Group Ph: (03) 9627 2600, Visit slatterymedia.com/images SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES:

subscriptions@slatterymedia.com All correspondence to the editor, The Thoroughbred. AFL House, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, Vic 3008, ph (03) 9627 2600 Contributions welcome, visit thethoroughbred.com.au The Thoroughbred is published quarterly. Next edition, Summer 2008 The Slattery Media Group thanks Racing Victoria Limited for its support of The Thoroughbred. THE WRITERS Danny Power is the editor of Racing In Australia and a senior staff writer for The Slattery Media Group. Stephen Moran is the editor of Best Bets, host of the Racing Central program on radio Sport 927 and co-host on TVN. Matthew Stewart is a senior racing writer with the Herald Sun and host on radio Sport 927. Ben Collins is a senior staff writer for The Slattery Media Group, and the author of numerous books. Peter Ryan is a senior staff writer for The Slattery Media Group with a keen interest in racing. Adrian Dunn is a senior racing writer with the Herald Sun. Andrew Lemon is an author and historian. Ray Thomas is the racing editor of the Daily Telegraph in Sydney. Ray Huxley is a former racing editor of The Herald, and a professional racing analyst. Emma Berry is an Australian writer living in England. Peter Di Sisto is the editor of the AFL Record and a senior staff writer for The Slattery Media Group. ON THE COVER: Trainer Ross McDonald is enjoying life with champion galloper Weekend Hussler at his Caulﬁeld stables, by Sean Garnsworthy for The Slattery Media Group.

Shares are currently available in 2YOs. (as of 1 August 2008).

EDITORIAL

God bless Haradasun

he ﬁrst person I saw when I walked on to historic Royal Ascot in leafy Berkshire on the opening day of the 2008 ﬁve-day carnival in June was an Australian. No ordinary Aussie, because stepping briskly across the lawns towards the Royal Enclosure was Father Joe Giacobbe, his priestly collar swapped for a resplendent top hat and tails. Any punter who knows Father Joe and his passion for racing, and its people, will have taken short odds about a Royal Ascot sighting ahead of bumping into him on the steps of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. Rather than brood with jealousy that the popular and always chirpy Melbourne racing priest had more on-course privileges at Royal Ascot than myself, I took

our crossing paths as an omen. This would be Australia day in England, and the Almighty was to be on my side. Not only were Australian sprinters Takeover Target (B g 1999 Celtic Swing-Shady Stream by Archregent) and Magnus (B h 2002, Flying Spur-Scandinavia by Snippets) scheduled to run in the third race, the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) – a race previously won by Australiantrained stars Choisir (Ch h 1999, Danehill Dancer-Great Selection, by Lunchtime) in 2003, Takeover Target in 2006 and Miss Andretti (B m 2001, Ihtiram-Peggie’s Bid, by Marooned) in 2007 – but the opening race, the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m), featured the Aussie-owned Haradasun (B h 2003, Fusaichi Pegasus-Circles Of Gold, by

Marscay), now in the care of Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien. Armed with the advantage of knowing more about Haradasun than 95 per cent of the Poms in the crowd, I thought it was wise to wait and see how well the enigmatic 5YO stallion paraded at his ﬁrst look at Royal Ascot. The handsome bay looked ﬁt, healthy and bright. He was taking in his new surroundings with interest rather than aversion. Where are the bookies? But there was much more pressure – and big bucks – on Haradasun to succeed than my humble investment, and the wads of cash piling into the bookies’ bags from an abundance of Australians on tour. Haradasun needed to win the Queen Anne or the $50 million value placed on him by Coolmore,

GROUP 1 GLORY: Haradasun (Johnny Murtagh) cements his place as an internationally commercial stallion by winning the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m), in front of the Queen, at Royal Ascot in June.

6 THE THOROUGHBRED

would be cut in half – banished from the UK to spend his days resident in Australia. The shuttle train would leave without him. Everyone in the Coolmore Stud camp, and part-owner and breeder Frank Tagg, knew it, but none more so than young Tom Magnier – son of Coolmore supremo Irishman John Magnier – who had pushed hard for his father to break his rules and “gamble” on Haradasun to the tune of a reported $25 million for a half share. Coolmore, who outbid the likes of Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley for Haradasun after the stallion won the 2007 Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m at Rosehill) and the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m at Randwick) in successive starts in the autumn, is a major player in Australian racing, both on the racetrack and through their magniﬁcent breeding farm at Jerry’s Plains, in the Hunter Valley of NSW. This was the ﬁrst time Coolmore had bought an Australian horse “off the track” as a potential sire without the horse already proving himself racing in England or Ireland, thus becoming a valuable prospective two-hemisphere commercial stallion. The Haradasun purchase, in Coolmore terms, was putting the cart before the horse. In contrast, it was Coolmore that secured Choisir after the powerful chestnut shocked the Brits by historically winning the King’s Stand Stakes and Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) double at Royal Ascot in 2003. Choisir’s wins in England captured the imagination of English and Irish breeders keen to get some of that

PHOTO BY MARTIN KING

The win of Haradasun at Royal Ascot is a signiﬁcant turning point for global giant Coolmore and the Australian racing and breeding industry, writes DANNY POWER

WIN PL E NT Y THIS SPRING

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EDITORIAL

precocious Aussie speed into their stock. Choisir was a gilt-edge shuttle stallion. Gold on four legs. Darley had already begun the “reverse shuttle” cycle with the likes of costly Australian purchases Exceed And Excel (B h 2000, Danehill-Patrona, by Lomond) and Reset (B h 2000, Zabeel-Assertive Lass, by

Zeditave), and there is no doubt Sheikh Mohammed’s push into Australian racing to secure the best colts during or at the end of their racing days was already causing some angst within Coolmore’s ranks. The Irish lads needed to keep pace, and Haradasun was their ﬁrst toe in the water.

Informative, entertaining and a great read To the editor, I wish you every success with this publication, it’s a great read, informative and entertaining. The writing (especially), graphics and tone are a cut above anything on the local market. When your advertising and editorial base eventually allows you to expand content interest further beyond Victoria, I expect the magazine will take off. Just to prove I read it cover-to-cover, permit me to comment on a couple of points of interest. Maree Lyndon wasn’t the first female rider to rider a Group 1 winner in Australia (page 48, issue 3). Invariably overlooked for that honour is her fellow NZ jockey Dianne Moseley, who rode Double You Em to win the Fourex Cup at Doomben over 2200m, all of five years earlier, on July 10, 1982. Double You Em carried 49 kg on a 46 kg minimum! Dianne was a fine rider in an era when New Zealand was churning them out. While I realise the focus of this article is on Australasia, it mentions the deeds of Julie Krone in the USA. A most notable omission from your roll call is the legendary Argentinian jockey Marina Lezcano, who was riding a long time before Julie Krone. She is most famous as the rider of champion Telescopico (Table Play-Filipino), who won the Argentine Quadruple Crown (even better than Triple!) and who I think was ridden by Marina when he was taken

8 THE THOROUGHBRED

to France for the Arc de Triomphe. In a 15-year career, Marina rode numerous other greats of the Argentine turf in the 1970s and early ’80s, including the later successful sire Fitzcarraldo and the magniﬁcent mare Bayakoa. Lezcano is still celebrated in Argentina; she was guest at a race-day in her honour in February this year. I remember the Torbek sting (page 64) well. I had heard a whisper about the horse. At the time I was visiting Sydney with a tour group for the Easter racing and sales. I ‘tipped’ him to some fellow travellers and I think most of us got 16s in the Randwick ring – paid for the trip! But perhaps forgotten in the mists of time is that this horse had a name change when he came to Australia (unraced) – he had been trialling brilliantly in New Zealand under the prophetic name Shady Deal, but the form didn’t follow him when he was re-registered! Just for the sake of completeness, the dam of Classic Mission (page 43) was by Sabaean (GB), not Alcide; the nucleus of the Darley farm at Aberdeen (page 50) was indeed used for thoroughbreds – it was Hilton Cope’s Kelvinside Stud, and the sire of the dam of Our Presitfe (page 64) is Copenhagen II (GB). A great read. Steve Brem

www.thisracinggame. blogspot.com

Amazingly, John Magnier has not found the time to visit his vast property in Australia – he threatens often enough to keep the Jerry’s Plains staff on their toes – but in his son Tom, he has a valuable set of eyes and ears for what is going on Down Under. Tom Magnier watched Haradasun’s pre-race parade like a nervous, expectant father. Magnier is a shy lad. His acceptance speeches are over in less time than it takes run two furlongs in evens, but he is well settled and popular as Coolmore’s racing manager in Australia. His faith in Haradasun’s ability to transfer his form from Australia to England was the key to Coolmore’s involvement. They left no stone unturned, using the legal tactics (in the UK) of running a pacemaker in the Queen Anne to ensure an even pace.

‘ No longer is

Royal Ascot a wild dream, nor is the Melbourne Cup only for the locals.

’

There was no happier, and relieved, face to greet Haradasun and jockey Johnny Murtagh when they returned victorious after the Queen Anne than Tom Magnier’s. More importantly than the confirmation of the Coolmore “wager”, the win had immense significance for the Australian racing and breeding industry. It keeps Coolmore in the stallion buying game. Competition with the likes of Darley and new player Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm for our best colts, especially those who can not only dominate at home but compete overseas, will remain. Stallions will be made, and our breed will prosper. Trailblazers such as the late Robert Sangster started the trend in the 1980s with the first shuttle stallions, and imports aiming to win the Cup; and then came the incomparable Danehill (B h 1986, Danzig-Razyana, by His Majesty)

and the immense growth of the shuttle to around 70 stallions; Dermot Weld and Vintage Crop, Choisir, Takeover Target, the dominance of Sacred Kingdom (B g 2003, Encosta De LagoCourtroom Sweetie by Zeditave) in Hong Kong, Miss Andretti, and now Haradasun. No longer is Royal Ascot a wild dream, nor is the Melbourne Cup only for the locals. The world is no bigger than a trip to the local airport. Until recently, the shuttle has been a one-way booking. Our best young Australian-bred stallions such as Flying Spur (B h 1992, Danehill-Rolls, by Mr. Prospector) and Danzero (Br h 1991, Danehill-Conﬁdentially, by Idomeneo), and more recently Testa Rossa (B h 1996, PeruginoBo Dapper, by Sir Dapper) had been tried in the northern hemisphere, but because of their “colonial only” form-line, failed as commercial propositions in comparison to their worth at home. You can’t blame the Brits or the French for mistrusting the form – they need to see the talent in action – because Australian breeders also struggle to come to terms with overseas shuttlers unproven on our shores. We also prefer what we know. In the case of Haradasun, the British breeders have seen his physical quality, his natural turn of foot, his will to win and his pedigree. He always will be regarded by them as the Queen Anne winner, not the colt who beat the best in the Doncaster Handicap. For Tom Magnier, Haradasun will be remembered as the horse who established the young Irishman’s credentials as a chip off the old block. A risk taker, a stallion maker. Footnote: Haradasun stands at Coolmore Stud, Hunter Valley, this spring for a fee of $55,000 (inc GST). He is expected to serve 150 mares before he returns to Coolmore, Ireland, for his ﬁ rst northern hemisphere season in 2009. His northern hemisphere stud fee is yet to be announced.

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Join The Thoroughbred Club and race a ﬁlly by Bel Esprit*

BEAUTIFUL GIRL: Trainer Robbie Grifﬁ ths with the Bel EspritSong Of The Sun ﬁ lly to be raced by The Thoroughbred Club.

THE THOROUGHBRED CLUB

The Last shall be First BY GEOFF SLATTERY, PUBLISHER OF THE THOROUGHBRED

ou could describe this as the last edition of The Thoroughbred supported by Racing Victoria, and provided free to all Victorian owners. I prefer to think it is the edition before The Thoroughbred leaves the nest and makes its way in the wide world of Australian magazine publishing. As you would have seen from the issues we have produced so far, this is an ambitious publication, one that has intentions far beyond the more common uncritical models that proliferate in niche markets; magazines supported by advertising camouﬂaged as editorial and commentary and content aimed at procuring advertising revenue. The Thoroughbred will never go along that pathway, and it remains to be seen whether the Australian thoroughbred industry has the

maturity to see the value of a magazine that reports the breadth of the industry with good humour, with surprising content, and without favour. A fair dinkum magazine is one whose loyalty is directed to its readers, ﬁrst, second and third, and that is, and always will be, the modus operandi of The Thoroughbred. Of course, we have commercial aspirations: we want this magazine – and its associated website, thethoroughbred.com.au – to be a powerful and proﬁtable vehicle. We have an old-fashioned view of how to achieve that – by creating a magazine that people anticipate, read from front to back, while forming a long-time loyalty to the masthead and its values. From that loyalty and penetration will revenue roll! We also hope that the same loyalty will

apply to thethoroughbred.com.au, and in particular to the online version of the Directory of Australian Racing. This month, we published the second edition of Racing In Australia, with an additional section providing readers with a comprehensive directory of people who make the Australian thoroughbred (and horse) industry work. We recognise that the ﬁrst edition of the directory is only a beginning, but we also recognise you can’t have an outcome with starting out, somewhere. For the directory to work to its optimum level, it needs your support. Like most publishers, we are optimistic about the strength of our idea, and the values we have applied. But, like all publishers, our ideas are only of value if our readers enjoy them, and support them.

Join The Thoroughbred Club – and race a quality ﬁlly by Bel Esprit* The Thoroughbred is delighted to offer all subscribers to The Thoroughbred magazine, and those who upgrade their listings in the Directory of Australian Racing, free membership of The Thoroughbred Club. The Thoroughbred Club will provide tangible beneﬁts to its members.

PHOTO BY LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM (THE SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP)

We will race a superbly bred filly by Bel Esprit from Song Of The Sun, on lease from Eliza Park Stud. This filly, to be trained by Robbie Griffiths at Cranbourne, is from the renowned family of Magnus. Members of The Thoroughbred Club will be notified of every moment of the filly’s racing career, just as if they were paying the bills. As the filly makes her way from pre-training, to full training, to racing, the opportunities for members to have a close relationship with her career will evolve. It’s an exciting business racing thoroughbreds, and The Thoroughbred Club aims to bring all its members the joys of racing such a well-bred filly, from such a great family, and with such superb confirmation. Griffiths inspected the filly last month at Eliza Park, and he was impressed. This is his report:

”The Bel Esprit-Song Of The Sun comes from one of the best families in the Australian Stud Book. It's a family littered with success at the highest level, especially in recent times with the globetrotting sprint star and ﬁrst-season Eliza Park stallion, Magnus, a half-brother to Song Of The Sun.

with her as soon as she stepped out of the barn. The ﬁlly is very athletic with an exceptional good walk. The extra time given to her has resulted in her developing into a tall, strong ﬁlly who has the physique to be able to run up to 1600m as a three-year-old,” he said.

“Song Of The Sun has been intentionally mated with Bel Esprit to give this ﬁlly a 3 x 3 cross to champion Vain, through two daughters Be Spoken and Song Of Norway. This type of line breeding has proved successful for many years, and add into the equation the Nijinsky inﬂuence (through Royal Academy) that has already produced the Stakes-winning half-sister to Song Of The Sun, Midnight Sun.

“The filly has just started her breakingin at Eliza Park. That process will take five to six weeks, when a decision will be made whether to spell her or send her to Robbie Griffiths’ Cranbourne stables for further education. There is no reason why this filly won’t race in the second half of her 2YO season in 2009.”

“Coincidentally, I train Midnight Sun’s daughter Midnight Blues, who won at Sandown in her last preparation. “The Bel Esprit is a beauty. She is tall, has long legs and a great over-stride, Yes, I was looking at the ﬁlly and not a supermodel on the catwalk, but this ﬁlly does have all the ingredients you look for when selecting a young athlete for a racing future. I'm really looking forward to her joining my stable.”

The Thoroughbred’s Danny Power also inspected the Bel Esprit ﬁlly. “I was taken

It is easy to join The Thoroughbred Club. Subscribers to The Thoroughbred magazine are automatically made members of the club, as are those who update their online, free listings to the Directory of Australian Racing on thethoroughbred.com.au. Join now, be part of the fun of being part of a superbly bred racehorse, without the costs.

CLUB * See thethoroughbred.com.au for terms and conditions

T H E T H O R O U G H B R E D 11

PHOTOS BYMARTIN KING, SPORTPIX

BACK IN TOWN: Ross McDonald’s training career has been rejuvenated by Australia’s latest star Weekend Hussler.

WEEKEND HUSSLER

Hard-nosed horseman Ross McDonald has seen it all in life, from top to bottom. After enduring the tough times, he has rebuilt his stable, with the help of his wife Margaret and son Clinton. Now he is on the cusp of what could be his greatest moment in racing as he prepares his champion Weekend Hussler for the enormous challenge of being the ﬁrst horse since Rising Fast in 1954 to win the Caulﬁeld Cup-Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup treble this spring.

lways in racing the champion galloper is only part of the story. In the United States, Seabiscuit had a blind jockey, Smarty Jones a drunk one. Phar Lap’s jockey Jim Pike died penniless. Similarly, the unfolding story of Australia’s latest champion is as much about his trainer, Ross McDonald, as the champion, Weekend Hussler (B g 2004, Hussonet-Weekend Beauty, by Helissio). And the brave woman behind the man, McDonald’s wife Margaret.

Ross McDonald is one of racing’s larger-than-life characters, an oldschool survivor, a hard nut and a bruiser, who has trained many great horses but none as good, or as important, as the one about to embark on the most ambitious spring campaign – Caulﬁeld Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup – since Rising Fast (B g 1949, Alonzo-Faster, by Mr. Standfast) pulled off the great treble in 1954. Ross McDonald’s well-weathered 62-year-old face hints of a bruising life of adventure; of resilience, humour in adversity, cigarettes,

PHOTO BY LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM (THE SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP)

WORDS MATT STEWART

WEEKEND HUSSLER

McDonald’s rising champion

4.15am: Trainer Ross McDonald ﬁts a muzzle on Weekend Hussler as he is prepared to be saddled for track work at Caulﬁeld. The introverted gelding is aggressive around humans and often “wakes up” in a grumpy mood.

4.40am: The early morning gloom is evident, even under the lights of the Caulﬁeld tunnel, as regular track rider Les Beer and Weekend Hussler (right) walk to the centre of the track before their gallop.

4.55am: Hardly a horse in sight through the pre-dawn fog as Weekend Hussler and workmate Pacino set off on the steeplegrass track to work a solid 1200m. Even in the dark, the track work regulars are watching.

5am: Trainer Ross McDonald takes up in his usual viewing position near the 2000m point of the course proper at Caulﬁeld. McDonald watches the blue light on the cap of Les Beer, riding Weekend Hussler, with his stopwatch in hand.

pub blues and beer. Margaret, the 58-year-old daughter of legendary trainer Bon Hoysted – the man regarded by Ross as his mentor and “our greatest ever trainer” – walks with a stoop, the legacy of a family-related back complaint that once had her in and out of hospital for three years. Two years ago a horse tripped over coming off a ﬂoat and crushed her, smashing her shoulder and fracturing her spine. She spent 16 weeks in hospital and is never free of pain, despite being drip medicated by her constant accessory, a morphine pump. Margaret, the bravest human on any racetrack, is rarely prone to tears but she wells up when asked about the importance of this plain, dusty bay horse, Weekend Hussler, a cheap $80,000 yearling who grew up to become the most envied turf performer in Australia. “He has been amazing. I don’t like to complain, my problems are my own to deal with, but he has helped me move forward,” Margaret says. “As for Ross, it’s given him a

new lease in life. He loves him passionately.” This racing rollercoaster story began at Mordialloc beach in 1970. Margaret, young, blonde and married, would bring Bon’s Epsom-trained horses to the suburban beach for a dip. Ross McDonald, a strapping young breaker from Mordialloc, the son of a blacksmith and wool classer, would tether them to the row boat and guide them out of the shallows for a swim. Young McDonald had it all. “He smoked, he drank and he played around a bit,” Margaret recalled. “He had a rogue-ish charm, I guess you’d say, and he had a pretty good body back then.” After divorcing her ﬁrst husband, Bon’s daughter gave the smoking, boozing, brawling horse breaker a call. “I rang up and told him I’d left my husband. His reply was ‘so what am I supposed to do with you?” McDonald answered his question four years later by marrying her, horrifying

Margaret’s mother May. “Dad was all right, he knew Ross a bit.” Early days, life was good for the young couple. Son Clinton, now a crucial part of the team, was born in 1975, as Ross was making a name for himself as a brilliant horse-breaker.

(Ch g 1975, Manihi-Markato, by Natural Bid). Bon died of a heart attack after Manikato’s whirlwind two-yearold year in 1978. McDonald had a licence and had been as close to Manikato as anyone, but the chestnut was handed instead to Bon’s brother Bob. “He’d have been a pretty handy horse to have in your stable at the start of your career,” said McDonald, who took over the training of most of Bon’s Epsom team. As a trainer, McDonald hit the ground running. His first major winner from his Edith Street, Mordialloc, stables was a steeplechaser but he made a dramatic impact with flat stayers, particularly fillies. Backed by millionaire owners, colourful characters such as Nick Columb and stable stalwart Peter White, McDonald had a remarkable knack. Like his mentor Bon Hoysted, McDonald did not spend fortunes to find champions. Magari (B h 1978, Maybe Lad-

14 T H E T H O R O U G H B R E D | SUBSCRIBE NOW

‘ He had a rogue-ish charm, I guess you’d say, and he had a pretty good body back then .

’

In the mid-1970s McDonald educated most of the horses trained by Geoff Murphy at Caulﬁeld and bred by the famous Stockwell Stud. They included Hyperno (B g 1973, RangongMikarla, by Persian Garden II), Happy Kitten (Ch m 1973, Showdown-Kirana, by Orgoglio) and Toy Show (B m 1972, Showdown-Toyland, by Parthia). And a “big, heavy not so athletic” horse called Manikato

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PHOTO BY LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM (THE SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP)

starts his day at the track

5.15am: Back at the stables Margaret McDonald leads Weekend Hussler, and rider Les Beer, into the stables after his morning gallop. Beer reports that all is well. The gelding is unsaddled and led to the wash.

5.20am: Steamy time in the wash, as Margaret McDonald hoses down Weekend Hussler with hot water after his morning gallop. “You can tell when he’s angry,” she said, keeping a watchful eye on the temperamental champion.

5.20am: It takes two to care for a champion. Ross McDonald keeps Weekend Hussler occupied while he is dried and brushed by wife Margaret. The gelding hates the fuss, and he is ready for breakfast.

5.25am: Margaret McDonald walks Weekend Hussler to his box where his breakfast awaits. The bay gelding has done his work, and now it’s time to be left alone, but the McDonalds can watch him any time on closed circuit television.

Aurea, by Showdown), his threetime Group 1-winning sprintermiler, and his ﬁrst great horse, cost just $10,000. Columb took an interest in Magari, which proved the beginning of one of racing’s most successful, if brief, partnerships. In quick succession for McDonald and Columb came Tristarc (B m 1981, Sir TristramRenarc, by Arctic Explorer), Centaurea (Br m 1981, CenturyAurea, by Showdown), Imposera (Ch m 1984, Imposing-Calera, by Zamazaan) and Courtza (B m 1986, Pompeii CourtHunza, by Pakistan II); all near champions. Cena (B m 1982, Century-Aurea, by Showdown), Tramaurea (Ch m 1986, Sir Tristram-Centaurea, by Century), Tisolde (B m 1987, Tights-Lady Isolde, by Sir Tristram) and Crestkin (B m 1985, Crested Wave-Liefkin, by Reindeer) won Stakes races. “We’d go to New Zealand every year to buy a ﬁlly. They were all shapes and sizes. Tristarc was small, skinny and mad and

Imposera was 500kg as a yearling. We tried to tap into families on the way up,” McDonald said. They were spectacular, the old days at Epsom. Tristarc won an AJC Derby, Underwood Stakes, Caulfield Stakes and Caulfield Cup; Courtza the Blue Diamond Stakes/Golden Slipper double; Centaurea the Australasian Oaks and Imposera the Caulfield Cup.

– bar for Paul Keating’s “recession we had to have”, which hit in the early 1990s and devastated Columb’s various businesses. The ﬁrst thing to go, of course, was the horses. “We lost our businesses, lost our ﬁrepower,” Columb said of the crash. “They were pretty heady days back then but they ended. Ross and I went our separate ways.” Within two years the McDonalds’ Epsom team of horses was reduced from 32 to just four. They were broke. Debts were paid at 10 cents in the dollar. Margaret was in and out of hospital, Ross and Clinton struggled on alone. “We never starved but times were tough,” McDonald said. Margaret adds: “It was pretty tough on Clinton because he was used to all the toys. But they all went. It was good for him to learn that things don’t come easy.” Clinton says: “It was really tough on mum. She was sick and me and Rossco were living alone. I think our ideas of household cleanliness were a bit different from mum’s.”

Father and son teamed up in the mid-1990s as Ross returned to the breaking business, educating the horses trained and bred by Greg Mance. Clinton had been riding since he was four, inheriting his father’s knack with un-broken and unruly horses. “It kept the wolf from the door for about three years,” McDonald said. “We broke in about 70 a year.” By 1995 there was talk of Epsom closing. McDonald, president of the Epsom trainers’ association, campaigned hard to keep it open but lost the battle in 1998. “On top of everything else, losing the track was the last thing we needed,” McDonald said. Clinton adds: “But looking back it was the best thing that happened to us. That’s when we started kicking a few goals again.” McDonald, who had trained from Edith Street since the 1970s, was the ﬁrst Epsom trainer to be relocated to Caulﬁeld. They had no money and just a handful of horses. Luckily, one of them was Shistad (Br h 1991,

‘ It kept the wolf

from the door for about three years. We broke in about 70 a year.

’

McDonald had boats, jet skis, annual trips to Hamilton Island, lots of money, owners with more money and 15 Group 1 winners before his 45th birthday, a number that has since crept to 22, the increase courtesy (almost exclusively) of Weekend Hussler. Nothing, it seemed, could derail the Columb/McDonald juggernaut

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PHOTO BY SEAN GARNSWORTHY (THE SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP)

WEEKEND HUSSLER

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Champion galloper Weekend Hussler surrounded by the McDonald clan, Ross (left), wife Margaret and son Clinton.

Kaapstad-Miss Shavary, by Avaray). “We had to put a $100 deposit on a house, then a $1000 deposit, then $27,000,” McDonald said. Shistad, which raced in Clinton’s ownership, dead-heated for ﬁrst in the 1997 Seymour Cup the week the third installment was

due. The winner’s cheque was worth $27,000. Clinton says: “For timing, he’s probably the best horse we’ve ever had.” Margaret was back home but in great physical pain at the time. “Ross gave me Shistad to train. It

got me out of bed and got me going in the morning,” she said. The McDonalds were back in business. Clinton got hold of a horse called Regal Roller (Ch g 1999, Regal Classic-Arantxa Rose, by Rancho Ruler), who won 12 races, including three Group

1s, in 2004-05 – $1.5 million in stakes. Ross found a good’un in top ﬁlly Tahni Girl (Br m 2001, by Redoute’s Choice-Ballroom Babe, by Citidancer). Father and son held separate licences but trained at the same stables under the banner of

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McDonald Racing. Like most trainers, the McDonalds never worried too much about buying yearlings and not knowing who would foot the bill. “Every sale, we’d put our neck on the chopping block,” McDonald said. But they had a decent bank and a decent idea what they were looking for at the 2006 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. Ross had taken a shine to imported Argentinian sire Hussonet (Ch h 1991, Mr. Prospector-Sacahuista, by Raja Baba), and liked two of his sons at the sale. One turned out to be Emjay Hussey (Ch g 2004, Hussonet-Amaranth, by Flying Paster), a debut Caulﬁeld winner, the other Weekend Hussler. He could have bought either

‘ Every sale, we’d

put our neck on the chopping block.

’

but, by luck and good judgment, bought the latter. From here, the Hussler story is well known. The ﬁrst day McDonald jumped the horse out at Caulﬁeld, he won by 10 lengths. Weekend Hussler was beaten on debut at Sale, won at his next start, in a maiden at Cranbourne, came to Sandown and won by seven lengths in midweek company, then cut a swathe through the spring of 2007 and returned even more dominant in the autumn. The question that needs to be answered is this: how on earth did

Pedigree

RAISE A NATIVE (USA) MR. PROSPECTOR (USA) GOLD DIGGER (USA)

HUSSONET (USA)

RAJA BABA (USA) SACAHUISTA (USA) NALEES FLYING FLAG (USA)

WEEKEND HUSSLER B g 2004 FAIRY KING (USA) HELISSIO (FR) HELICE (USA)

WEEKEND BEAUTY

AT TALAQ (USA) NOT ON FRIDAY MARKET HEIGHTS (NZ)

he get beaten at Sale? “He was a bit green,” Ross said. “He just cantered down the straight, not knowing what it was all about. The penny dropped next start.” He has now won nine races – six Group 1s – and more than $2.3 million. The wolf no longer lurked in the McDonalds’ doorway. “It’s funny thinking about it sometimes. All those sheikhs with all their money and horses, they’d swap ’em all for this horse out the back here,” McDonald said. Gruff and shy, McDonald has been brought out of his shell by the Hussler. Before the Oakleigh Plate this summer, the now not-so-gruff, not-so-shy trainer of the champion advised punters to plonk their house on the horse, then suggested they kept going all-up. “If they’d taken my advice they’d have a block of houses

by now!” he said. “Blokes, reporters would be ringing me 12 times a day, wanting to know something new. I just said whatever I could think of, knowing the horse wouldn’t let me down anyway.” This latest McDonald juggernaut could be heading anywhere. Form analysts, such as the respected Dominic Beirne, rate Weekend Hussler the best horse to race here in 30 years. Last season he was officially rated the world’s best turf three-year-old and a top five miler. McDonald, in true old-fashioned style, refuses to molly-coddle the horse and is aiming to win the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup. The only horse to have done it in one hit was Rising Fast in 1954. “We think he can re-write the record books,” McDonald said.

Margaret, who has seen many champions in her time, still shakes her head, in awe of the Hussler, in awe not just of the horse but the timing of his arrival, his key role in the family’s resurrection. “They still don’t know how freakish he is. They still don’t get it,” she said. Like world money markets, horses are brittle, their time at the top brief. This story, the latest of a champion horse and its human entourage, will be over soon enough. The McDonalds now look set, probably safe from another horror story. But Rossco has been around too long to assume he is in the clear. “You never know in this game. We got lucky, this horse came along. You won’t always be lucky,” he said.

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THE HUSSONET STORY

is what you make it

he story of the astounding stallion Hussonet’s purchase by the Arrowfield Stud has all the intrigue of an international spy novel. There’s the target, a dominant stallion in the small world of the Chilean thoroughbred industry; the sniper, Robin Bruss, a South African-based bloodstock agent with a remarkable eye for quality; and the commissioner, ‘Lucky’ John Messara, the man with the Midas touch when it comes to finding and promoting world-class stallions. The story confirms that Messara, who was instrumental in bringing Danehill to Australia, and purchased Flying Spur and Redoute’s Choice as flagbearers for Arrowfield, is as lucky as Gary Player is lucky. Player’s comment after a reporter suggested he got lucky on the way to winning the 1965 US Open Golf Championship describes well the Messara philosophy. Said Player: “You know, it’s quite amazing. The more I practise, the luckier I get.” The Thoroughbred, supported by a detailed trail of correspondence provided by all members of the Hussonet cast, has traced the story of Hussonet from its gestation, in early 2002, through to its first conclusion, when the then 12-year-old son of Mr. Prospector set up shop in the Hunter Valley. The end of the story is many years, and generations away. There is no luck involved. This is the story of knowledge, of detailed research, of networks long established, of vision, and that X-factor that separates so many successful people from the rest – the willingness to take a risk. The story begins in 2002, when John Messara addressed a conference in Thailand. Although the focus of his address was on the issue of artificial insemination, he expressed with some force his view that there was a powerful need for a stallion in Australia to provide a suitable outcross to the predominant blood of Northern Dancer, through Danzig-line stallions, including the remarkable Danehill. Robin Bruss was at the conference: “Essentially, I have been in the bloodstock business all my life and have striven for international trade. Although I hail from Zimbabwe (where Darley’s

18 T H E T H O R O U G H B R E D

stallion nominations manager, Alastair Pulford, used to come from school on his bicycle to compile the first Zimbabwe Stallion Register in my office), I have lived in South Africa since 1982 and operated as an agent, owner and breeder. I was introduced to Australia in 1992 by James Bester. Sanctions had been lifted and South Africans were permitted to do business in Australia. We were encouraged to come to the Sydney Easter Sale by Aushorse, and in a year when the prices had plummeted and the Easter average was just $35,000, our buying team bought 46 horses, among them six Group 1 winners, including Kundalini (1990 by El Gran SenorHatton Gardens by Auction Ring [imported in utero]), a filly I bought from Arrowfield and who became the champion 3YO in South Africa. John Messara has always been the epitome of hospitality and I enjoyed him for his visionary outlook, his courage in the face of adversity and his triumphs. In 2002, I noticed that Arrowfield’s stallion base had depleted through deaths and relocations and it was evident he would be in the market for a new stallion. In the knowledge that John was exceptionally well connected in Europe and America, what could I do to source a suitable horse? I recalled from the Asian Racing Conference in Thailand that John had indicated his belief that Danehill and Danzig blood would proliferate and that a suitable outcross would be desirable. (John had attempted to buy South Africa’s Champion Sire Fort Wood through me the previous year. Fort Wood (B h 1990, Sadler’s Wells-Fall Aspen by Pretense) has been a staggeringly successful sire from his first South African crop. But he was owned by the wealthiest family in the country, the Oppenheimers, and all efforts to purchase the horse were rebuffed. ) My search moved to South America, where I had been buying yearlings every year from 1975 until I discovered the Australian product in 1992. I knew well of Hussonet and his phenomenal success.

PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY ARROWFIELD STUD

The process behind the acquisition of Hussonet by Arrowﬁeld Stud was long and meticulous. Amazingly it all started in South Africa. WORDS DANNY POWER

AT STUD: Hussonet at ArrowďŹ eld Stud. He made an immediate mark with a champion in his ďŹ rst Australian crop.

THE HUSSONET STORY

I have a huge library collected religiously since 1971 and compiled Hussonet’s statistics and compared them to Fort Wood. They were easily more impressive; in fact, more impressive than any stallion I had ever seen. Roughly, one in every two foals earned black type; one in every four was a Stakes winner; and one in every seven was a Group 1 winner! So phenomenal were these statistics surrounding Hussonet that it was hard to believe they were true. And why hadn’t anyone else already grabbed the horse?” John Messara: “The ‘stallion maketh the farm’ is an adage that I believe in and have lived by in all my years at the helm of Arrowfield. But great stallion prospects are hard to secure and great proven stallions are even more elusive. So if the facts put to me by South African agent Robin Bruss in 2002 about the Chilean-based stallion Hussonet could be accepted, an opportunity to purchase a proven dominant stallion had fallen right into my lap. Yes, Hussonet’s progeny stats looked ‘unreal’ when compared with the stats of leading stallions in any other country at the time. The issue was not Hussonet’s bloodlines or conformation, or his success in Chile, but rather whether those results in Chile could be translated into equivalent results in our own country. Hussonet’s winners’ strike rate, his stakes winners to runners ratio and his sheer volume of Group 1 winners and champions were stunning statistics – but what credibility could be attributed to the quality of racing in Chile? Therein lay the dilemma.” Robin Bruss: “John had a range of queries from the quality of black type, to the international performance of Chilean horses, the type of racing surface in Chile, track configurations, the success or otherwise of similar stallions from South America that had shuttled or stood elsewhere, the composition of the syndicate that owned the horse, the numbers of coverings, fertility, physical attributes, distance capabilities of the stallion, the overseas success of his own progeny, where and how he might fit into the Australian market, where he might shuttle in the northern hemisphere before coming to Australia; and so on and so forth. The queries were very precise, very detailed, and very exacting – as you would expect coming from a true professional. John was seeking a deal based on FACT rather than opinion. This is my kind of deal.

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‘ The queries were very precise, very detailed, and very exacting – as you would expect coming from a true professional.

’

Robin Bruss Fortunately, I am a collector of information as I believe in selling from a position of knowledge. I was able to answer every query, quickly and effectively. Essentially, the more research I did, the more obvious it became that Hussonet called be entitled to a claim I could make to John: Hussonet was “THE DANEHILL OF SOUTH AMERICA”. John was travelling extensively overseas in England, Ireland and Asia through much of the two-week period in which the Hussonet deal was introduced, negotiated and concluded. A lot of the correspondence between us was faxed to various hotel rooms and hence I have the ﬁle copies, including many documents that provided compelling arguments in favour of acquisition.”

Included in the data Bruss faxed to Messara was a note from the International Cataloguing Standards Committee, created to ensure consistency of assessment of black type races. The document said, in part: “that racing in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru and Uruguay is of sufﬁcient stature … to justify their classiﬁcation as being among the world’s major racing countries.” It also noted that black type races conducted in these countries had a valid position vis-à-vis those in major racing countries, and the ratio of these races to others was consistent across South America, Australia and New Zealand, the United States and England. He also listed eight Chilean Group 1 winners who had performed at high levels in the US. Sensing that Messara was wavering, on November 28, 2002, Bruss sent a persuasive fax to Messara, then in Malaysia. He wrote: “I have concluded that you are probably not still fully convinced about the quality

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of Hussonet’s ability. Herewith then some conventional logic – a comparison of Hussonet and Danehill’s first five crops. It looks like a mirror image: Danehill: 85 per cent winners v Hussonet’s 84 per cent; 24 per cent Stakes winners v 19.6 per cent; 7.7 per cent Group 1 winners v 7.0 per cent. “The statistical comparison is biased in favour of Danehill because crops three, four and five have completed their racing record, whereas Hussonet’s same crops are three, four and five-year-olds still racing and will continue to add to the record. “You made an offer for Fort Wood, a sensational stallion, who, like Hussonet, was totally dominant, and, like Hussonet, was by a champion sire out of a great mare. “The difference now is that Hussonet’s stats are almost twice as good as Fort Wood’s. Would the logic therefore be that South African form is worth four times as much as Chilean? “Obviously it is not – in fact, Chilean horses stack up much better than South African horses overseas, so the likelihood is that the class in Chile is stronger.” Robin Bruss: “I had been to Chile some years before but not to Haras de Pirque, nor did I know Mr Eduardo Matte, Hussonet’s managing owner. A colleague in South Africa, Jehan Malherbe, had been buying in Chile, and I asked him to provide me with an introduction to a local agent who could be the intermediary. He introduced me to an agent named German Fisher, who acted for Haras de Pirque in the negotiation while I acted for John.” John Messara: “Between our own research and the input of Robin we satisfied ourselves that Hussonet was indeed one of those proven dominant stallions who comes along only so often. The bonus in Hussonet has always been that he is by a grand sire-maker in Mr. Prospector and he is the son of an Eclipse Awardwinning female in Sacahuista. His family has no weaknesses and the pedigree is totally free of Northern Dancer.” Robin Bruss: “John moved swiftly, and when the final offer was accepted, he sent Byron Rogers and his vet Dr Wylie to inspect and examine the horse in the greatest detail.” John Messara: “You do need good fortune in this business! Soon after we had secured Hussonet, two of his Chilean Champion progeny, Wild Spirit and Host, won at Group 1 level in the USA. So while Hussonet was a champion sire in Chile, we

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THE HUSSONET STORY

‘ While Hussonet was a champion sire in Chile, we were reminded that he was the product of American royalty. John Messara

’

were reminded that he was the product of American royalty and that his produce could mix it with the best in the world.” Robin Bruss: “I think it is interesting for us as agents to sit at the tip of Africa and negotiate bloodstock deals in different countries, which of course relies on the faith of men like John Messara. While we don’t live in a mainstream country, it does enable us to have a wider geographical perspective and to engage in various markets. The internet has enabled us to have a more effective research tool and a global reach. Chile to Australia was one deal, but we have sold horses from Japan to Kentucky; USA to England; Ireland to Argentina; Zimbabwe to Dubai and recently South Africa to Saudi Arabia.” John Messara: “Today I believe Hussonet represents the most dominant son of Mr. Prospector anywhere. The emergence of Weekend Hussler (from his first Australian crop) as the eighth best racehorse in the world in the recently released world rankings attests to this.” Robin Bruss: “John reminds me of Bull Hancock, master of Claiborne, Kentucky, whose success was predicated not just on buying the American champions, but also purchasing the best bloodstock from all over the world, including stallions from South America, South Africa and Australia. John’s outlook was similarly global. And his strike rate is similarly significant.” John Messara: “The quality of the mares visiting Hussonet in Australia this year ensures that he may well leave a significant legacy at Arrowfield. When all is said and done, Hussonet may prove to be a major

22 THE THOROUGHBRED

contributor to more than one country in his career as a stallion.” Robin Bruss: “The success of Hussonet is particularly heartening, not only because it rewards John’s courage in charting a different and unusual course, but also because he had the conviction to commit to his judgment in a massive way by supporting Hussonet with top-notch mares. Breeding horses is not just an engaging occupation, it is an activity which is historically deﬁning too, as the records of breeding and racing go back over more than 400 years. If you think about it, it is easier to trace the 20-generation ancestry of your horse than your own ancestry! John Messara’s mark in the history of Australian breeding is already assured with Danehill and his tribe. Hussonet’s chapter is still emerging and I’m proud to have been a part of it.”

Hussonet arrived in Australia in February 2003, and served 126 mares in the 2003-04 season at a fee of $24,750. One of those mares was the Helissio mare Weekend Beauty, who, ironically, is not exactly dominated by the blood of Northern Dancer. (Helissio is by Fairy King, a son of Northern Dancer). This mating produced the remarkable gelding Weekend Hussler. As Messara said, “you do need good fortune in this business.” Hussonet had done what he had done in Chile: produce a champion in his ﬁrst crop, every studmaster’s dream. (Hussonet produced two champions in his ﬁrst crop in Chile, and in his third crop, three champions. Weekend Beauty returned to Hussonet last spring, after visits to French Deputy, Flying Spur and Not

A Single Doubt.) Weekend Hussler is a once-in-a-lifetime champion, but the Messara good fortune had been well established before Weekend Hussler had made his debut as an early three-year-old. Husson Lightning (by Hussonet from the Snippets mare Snip Snip) had won one of the season’s first Stakes races for two-year-olds, the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on Derby Day. The following autumn the vision of the Hussonet-Danehill cross was completed when Reaan, by Hussonet from the Danehill mare Ribe, won the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200 metres) at Caulfield. Hussonet’s 2008 fee, off the back of the amazing performances of Weekend Hussler, was lifted to $137,500 from $38,500 in 2007. He now has eight sons at stud in Australia: Husson Lightning, Host and his brother Decanter ([Chi.] from Colonna Traiana by Roy), Trotomondo ([Chi.] from Movie Producer by Give Me Strength), Byblos ([Chi.] from Brittany’s Dream by Worldwatch), El Cumbres ([Chi.] from Marscara Roja by Cresta Rida), Seinne ([Chi.] from White Lady by Worldwatch) and Husson ([Arg.] from Villa Elisa by Roy). His first crop has seen six Stakes winners – Weekend Hussler (six Group 1 wins), Husson Lightning, Reaan, Rios (from Gussy Godiva by Last Tycoon), Huiskes (from Bruschetta by Snippets) and Dirty (from Weaver Of Words by Danehill). In the 2008 sales season, 68 yearlings by Hussonet averaged $164,912 with the top seller a bay colt from Sunday Valentine (by Sunday Silence), who fetched $1.2 million at the Inglis Easter Sales.

Pedigree

NATIVE DANCER (USA) RAISE A NATIVE (USA) RAISE YOU (USA)

MR. PROSPECTOR (USA)

NASHUA (USA) GOLD DIGGER (USA) SEQUENCE (USA)

HUSSONET (USA Ch h 1991)

BOLD RULER (USA) RAJA BABA (USA) MISS BABA (USA)

SACAHUISTA (USA)

HOIST THE FLAG (USA) NALEES FLYING FLAG (USA) NALEE (USA)

WE NEED YOU! www.thethoroughbred.com.au

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF EDUARDO MATTE

THE HUSSONET STORY

Hussonet at Haras de Pirque BY EDUARDO MATTE

fter purchasing a 600hectare horse breeding property in December 1991 in Pirque, 35km south of Chile’s capital, Santiago, from a previous North American owner who had established it in the early ’80s with principally North American bloodlines, I acquired a moral obligation to develop it further against the possibility of a liquidation. At that stage, I had never been in a racetrack or visited a breeding operation in my life, apart from having a long relationship with horses through having played polo. To learn about this new activity, one that turned me into Club Hipico de Santiago’s principal shareholder as part of the acquired package, I collected every thoroughbred racing magazine I could put my hands on. In the summer of 1992 I concentrated on obtaining statistical information on the performance of the major US bloodlines. Northern Dancer, of course, came up as one of the leaders and the link of Northern Dancer blood to that of Mr. Prospector grabbed my attention. Haras de Pirque had several Worldwatch mares, a leading broodmare stallion in Chile from the line of Nijinsky II and Northern Dancer crossed with the blood of Raise A Native (Worldwatch, 1978 by Nijinski II [by Northern Dancer] – Georgica by Raise A Native). With this information in mind, in May 1992 I started my search in Kentucky for a suitable stallion, visiting the major breeding operations.

I was particularly impressed by the personality and work of the owner of Three Chimneys farm, Robert Clay, who remains a dear friend and teacher today. Out of this trip, I brought a Seattle Slew and a Blushing Groom stallion because I could not find a Mr. Prospector that would fill my eye. It was only in 1994 when in New York City I was told there was a Mr. Prospector horse called Hussonet, owned by Darley and available for purchase. He had been retired after breaking a right hand cannon bone. (Hussonet had raced six times for two wins, at Aqueduct, two seconds and two thirds, one in a Stakes race.) His papers impressed me coming from a mare who had won the Breeders’ Cup, Sacahuista, (by Raja Baba [by Bold Ruler] from Nalees Flying Flag by Hoist The Flag). This pedigree grabbed my attention, especially considering that this mare had beaten the only Chilean filly to race in a Breeders’ Cup, a filly called Infi nidad. So it made commercial sense to purchase this stallion for the Chilean thoroughbred market. When I went to inspect Hussonet, I found a skinny horse in a cast recuperating from surgery, but I was impressed by his friendly and joyful character. He grabbed a friend by his jacket, not to harm him but in a playful manner. His Mexican caretaker asked me if I bought the horse to take him along with him. This is how I picked Hussonet to bring him to Chile and decided to apply what I had learned

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in Kentucky about stallion syndication. I proceeded to sell 50 per cent of the horse. The horse’s US breeder and the former Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones were among the shareholders. Hussonet’s impressive record in Chile places him as the best stallion with nine generations, 1995 to 2003, with 556 named foals of which 83 per cent became runners. Of these runners, 86 per cent became winners, with 22 per cent Stakes winners and another 33 per cent Stakes placed. His progeny won every Group 1 race on the major racetracks in Chile, except two in which they came in second, both in dirt and turf. Unfortunately, the thoroughbred market in Chile is small and competition is high among breeders so the possibility of selling services to Hussonet was reduced in spite of the horse’s great performance, something today everybody regrets today. At Haras de Pirque most of our mares are from Hussonet’s progeny so I decided to look opportunities for him abroad, starting with the US that offered double hemisphere breeding. They hardly believed, and maybe rightfully so, that it would have been possible to

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find qualified mares to fill his book and demonstrate what he is. In light of the above, we priced him at the highest sum paid for a horse in this country and John Messara, with great vision, accepted that price. It was a great opportunity at a moderate price for Arrowfield and we are happy for everybody involved in this transaction and especially for our greatly missed and beloved Hussonet. You can understand why we miss him so much, but we are happy at the same time he is showing what he is capable of in Australia. Editor’s note: Haras de Pirque now stands two sons of Hussonet – High Hook and Honour Code – and another son of Mr. Prospector in Hardy II. It has two Northern Dancer line stallions to profit from the Hussonet blood – Della Francesca (by Danzig by Northern Dancer), and Merchant Of Venice (by Storm Cat by Storm Bird by Northern Dancer). Eduardo Matte (photographed above left with Hussonet at Haras de Pirque) purchased Hussonet for stud duties in Chile. www.harasdepirque.com

WITH PIKE

WHIZ KID: Willie Pike, the latest riding star from Western Australia, is keen to try his luck in Victoria, but concedes the timing and the circumstances need to be right.

WITH PIKE

Western Australia’s Golden boy “Rode it like Pike”. It’s one of Australian racing’s best-known calls of praise – the legacy of Jim Pike, the man who rode Phar Lap in 27 wins. Now, the name has reappeared. STEPHEN MORAN looks at the career of the West Australian whiz-kid who, in the 2006-07 season, ended Paul Harvey’s monopoly on the jockeys’ premiership in that state. PHOTOGRAPHS BRUNO CANNATELLI

ill, Willie or William Pike is his name. “Call me anything but Bill,” says the 22-year-old jockey, whose grandfather Ron is a cousin of the legendary Pike who rode Australia’s most famous horse. But that’s history. “Don’t really think about it to be honest,’’ says the young man from the goldfields when asked about his famous relative, “and it really doesn’t get brought up much any more.” Pike’s view of the past being the past is confirmed by The West Australian’s longtime racing writer Ernie Manning. “We don’t touch the Jim Pike angle now. The boy has carved out a name for himself,” he said. But how big is that name is now the question. He’s already a big fish in the relatively small pond of WA racing, having ended Harvey’s five-year premiership run and won rave reviews from a growing number of keen observers. He’s fearless – he’ll push for a run through the slightest gap and has won

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WITH PIKE

extracting the best from his mounts through strong hands and heels riding rather than resorting to the whip. Not to mention around 300 winners (at a respectable 18 per cent strike rate) in the past two seasons. The Pike strike rate is only marginally worse than Brad Rawiller’s as he amassed close to 400 winners in the same time. But can he conquer the east? Could his name rival that of his WA predecessor Damien Oliver if and when he takes on the best in Melbourne and/or Sydney. Is he the wonder from the west or another whiz-kid as a young Brent Thomson was tagged when he came to Australia from New Zealand? “Oliver … hmm,” Ernie Manning pauses, “I’m not sure he’s that good. Not sure he’s in that bracket just yet but he is an outstanding prospect. I keep thinking he’ll head east and he’s good enough to do that but I’m not sure it’s a priority for him right now.” West Australian racecaller Darren McAulay says any comparison with Oliver is unfair. “Damien (Oliver) was whisked away before he became a sensation while this kid (Pike) has become a sensation here. He’s great. He’s a breath of fresh air and he can ride. I love calling him. You have your heart in your mouth when he’s pushing one through a narrow gap. I’ve got no doubt he could hold his own anywhere,” he said. Former jockey Alf Matthews believes that Pike could make it on the eastern seaboard – with one proviso. “He’d have to be prepared to get off his backside and work very hard and seek the best advice. It’s a tough environment in Melbourne … it’s still the toughest arena for any jockey. I think that’s vindicated by Blake Shinn and Nash Rawiller now dominating in Sydney,” he said. Trainer Robbie Laing, who lured Pike to Warrnambool for

TASTE FOR SUCCESS: Willie Pike was encouraged by trainer Robbie Laing to ride at last year’s Warrnambool May carnival. The young hoop rode a double.

‘ I was young and

keen and wanted to ride and was happy to go anywhere. They were rough and hard tracks. No running rails, no perimeter fences.

’

the 2007 May carnival, has no doubt about the young rider’s ability. “He’s outstanding. I don’t think there’s any doubt he has the talent to compete right at the top grade,” he said. Pike rode a double for Laing on Warrnambool Cup day (2007) and went within centimetres of winning the Cup on Sentire (dual Group 1 winner Sarrera and Caulﬁeld Cup runner-up Douro Valley quinellaed the race). And what of the ambitions of the man himself? “I’m keen to go back there (Victoria) at some stage but I know it won’t be easy

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and everything would have to be right. I’d go there with a horse good enough from here or with the right offer from one of the leading stables but not just for the hell of it,” Pike said. Doing it tough, you’d suspect, would not unduly bother Pike. He served a long apprenticeship at dusty and obscure non-TAB meetings through remote parts of Western Australia – before he was given any opportunities in town. That was at the insistence of his mentor and veteran bush trainer Jack Cockell. Pike’s uncle, Arthur, introduced him to Cockell and while a stern introduction to the world of racing followed it probably saved the young jockey from a life in the mines. After ﬁ nishing year nine at school, Pike undertook a riding apprenticeship which took him to dots on the map such as the non-TABs at Mt Magnet, Port Hedland, Rosebourne, Onslow and Meekathara – his workplaces rarely less than a day’s drive away. This, of course, contrasts sharply against his counterparts in the eastern states cutting their teeth at reasonably

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prominent, if occasionally distant, TAB meetings. It was his ﬁrst introduction to racing; his second came when he went to town. “At the time I loved it. I was young and keen and wanted to ride and was happy to go anywhere,” Pike said of the outback riding. “They were rough and hard tracks. No running rails, no perimeter fences. I remember a horse getting away one day and they found it stuck in the mud on a nearby salt lake. “There was a lot of driving. Around eight hours to somewhere like Mt Magnet … two days to Port Hedland. They’d load the horses and me into the truck and off we’d go. We’d camp or stay in a caravan or take a swag and sleep under the truck. It was real bush racing,” he said. It was a tough initiation. “Some of the old boys would threaten to put you over the fence (when there was one) but I doubt they really meant it or were good enough to do it. They would pull you into line pretty quickly, though, if you got a bit smart…,” Pike said. Pike, whose interest in race

The Mentor REPRODUCED COURTESY OF THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

“That’s a long time ago but I still love the horses. Been a bit quiet this season because I did my knee and been a bit crook but I’ll get back out there. William’s been great for me while I haven’t been so good.

TOUGH ROAD: Willie Pike has taken the hard road to success thanks to the support of his mentor Jack Cockell, who campaigned the young apprentice throughout the non-TAB meetings of outback WA.

Jack Cockell is 79. He has trained racehorses and trained and driven trotters in Western Australia for almost 60 years. He has worked on the waterfront; owned and operated an abattoir and run cattle – up to 1000 head at a time. And he has shaped the career of the man many consider to be the best young jockey in Australia. This is his story – in his words. “I’ve been very lucky. A very lucky horseman. You know I’ve won hundreds and hundreds of races with giveaways and cheapies and cast-offs. And very lucky to have young William (Pike) too. He was lucky for me. “Pretty lucky all round, expect when it came to matrimony. Couple of those have skun me. I guess you’re never home and that’s the problem in this business. Often I’d be away for three or four months at a time chasing a quid with the horses around the north-west. That’s where I took young Willie when he started off. “It’s always been in the blood. My dad trained and he educated a lot of good

jockeys. They learned properly with him. I was working a few horses of my own in my early 20s and I want to tell you a story about the night I backed one to win 32,000 (pounds). It was Inter night and I reckon the Inter-Dominion was worth less – £31,000 that year. I thought to myself, ‘if this horse wins tonight, and he was a giveaway, I’ll never work for another man again’ – and I haven’t. That must have been about 55 years ago. It was Saturday night and on the Sunday morning I went and bought a farm. “I ran cattle and also started to train a few gallopers which I wasn’t supposed to, but I had ’em in someone else’s name. I’m sure the stewards knew but they turned a blind eye. We are always trying and doing the right thing so I suppose they didn’t mind. “Also had an abattoir at one stage. People used to ask me how I could do that saying, ‘you love the horses and you’re killing them’. I’d just say someone has to do it and at least I know it’s been done right. We saved a few, too, who won races.

“You know he comes down here (Cockell trains at Mundijong, 60 kilometres south of Perth) every Friday and that’s his day off. He gallops mine and his judgment has never been wrong. He does anything I want. He doesn’t mind picking up the ‘you know what’. He loads the horses, walks ’em and hoses them. Comes in for breakfast and a talk and then heads off. And this is on his day off, and I’m an hour out of town. “I’ve taught plenty of kids to ride but never really bothered with taking them on as apprentices. Willie was different. As soon as I saw him, I thought ‘if this kid ain’t a jockey I give up’. He’s got a bit of a honker on him and you know all the great jockeys have big noses or big ears. That’s what I reckon anyway. His uncle Arthur was working for me and I told him to send the young bloke down. “I know it’s easy to say now but you could pick it early he was going to be pretty good. In his ﬁ rst season he rode 27 winners and 25 of them were mine. He never shied off his work once and he was with me for six years. We never had a blue and I never had to tell him off. There’s no bullshit in him. And you know he can ride a buckjumper as good as those blokes who do it for a living … “He comes down here and wants to trot a pony on the blue metal (road). It worries me. I say ‘you’re mad, you’re risking all that money you earn now. You’ll be skun like a rabbit if this thing dumps you’. He just

looks at me, and smiles and says ‘it won’t’. “He’s the perfect rider, I think, because he loves his horses. He’d never give one a run. I could never ask him to go a bit easy on one. But I tell you if I told him I’d had 5000 on one, didn’t he ﬁre up! You know he’s pretty amazing. I never let him use the whip early. Told him he had to learn to ride without it. Watch him now … even when they look beaten he can pick ’em up and ride and ride and they’ll ﬁnd something. That’s because he learned how to ride properly. It’s funny, early on they all said ‘fancy making the kid go to all these remote places’. I just said ‘bugger off’ because that’s what he’s doing. Now they all tell me what a good idea it was. “He’s a tough little bloke. Just gets the job done, like a Robert Thompson. And his weight’s OK. He tucks into steak and eggs before he’s riding. I reckon he’ll be as good as Darren Beadman by the time he’s 25. “And he’s sensible. He’s bought some land, he’s gunna build a house and he’s got the gold here so why would he go elsewhere? … but one day he will. He can go world-wide. He’s honest and loyal and reliable and I reckon that’s what those big stables want. If he gets with a real good trainer with a really good string, then you’ll see how good he is. I wouldn’t really want him to go unless he gets in with the best. “And you blokes (the media) have got to help him. Never been big on publicity myself but it’s good for him and I tell him that. A good story is thousands of bucks worth of advertising for free. I’m glad you’re doing this. He deserves it ... good to talk to you. One more thing … you know he’ll make a marvellous racehorse trainer too one of these days.”

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WITH PIKE

riding began at age seven when he was dashing ponies around the Coolgardie scrub, spent 18 months honing his skills around the rugged tracks of the north-west before he began riding permanently on the major circuit. He had attracted attention long before that move but his master Cockell was in no rush to expose him to the big league. Goldﬁelds steward John Biggs had already observed that Pike had a ‘gift’. “He’s one of those rare riders who has the gift of coaxing a horse to just wanting to run,” Biggs said long before the young rider made his stunning impact in town. WA master of apprentices Laurie Millington was also an early convert. “It’s his capacity to get the maximum from horses, without whipping them, that makes him a superior rider,” Millington said. That’s proved to be one of Pike’s trademarks. “When I ﬁrst started riding, Jack (Cockell) wouldn’t let me pull the whip. Wanted me to learn to ride without it and I’m sure that really helped me,” Pike said.

Not that Pike is opposed to the use of the whip but it is not his first option. “Some horses respond best to hands and heels but some won’t go without it (the whip). It defi nitely helps in steering them and I don’t agree that we need to ban it,” he said. Despite the solid grounding and many early accolades, Pike concedes that the second part of his career his first regular

‘ I’m a very competitive person so I worked at it and I think I improved quickly enough.

’

foray into Perth racing wasn’t easy. “It was a long way from the bush. Suddenly you’re riding in big fields and against the best jockeys in the state. “I got knocked around a bit early. You’d cop it verbally too if you made a mistake. It was difficult but once I rode a couple of winners, I started to get a bit more confident. I’m a very competitive person so I worked

at it and I think I improved quickly enough,” he said. Improve he did – from 88 state wide winners in season 2003-04 (many at lesser tracks) to 160 winners in ’06-07 including 92 in town which secured him a runaway premiership win. The numbers speak loudly but it’s his bravado which has most of all made him a favourite with punters. “He’s not only talented but courageous as well. That’s the thing that’s really made everyone take notice. He’ll put a horse where angels fear to tread,” said McAulay. “If I can go there, I’ll go there,” Pike said matter-of-factly when asked about this facet of his riding. “I don’t think I’m reckless. I don’t think I take unreasonable risks. The horse lets you know whether you can push for a run. If they’re off the bit, you’re not going to force a run.” This young jockey has the ability and the (right) attitude, it seems. He promptly returned my call when I sought an interview. He was helpful and polite but (as best you can tell over the phone) a little shy.

“He’s a typical country boy,” McAulay says, “and he’s very well grounded. You might even say he’s a little old-fashioned in the way he rides and he conducts himself very well with the media, even though he’s a bit reserved. There’s a lot to like about him.” Manning concurs. “I think the time he spent in the northwest served him very well. He’s very good to deal with given that he’s still a bit reserved and still relatively new to all the media attention. When you consider he’s already notched up 600-odd winners at just 22 and seems to be very settled in his private life it’s hard to imagine his future is anything but bright.” Now we’re left to wonder whether that future might be in Melbourne or (perhaps) Sydney. “Guess we’ll see what happens,” he said in the manner of a country boy. But it’s a fair bet if you were backing one young jockey to emerge from outside the two major capital cities, then Pike would be your man. “‘Rode it like Pike (junior)”’ might be the call – again – in years to come.

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LEGENDS: Willie Pike has sparked memories of his famous relative Jim Pike, the regular rider of Phar Lap, pictured winning the 1930 C.B. Fisher Plate at Flemington, with Pike in the saddle.

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RIDING THE WAVE

RODD From the surf to the turf

Michael Rodd started life without great ambitions to be a jockey. The former carpenter and surﬁe is now a Melbourne Cup winner and one of the most sought-after riders in Australia. INTERVIEWED BY BEN COLLINS PHOTOGRAPHS LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM

I didn’t ride a horse until I was 17. There is absolutely no racing background in my family. Dad (Tim) is an electrician by trade and he teaches at TAFE, and Mum (Wendy) works for a little magazine on the Central Coast (NSW). As a kid, I was right into rugby league and particularly surfing. I was born in Manly (Sydney) and was raised on the northern beaches. When I was 10, we moved to Terrigal (90km north of Sydney). I never went a day without a surf. I even went in a few competitions. I was really passionate about it. When you’re on a surfboard, it’s a bit like riding a racehorse in that you need good balance. That definitely helped when making the transition to becoming a jockey. I left high school in Year 10 to start a carpentry apprenticeship. After a year I worked out it just wasn’t for me. Simple things like picking up bags of cement, or even bits of timber, were too tough for me because I was so small that I just wasn’t physically strong enough. I literally got nailed to the wall, and had nail-guns fired at me – stuff that WorkSafe would have a field day with! I chucked it in and surfed for three months. I was 16, still at home, and basically living the good life. Dad said: ‘You need to do something with your life.’ Some family friends were also saying: ‘You should become a jockey.’ I’d never had anything to do with horses;

32 THE THOROUGHBRED

never had any real interest in them or racing. I wasn’t a punter – never even had a bet on the Melbourne Cup. But eventually I agreed to check out this jockey thing. Mum arranged for me to go to Gerry Moon’s stables at Avoca (NSW) where the horses were trained by (Sydney trainer) Kerry Walker. I went there at about 3am just to see what the caper was all about, and I haven’t looked back since. It was a real step into the unknown, but I loved it. It opened up a whole new world to me. I had absolutely no idea with horses. I didn’t know what to expect and I was very nervous, which was understandable considering they’re such huge animals. And it wasn’t like I could go home at night and talk to someone who knew because my parents knew even less than I did about horses – and I knew bugger all! It was important to build my conﬁdence with horses, so at ﬁrst I just led them around and watched people work with them. I just persisted and I learned pretty quick, and it wasn’t long before I was riding trackwork. I had a few little falls, but I learned to just suck it in and get back on the horse. Inevitably, you’re going to fall off. Even the best riders fall. That’s just a part of riding. I was lucky I had some good teachers, and I listened to everything they told me. Having no knowledge of riding was a big advantage in many ways. From day one I was taught by jockeys to

ASSURED: Michael Rodd admits to being shy when he first came to Melbourne, but he has grown in confidence with the help of people such as high-profile businessman and horse owner Lloyd Williams.

RIDING THE WAVE

be a jockey, and taught to think like a jockey and ride short (in the stirrups) – I’m hopeless at riding long. I didn’t spend any time mucking around on horses and developing bad habits. If I got into a bad habit, they picked me up on it straight away. (Ex-jockey) Brad Parnell taught me how to ride at Gerry Moon’s. I was there six months and Brad said: “If you want to make it, you have to go to Sydney.” He arranged for me to meet his old boss’ son, (Sydney trainer) Bryan Guy, who agreed to take me on. I moved to Sydney at 17. I got to mix with the best jockeys – Brian York, the Cassidys (Jim and Larry), you name it. I watched how they went about it and took bits from each of them and put it into my own style. They were probably thinking: ‘Who’s this kid asking all these stupid questions?’ But to me they were important questions because I didn’t have the answers. I just wanted to learn from the best. I cut my teeth in Queensland. I had my ﬁrst ride at Gosford (NSW) when I’d just turned 18, but it was really hard to get a go against the best jockeys in Sydney, so I went up to Bryan Guy’s satellite stable on the Gold Coast. It took me a couple of months to ride my ﬁrst winner –

UNFORGETTABLE: Michael Rodd etched his name in history by winning the 2007 Melbourne Cup on Efﬁcient. The achievement is also commemorated on Rodd’s right leg with a tattoo.

Toronto Lass, at Grafton in July 2000. It was a big relief just to get the monkey off my back because I’d been trying so hard and it hadn’t been looking too good for me. But once I got that first win and got some confidence, it snowballed. Three days later I rode my second winner and, bang, that’s when I realised: ‘I can do this.’ I hit the big smoke in Brisbane and kept improving. I won three apprentice premierships in a row and a senior jockeys’ premiership. I won my first Group 1 race on Prized Gem (in the 2002 Brisbane Cup) and a Magic Millions (2YO Classic in January 2003 on Regimental Gal). It built the platform for where I am today. I learned everything: how to use the whip in either hand, timing a horse’s run, negotiating rough bush tracks and rough racing, which gave me a thicker skin because you couldn’t afford to be shy; you had to push into gaps. I spent a month with Lee Freedman (in early 2004), which was a good experience because I’d never ridden in Victoria and I was very immature. I had some success but not a lot. It was a great learning curve. Then I went back to Queensland. I rode in Hong Kong for oneand-a-half seasons (in 2004). I was too young but I wasn’t going to knock back the invitation (from the Hong Kong Jockey Club). I was way out of my depth but performed well. I rode three winners on the first day of the season and kept the momentum flowing, but then I broke my wrist and that slowed me down. I was also having problems handling life over there by myself in such a big, harsh, pressurised environment. I was the youngest jockey by at least 10 years and they all had their families over there and were well settled; while I was still learning about life and needed support around me.

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They had me back again the next season and again I rode three winners on the ﬁrst day. And again, I was riding well but not coping well, so I returned home. I came back a better, sharper rider.

‘ When a man like

Lloyd Williams comes knocking, you don’t knock him back. He had a lot of good horses and I hit the ground running.

’

After a month back on the Gold Coast, I decided: ‘I’ve outgrown this place.’ I went to Sydney and rode for Gai Waterhouse for three months and then I got a call from (high-profile businessman and horse owner) Lloyd Williams. He said: ‘I think you should ride in Melbourne because there’s a spot for someone your age who can ride light. I’d support you.’ When a man like Lloyd Williams comes knocking, you don’t knock him back. I joined Lloyd in September 2006. He had a lot of good horses and I hit the ground running. Getting on Efficient was a stroke of luck that has done wonders for my career. He’d had seven starts for six wins and a place – with five different jockeys who’d ridden him really well. But because I was doing the work for Lloyd, and he’s such a loyal person, he promised me the ride. We easily won the (AAMI) Vase (at Moonee Valley), and the next week he was one of the shortestpriced favourites in the history of the (Victoria) Derby and we got the coin, which was a massive relief because of all the pressure going into the race and the fact I’d been uneasy about taking the ride off the other jockeys. That cemented my place in Melbourne. It’s not just me; 80 per cent of jockeys would win on Efficient. He’s not a hard horse to ride. He

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just has to be ridden quiet and given room in the straight. I’ve had luck on him at the right time. But the harder you work, the luckier you get. Lloyd Williams taught me about the business side of racing. He emphasises the importance of communication. When I came to Melbourne, he said: ‘I want you to ring up Danny O’Brien, Mathew Ellerton, Lee Freedman, and so on, and tell them you’re here.’ He also said: ‘Stay in contact with people. The day after a ride, ring the owner or the trainer and ask how the horse pulled up and tell them how excited you were about the run.’ Shane Dye, who’s a good mate of mine and Lloyd’s, is great at it; he’s always on the phone. Lloyd says that if Shane wasn’t a jockey he’d be a great businessman because he has the gift of the gab. You have to network and sell yourself. It didn’t come easily to me; I wasn’t a fan of it initially because I’m naturally shy, so it made me uncomfortable and I lost a lot of rides because of it. It was a barrier I had to break. But Lloyd pushed me to do it and I’m glad he did. I’m improving. Jockeys need to have good relationships with owners and trainers. The owners are the ones paying the bills – without them we’ve got nothing. You need to give them honest feedback, too; you can’t spoon-feed them crap because they’ll see through it and you’ll lose their respect. I left Lloyd in August ’07. He was fantastic to work for, but I wasn’t getting as many outside rides. I just wanted to get out there and experience more because I’m only young (26). He was on holiday in Europe at the time and I was quite anxious about making the phone call, but he was great about it. I was meant to ride Efﬁcient in the 2007 Melbourne Cup. Lloyd had three horses in the Cup, so I told him I wanted to ride one of them. Steven Arnold

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RIDING THE WAVE

became Lloyd’s rider and he had the choice of Efficient or Gallic. Steven went for Gallic, which was fair enough because he was proven over the distance, whereas it was to be Efficient’s first attempt. Lloyd called me and said: ‘You’re back on your old mate, Efficient.’ I was over the moon. Fate had brought us together again.

RIDING HIGH: A relaxed and conﬁ dent Michael Rodd at Flemington track work. Rodd began his apprenticeship without having previously ridden a horse.

‘ I was nervous before

the Derby because Efficient was the hot favourite and I was yet to prove myself. But in the (2007) Cup there were no nerves.

’

I wish I could bottle that feeling I had on Cup day. I was so relaxed and confident; it was strange, but fantastic. I’d ridden well for the whole carnival and there was no pressure on me. When I saw Efficient in the yard, he looked great. All Lloyd told me was: ‘Just get to the outside. I’ll leave the rest up to you.’ He knew he didn’t have to tell me much. I wanted to get Efficient to settle and switch off as soon as possible and find a position behind a fast horse that could take me into the race. That didn’t eventuate: he didn’t settle too well; he was pulling really hard, but I got into a nice position anyway. Going past the mile, I was hurting all over because I’d been wasting hard and had lost a lot of weight on the morning of the race. But I finally got him to the outside and let him go and he won easily in the end. I wish I could bottle that feeling too! There are great highs and terrible lows in racing. Thankfully, I haven’t had a bad fall or lost anyone close to me – touch wood – but two weeks before the Cup I had a major

disappointment when Maldivian had to be scratched from the Caulﬁeld Cup. He was the shortpriced favourite and I was so excited to be on him because you basically just have to sit on the pace and steer him. It was just unfortunate that he cut himself when he jumped in the barrier. That hurt me, too, because it was an opportunity lost. But that’s the nature of the beast. That’s racing.

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I always do my homework before race-day. I religiously watch replays of horses I’m about to ride. It might seem a straightforward ride but the horse might have a tendency to hang in or hang out, or miss the start; just little things I might pick up that can make the difference between winning and losing. Sometimes it’s a complete waste of time, but it’s that one time where you

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notice something that might win you a race. I also look at the other chances, and then my manager, Mick O’Brien (based on the Gold Coast), does speed maps of each race and we chat about it. I arrive at the races prepared. It takes the pressure off. You don’t want to be studying on race-day. The nerves and pressure are directly related to your chances in the race. I was nervous before

If number 5 wins, Matt hits the jackpot Matt might not be a real trainer but he knows how to pick a winner. Ten winners to be exact. His Herald Sun TAB BIG6 SuperStable is set for a massive Spring Carnival and by using his tipping prowess he could be celebrating the glory of a big win and taking home some super prizes. Competition registration opens October 1, 2008. So go on, take a punt at heraldsun.com.au/superstable

RIDING THE WAVE

the Derby because Efﬁcient was the hot favourite and I was yet to prove myself. But in the (2007) Cup there were no nerves because he wasn’t a favourite. You can also get nervy if you’ve ridden poorly in the previous race. But once I get on the horse, I go into my own little world and the nerves just wash away. There isn’t time for nerves anyway. When the barriers open, you go to work – just as you would if you were at Ballarat, Bendigo or wherever. It’s business as usual. The more you think, the worse you are. When you’re riding well, you ride on instinct. It’s second nature because it’s been trained into you. It’s the same with any professional athlete. Success breeds success. When you’re winning, you’re offered great rides that give you a chance to keep winning. You have to treat your bad races as an external thing. Just put it behind you because you can’t go into the next race with negative emotions. There is so much more scrutiny on jockeys these days because people have access to more footage and camera angles, so the mistakes are highlighted more. But you just have to accept that you can’t keep everyone happy. You might slaughter an owner’s horse, or one that somebody punted on, and they never forget it. You’d go mad if you took all the criticism personally. You can’t let it eat you. You have to think it through logically. The heat of the moment after the race probably isn’t the time. I just go into the jockeys’ room and watch the replay, take it on board and move on. There’s nothing better than winning on a horse you’ve been closely associated with. When you’ve ridden it every morning in track work and every step of the way, and you see the staff, the owners and the trainer all the time, and you’re all working towards this one

GLORY TIME: Michael Rodd kisses his miniature Melbourne Cup after winning the famous race in 2007 on Efﬁcient.

goal – a Group 1 race – and it comes off, it’s massive. It’s not just what has happened that day; it’s the culmination of everything that has led up to it. Winning on Efﬁcient was like that, although I wasn’t on him from the start. When you win on a horse you’ve hardly ridden, it’s still great, but not as great because your journey with the horse hasn’t been as long. I always think about the journey and all the people who have been involved with the horse. There’s a lot of emotion attached to that.

‘ When you’re riding well, you ride on instinct.

’

I got crook – real crook. After the Cup, I had a holiday in Thailand and the Maldives and put on some weight, and when I came back I started riding again and wasting pretty hard. I made a real blue because I ran down my immune system, but instead

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of slowing down I kept pushing. On my (26th) birthday – January 19 – I had eight rides lined up at Flemington. I rode two races and I was horrible. It was like I was seeing through someone else’s eyes. I pulled the pin and went to the doc. They thought I had the ’ﬂu, but 10 days later I was diagnosed with post-viral fatigue, which is a half-brother to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and requires total rest. I lazed about and slept a lot. It took me about six weeks to come good, and another month later I started riding again. It was disappointing not to capitalise on the Cup success. I would’ve had some great rides in the autumn, but I just had to watch them go around. But I didn’t let it get to me, probably because I wasn’t born into the industry; I just copped it and moved on. I’m 26 now, and hopefully I’ve got 15 good years of riding left in me, so I’ve got plenty of time to make up for it.

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The illness was a blessing in disguise in some ways. I’ve received a lot of help from Exercise Research Australia at Monash University. They did heaps of tests, designed an exercise regime for me and opened my eyes to the science side of looking after my body. It’s knowledge I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t got sick, and that knowledge will make me a better rider in the longer term. I had to take riding slowly with baby steps, which I’m not used to; normally I’m bull-at-a-gate. I did a lot of gym work, boxacise, cycling, running. My ﬁrst ride back was at Ballarat in May and I’ve slowly built on it. I feel great, but the virus stays in your body, so I just have to be alert for the tell-tale signs and ease off if I feel it coming on. I’m a lot more professional now. In the past I did things a bit halfarsed, but now I’m more thorough with my diet, recovery and so on. I want to stay in the racing game as long as I can.

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LOVING THE CUP

‘ I won’t rest until I’ve won the Melbourne Cup’

Luca Cumani’s

Quest The Europeans are coming. Again. Loaded with experience, and with the right staying stock in hand, many of Europe’s leading trainers have the Melbourne Cup at the top of their list of ‘must win’ races. WORDS EMMA BERRY

ermot Weld pulled it off twice and both Godolphin and Luca Cumani have come within a length of stealing Australian racing’s greatest prize. The simple fact is that the Europeans, with their rich history of staying contests, are in thrall to the Melbourne Cup quest and, on present evidence, will be lured back

year after year. “I won’t rest until I’ve won it,” says Cumani, whose Purple Moon (Ch g 2003, GalileoVanishing Prairie, by Alysheba) was run down in the dying strides by Efﬁcient at Flemington last year. This was the trainer’s second attempt, following Glistening’s (B g 2002, Sadler’s Wells-Shining Water, by Kalaglow) 10th place the previous season for owner Paul Makin.

MAN ON A MISSION: Luca Cumani sits on top of his stable pony at Newmarket in England. The affable Italian claims the Melbourne Cup is the “biggest event in the racing world”.

LOVING THE CUP

AT WORK: Horses stride along the famous gallops at Newmarket in England. No horse trained in England has won the Cup but the English continue to try their luck.

“It’s always nice to partake in big occasions and the Melbourne Cup is the biggest event in the racing world,” says the trainer, who knows a thing or two about targeting major international races. Alongside numerous European Classics wins, his globetrotting CV includes the Japan Cup (Alkaased, 2005), Hong Kong Cup (Falbrav, 2003), Singapore Cup (Endless Hall, 2001), Breeders’ Cup Mile (Barathea, 1994) and Arlington Million (Tolomeo, 1983). Cumani is contemplating the next raiding party from his Bedford House Stables, in the heart of Newmarket. The magic combination of speed and stamina are top of his list of requirements in potential candidates. “Perhaps I’m not the best judge as I haven’t won it,” he jokes. “But I feel that what you need is a mile-and-a-half horse who can stay two miles. With a big ﬁeld there can be trouble in running so the horse must be adaptable and able to change pace without being

‘ I love racing and for me the romance and mystique of the Melbourne Cup is what it’s all about. I jumped at the chance to go. David Elsworth

’

put off. The ability to quicken is also vital as the straight is not very long. “I’d still dearly love to win it and I’ll keep trying to do so.” Few international visitors could have had a more dramatic introduction to Australia than Brian Ellison. His seven-yearold Carte Diamond (Ch h 2001, Theatrical-Liteup My Life, by Green Dancer) has only recently reappeared on British racecourses following his terrifying accident at Flemington’s Breakfast With The Stars ahead of the 2005 Cup. He has since run third in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes (2697m at Chester in May).

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“If I could do it again, I would,” says Ellison, undeterred, despite his Perth Cup runner-up Bay Story (B h 2002, Kris S-Sweeping Story, by End Sweep) being destroyed on Cup Day last year, in the final stages of the Lavazza Long Black (2800m), having not made the cut for the big race. “I know what I’m looking for. Carte Diamond and Purple Moon were ideal because they’re both 2800m horses with a bit of toe,” he adds. “Being involved in the day doesn’t compare to anything else – it was well worth going just for the experience.” Experience certainly counts when shipping horses 19,000 kilometres and one organisation that has plenty in that department is Godolphin. Sheikh Mohammed’s attack on the Cup has been determined, with both Central Park (B h 1995, In The Wings-Park Special, by Relkino) and Give The Slip (B h 1997, Slip Anchor-Falafil, by Fabulous Dancer) finishing in the runner-up berth. Central Park

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finished second to Rogan Josh in 1999, while Give The Slip was run down by Ethereal in 2001. While his recent acquisition of Woodlands Stud may provide more home-grown options, his Godolphin team, which is based in Dubai from November to April and in Newmarket throughout the English summer, still has the race very much on its agenda. “With Godolphin, one of the key factors is to be as international as possible,” says racing manager Simon Crisford. “The Melbourne Cup is something we always want to be a part of and several of our horses have knocked on the door. “The difficulty is the time of year. Although it’s at the end of our season, the horses have to complete four weeks of quarantine when they’re not competing. It’s not great to go in without a prep run but if you get there in time for the Caulfield Cup they obviously have to start their quarantine earlier here. “Local knowledge is invaluable. We’re fortunate to have (Australian jockey) Kerrin McEvoy as one of our stable jockeys and we’re looking forward to going back with the right horse – I hope it’s this year.” Crisford’s sentiments are echoed by Aidan O’Brien, whose talents are legendary in Europe. He recorded 23 Group 1 wins in 2001 and is en route to another impressive tally this year. “You can’t buy experience,” says the Irishman, who has been represented by Yeats (B h 2001, Sadler’s Wells-Lyndonville, by Top Ville) and Mahler (B h 2004, Galileo-Rainbow Goddess, by Rainbow Quest) in the last two renewals. “With everything, experience is important and having been there twice now, I’m starting to know a little bit more about what to expect.” Like Cumani, O’Brien booked an Australian rider last year, Stephen Baster riding the lightlyweighted Mahler. This year

Johnny Murtagh has replaced the banned Kieren Fallon as Ballydoyle’s retained jockey and it seems likely he will be aboard the stable’s ﬁrst string. Just which horse that turns out to be remains a mystery. Despite positive noises after Yeats’ third Ascot Gold Cup (4000m) victory in June, a return trip to Australia for the seven-year-old entire will miss in 2008, but O’Brien has a potential ace up his sleeve in Septimus (B h 2003, Sadler’s Wells-Caladira, by Darshaan). “Septimus is looking like a very good stayer. We may take him and one other,” is all the trainer is prepared to commit to for the time being but one thing is for certain: the phenomenal success rate of Coolmore’s two wonderful young stallions Galileo (B h 1998, Sadler’s Wells-Urban Sea, by Miswaki) and Montjeu (B h 1996, Sadler’s Wells-Floripedes, by Top Ville) provide O’Brien, as the operation’s private trainer, with a mouth-watering array of talented staying-bred performers. It is surely a question of when, rather than if, he will add the Cup to his résumé. Yeats’ consistency has elevated him to the position of the most popular stayer in Europe, a title he inherited from the late Persian Punch (Ch g 1993, Persian Heights-Rum Cay, by

Our Native). Such was his place in racegoers’ hearts that his 20 victories engendered the kind of mass hysteria hitherto reserved for football crowds. “He just didn’t know how to run a bad race,” recalls his famously emotional trainer David Elsworth as he reminisces over Persian Punch’s two thirdplaced efforts at Flemington (1998, behind Jezabeel, and 2001, Ethereal). “I love racing and for me the romance and mystique of the Melbourne Cup is what it’s all about. I jumped at the chance to go.

‘ With everything, experience is important and having been there twice now, I’m starting to know a little bit more about what to expect. Aidan O’Brien

’

DESTINY: Jane ChappleHyam’s father Andrew Peacock part-owned Melbourne Cup runner-up Leilani in 1974. The Englandbased trainer believes destiny calls as she prepares Yellowstone for this year’s race at Flemington.

“I’d seen the film about Phar Lap but when I first started out, Australia seemed beyond our reach. Nobody travelled horses like that in those days. The excitement of going to the other side of the world to take part in such a special race was just a great big fantastic adventure.” With such effusive praise, his response when asked if he’d return, even after losing Wunderwood (B h 1999, FaltaatJasoorah, by Sadler’s Wells) in the build-up to the 2006 Cup, is hardly surprising. He says simply: “Like a shot.” For British-based Australian trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam, having a runner in the Melbourne Cup is practically a birthright. Her father Andrew Peacock had to settle for the runner-up slot in 1974 with Leilani (Br m 1970, OncidiumLei, by Summertime) but her mother, Lady Susan Renouf, went one better (when married to Robert Sangster), courtesy of Beldale Ball (B h 1976, NashuaSan Cat, by Barbizon), whose win in 1980 sparked an outburst of table-top dancing from the socialite. Chapple-Hyam is of a more reserved nature than her mother, but she is nevertheless determined to continue a successful family tradition. She returned to her home city with her former husband Peter to run Court Of Honour in 1996 and this year she is preparing to field Yellowstone (B h 2004, Rock Of Gibraltar-Love And Affection, by Exclusive Era) with her name on the trainer’s licence. She says: “Every Australian wants to win the Melbourne Cup – whether you’re in Alice Springs or Gundagai, everyone is watching. Yellowstone’s British campaign now revolves around Melbourne.” With this in mind, the fouryear-old Rock Of Gibraltar colt will be missing the prestigious Ebor Handicap (2800m) in August, a race won by Chapple-

Hyam in 2006, in her first season as a trainer, with 100-1 shot Mudawin (B g 2001, IntikhabFida, by Persian Heights). “I’d love to go back to York but I don’t want to blow it and win another race with him before the weights come out. I’d love another Ebor but I’d rather have a Melbourne Cup. Every year I’ll be trying to fi nd a horse I can send down.” Luca Cumani won last year’s Ebor with Purple Moon and this year his stable contains three similar potentially progressive young stayers. Such a description also applies to Profound Beauty (Bm 2004, Danehill-Diamond Trim, by Highest Honor), trained by the man who boasts a phenomenal Melbourne Cup record for an overseas raider with two wins and three places: Dermot Weld. He says: “The Melbourne Cup is the most wonderful day’s racing – even better if you win – and I’ve been fortunate to do that twice. I’d like to challenge again but only with the right horse.” Should Profound Beauty succeed in bringing up the treble for Weld, she would provide a notable first for Danehill, whose fi nal crop she represents and who is yet to count the Melbourne Cup among his horde of top-class wins. “This is a very nice filly,” Weld continues. “But a lot will depend on the weight she’s given. She’s only a four-year-old and I see her perhaps more as a horse for next year.” * Emma Berry writes for Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder, Horse & Hound and Racing Post in the UK. Her ambition is to breed a Melbourne Cup winner from her sole broodmare, who hails from the family of NZ champion La Mer (Ch m 1973, Copenhagen-La Balsa, by Worden). She is married to trainer John Berry and lives in Newmarket.

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THE CONTENDERS

O’BRIEN’S HOPE: Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has banked his 2008 Emirates Melbourne Cup hopes on the classy stayer Septimus.

The Push From Europe If one were to take bets on which overseas trainer would be most likely to win this year’s Melbourne Cup, the hot favourite would undoubtedly be Aidan O’Brien. WORDS EMMA BERRY O’Brien has made no secret of how keen he is to train the Cup winner but the only one of his compatriots already to have done so is Dermot Weld, who looks to have a live contender for this year’s race. Another European trainer with Flemington form on the board already is Luca Cumani and he, too, is clearly serious in his intention to try to take the Cup back to England. Here are some of the more likely contenders: Yellowstone (IRE) B h 2004, Rock Of Gibraltar-Love And Affection (by Exclusive Era) Trainer: Jane Chapple-Hyam Owner: Mrs Fitri Hay Winner of the Group 3

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Gordon Stakes (2400m) at three and subsequently second to Lucarno in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur when trained by Aidan O’Brien. Yellowstone was sold last October for 520,000 guineas ($1.7 million) to Dr Jim Hay, who employs Jane ChappleHyam as his private trainer, and won a Listed contest over 2800m in July. Mad Rush (USA) B h 2004, Lemon Drop Kid-Revonda (by Sadler’s Wells) Trainer: Luca Cumani Owner: The Honourable Earle I Mack Progressive four-year-old who has been running creditably in 2400-metre handicaps this

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season. He was four lengths clear of Young Mick when winning the Old Newton Cup at Haydock in July after being narrowly beaten by Sugar Ray at Royal Ascot. Bauer (IRE) Gr h 2003 Halling- Dali’s Grey (by Linamix) Trainer: Luca Cumani Owner: Aston House Stud and OTI Racing Now ﬁve, Bauer is bred to stay and has won ﬁve times at distances ranging from 2000m to 2800m. Lightly raced this season, his determined run behind Sanbuch at Goodwood set him up nicely for the Ebor Handicap, which Cumani won last year with Purple Moon.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE VICTORIA RACING CLUB.

n the ﬁnal day of Glorious Goodwood (August 2), Halfway To Heaven provided the Irishman with his 17th Group 1 win of the season and he has under his care the strongest team of stayers assembled in one stable. Several of his entries have form claims that would entitle them to start close to favourite were they to make the trip. However, in practice, most of his nominations won’t come so the puzzle for punters will be to work out what he is likely to run, a decision he will probably leave until the day before departure, because even putting a horse into quarantine does not commit him to travelling.

Spring RACING Carnival 1st OCTOBER ~ 19th NOVEMBER 2008

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

than you THINK www.springracingcarnival.com.au

THE CONTENDERS

Septimus (IRE) B h 2003, Sadler’s Wells-Caladira (by Darshaan) Trainer: Aidan O’Brien Owner: Derrick Smith With such strength in depth among the Ballydoyle middledistance ranks, it is hard to predict which of O’Brien’s 13 entries will make the trip. Septimus, winner of seven of his 11 races, six at Group level, is an obvious candidate. Seen only once in Ireland this year, he is likely to be his stable’s main representative in Melbourne. Profound Beauty (IRE) B m 2004, Danehill-Diamond Trim (by Highest Honor) Trainer: Dermot Weld Owner: Moyglare Stud A Classic contender last year when fifth in the Irish Oaks, Profound Beauty is one of only a handful of international mares entered. Her trainer boasts impeccable Cup credentials and she is clearly progressive, having finished in the money on all five starts this term, including Listed success over 2800m in July. Folk Opera (IRE) Ch m 2004, Singspiel-Skiphall (by Halling) Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor Owner: Godolphin Genuine performances in decent company this year make this four-year-old mare worthy of consideration, particularly her front-running effort over 2800m in a Group 3 race at Goodwood, when victory was snatched from her on the line. Her sire has had top-flight winners from Rewaaya (1400m) to Papineau (4000m) but her stout damline suggests she will relish the extra distance. Mourilyan (IRE) 4 b c Desert Prince-Mouramara (by Kahyasi) Trainer: Gary Moore Owner: Ramzan Kadyrov After a string of promising efforts in Dubai early in 2008, when he won twice and was runner-up in a Group 3 race, all

46 THE THOROUGHBRED

over 2400m, Mourilyan was sold to current owner Ramzan Kadyrov and switched from trainer John Oxx to South African Herman Brown. Mourilyan has since been relocated to the UK, to the stable of dual-purpose handler Gary Moore. Orion Star (FR) Gr g 2002, Sternkoenig – Okacha (by Platini)

‘ Now five, Bauer

is bred to stay and has won five times at distances ranging from 2000m to 2800m.

’

(3100m) at Longchamp in September 2007. The mare also boasts a second at her next outing in the Group 1 Prix de Cadran (4000m) at Longchamp on October 7, in which Yeats ﬁnished third, three lengths back.

Trainer: Henri-Alex Pantall Owner: H Rapp French gelding who has won three of his 12 starts. His only Stakes win was in the Listed Prix de Suresnes, for 3YO C&G, over 2100m at Saint Cloud back in Bulwark (IRE) B g 2002, April 2005. Orion Star’s last win Montjeu – Bulaxie (by Bustino) was in a three-horse race over 2400m at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in Trainer: Ian Williams January 2008. His last run was Owner: Dr Marwan Koukash 7th in the Group 2 Prix Maurice at Boasts six wins from 36 Longchamp in July, when he raced starts, his latest (at writing) was on the pace and weakened. a 7th of eight behind Yeats in the 2008 Group 1 Goodwood All The Good (IRE) Ch h 2003, Diesis – Zarara (by Cup (3200m) on July 31, when unfancied at 33/1. His most Manila) important career win was the Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor Chester Cup (3800m) at Chester Owner: Godolphin on May 7, 2008. This horse lacks A closed-season recruit for the speed to be competitive at Godolphin, having formerly been Flemington. trained by Gerard Butler for whom Alessandro Volta (GB) he won five times. His third start B c 2005, Montjeu –Ventura for his new owners yielded a Highway (by Machiavellian) surprising 3 3/4 length victory in Trainer: Aidan O’Brien the 2600m Newburgh Handicap, Owner: M Tabor, D Smith & a race staged to compensate for the loss of the Ebor owing Mrs J Magnier to torrential rain. His victims Comes to Australia as a 3YO to included Yellowstone, Young Mick northern hemisphere time, just and Bauer. as his stablemate Mahler did last Varevees (GB) year before fi nishing a great third B m 2003, Kahyasi – Danse to Efficient. His fourth in the Bretonne (by Exit To Nowhere) Group 1 Irish Derby (2400m) at the Curragh, behind stablemate Trainer: Richard Gibson Frozen Fire, shows he has talent. Owner: R Jamieson He tracked the lead before French-trained mare who has kicking for home at the 800m, an interesting background as she but veered out badly under is owned by Melbourne breeder pressure. He was third home but Rick Jamieson, from Gilgai Farm, demoted to fourth. Nagambie. Jamieson bought the mare in January 2008 “with the Bashkirov (GB) Ch c 2005, intention of running her in the Galileo – Tina Heights (by Melbourne Cup”. Varevees won Shirley Heights) the Group 3 Prix Gladiateur Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Owner: M Tabor, D Smith & Mrs J Magnier Another Aidan O’Brien-trained 3YO (to northern hemisphere time). O’Brien nearly pulled it off last year when the 3YO Mahler finished third to Efficient. Bashkirov was used as the pacemaker in the Group 1 Epsom Derby when tailed off, and then won his maiden at Down Royal over 2000m on June 21. Then unplaced in both the Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh and the Group 1 Prix de Paris at Longchamp. He will struggle to get a start in the Cup. Honolulu B h 2004, Montjeu – Cerulean Sky (by Darshaan) Trainer: Aidan O’Brien Owner: Derrick Smith Bred to stay the Cup trip. Three wins from 10 starts. Beat two-time Cup visitor Distinction in the Queen Alexandra Stakes (4300m) at Ascot on June 21 in a race that was considered a Group 2 quality event. The best guide on this horse is his second to Purple Moon (2nd in the 2007 Melbourne Cup) in the Ebor (2800m) at York last year, and followed by his third to Lucarno in the 2007 English St Leger (2800m), in which Mahler (3rd in the 2007 Melbourne Cup) finished second. Washington Irving (IRE) B c 2005, Montjeu – Shouk (by Shirley Heights) Trainer: Aidan O’Brien Owner: M Tabor, D Smith & Mrs J Magnier The third of O’Brien’s 3YOs as a fi rst acceptor for the Cup. The northern hemisphere 3YO Mahler, from the O’Brien stable, fi nished third to Efficient in last year’s Melbourne Cup. This colt is bred to stay, but he is a maiden from six starts, although he did fi nish fi fth behind New Approach in the Group 1 Epsom Derby (2400m). He followed with a last to Frozen Fire in the Group 1 Irish Derby (2400m) at the Curragh.

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28/8/08 11:03:17 AM

THE SURGEON

under the kni e The surgeon is the last call to save the racing careers of many horses, whether an ailment is common or the result of an accident. Dr Alastair Maclean, a prominent Melbourne-based surgeon, is a busy man. WORDS PETER RYAN PHOTOGRAPHS SEAN GARNSWORTHY

QUICK AND PRECISE: Dr Alastair Maclean has spent his working life performing surgery on horses.

he huge limp frame of a two-year-old colt lies on the operating table at the Caulﬁeld Equine Hospital in Kambrook Avenue, next to Caulﬁeld Racecourse. The horse – a roarer – weighs more than 500 kilograms yet in repose its legs look like they would struggle to hold up a card table. Its belly moves regularly as it breathes deeply under anaesthetic.

It’s easy to look at the massive animal on the huge table without thinking too much of why he’s there, but operating on a roarer is a complex procedure, although it has not changed much since 1969 when the current process became the accepted norm for treating paralysis of the left side of the larynx. The team required to perform the operation is Maclean, veterinarian Amy Kelly, anaesthetic technician

THE SURGEON

Renee Linke and veterinary nurses Linda Grey and Kaz Morphett. The horse is scoped to confirm the diagnosis. Dr Maclean examines the function of the larynx on the video screen with a flexible scope passed up the horse’s nostril. The left side is paralysed, as is the case in 98 per cent of roarers. It’s because, surgeons suspect, the nerve on the left follows a long anatomical passage, which makes its proper functioning vulnerable. A roarer makes a whistling noise while galloping. When the warning sign becomes a progressive throaty rasp the horse will have difficulty running out a race and an operation is likely to be the only hope for the patient. This roarer’s neck is shaved, scrubbed with Clorhex and alcohol to clean the site, before an anaesthetic technician inserts an indwelling intravenous via a catheter taped to the horse’s neck. The horse walks to the tilt table where the anaesthetic is administered. Dr Maclean favours the tilt table over the pulley system. The horse stands beside the padded table and is strapped to it with massive belts. As he falls under the anaesthetic the belts are tightened pulling his frame in close to the table. The table is tilted so the horse is lying on its side ready to be operated on. It is then self-driven like a supermarket pellet under the lights of the operating theatre. There is no trauma for the horse. A tube has been inserted into the horse’s windpipe to administer the anaesthetic agent during the procedure. Linke places her fi ngers on the horse’s pulse and checks the gums to ensure they maintain a pink hue. The trick is to keep the horse under without making their anaesthetised state too deep. Finding the right balance is

important for recovery as is the time the procedure takes. Horses always have a blink reflex so the deeper they are anaesthetised the less active the blink becomes. Linke is vigilant. Dr Maclean works quickly on the roarer to secure an elastic band that will take over the function of the paralysed muscle. This will keep the left side of the larynx permanently open. He does so nowadays without having to think too much. Based on some rough maths, Dr Maclean guesses he has performed about 1500 such operations in his veterinary career. The elastic band is tightened and supported by a further non-elastic suture before the wound is stitched up. The horse is then rolled on to its back. The table’s edges fold up and push the horse slowly into position. Its legs hover. Although the horse may wake a little tender there will be no major effect. The laryngotomy incision allows access to perform the ventriculectomy, where the saccule of the left side of the larynx is obliterated. This ventral wound is left open for drainage of mucus postoperatively. The wound will close in 12-14 days after being cleaned and treated daily. The operation is all over in roughly 45 minutes. The table is wheeled into a recovery room with padded walls next to the operating theatre for the horse to wake up. There is a slim chance a horse may hurt itself when it wakes but it is unusual. “It takes a few years off your life when that happens,” says Dr Maclean. After surgery the horse is confi ned to its box for four weeks before being sent out to the paddock for two months. If all goes according to plan it is possible for the horse to be back in work after three months, the problem fi xed. Now,

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WORKING WITH PRECISION: Dr Maclean combines experience with the art of surgery to produce the best outcome.

all that remains to be seen is whether it can run – again – or not. History shows that the chances of success are high. Dr Maclean, who performs around 60 operations a year to remedy the ailment, can list many roarers he has treated who have successfully returned to the track. Publishing (Br h 2003, Testa Rossa – Sally Magic, by Perugino) has won more

‘ I used to spend

all my spare time after school and on weekends helping in the stables.

’

than $350,000 in prizemoney, winning six of its 16 starts, yet it has twice undergone tie-back surgery. The promising David Hayestrained Red Element (Bay h,

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2004, Red Ransom-Tracy’s Element) had roarer surgery before racing. He has won four of his ﬁrst ﬁve starts. The 2003-04 Standardbred Horse of the Year, Sokyola, became a champion after having surgical treatment for paralysis of the larynx.

*** Respiratory conditions and orthopaedic problems (knee chips, fetlock chips, tendon or ligament injuries) are the leading reasons why horses require surgery. Colic, or abdominal crisis, as Maclean describes the syndrome, is in the money in third position. The list does not stop there. Dr Maclean pioneered surgery on wobblers in Australia but such surgery is requested less often these days, the rule banning wobblers from racing in NSW and the likelihood of an insurance payout deterring most owners from trying to

remedy the problem. A wobbler is a horse with a neurological abnormality characterised by an unstable gait in its front and hind legs. Dr Maclean has had success fusing the neck vertebrae together. He has a surgical procedure to remedy wind-sucking. Windsucking is regarded as a vice. Horses develop a habit of biting on wood and then swallowing air. Their habit, like smoking in humans, can be adopted by impressionable horses around them. Dr Maclean says his procedure will cure eight out of 10 windsuckers. Bleeding is not easily curable. Little progress has been made in determining whether bleeding indicates a significant pathological problem or is something extreme physiological exercise induces. Research conducted by the University of Melbourne showed that 85 per cent of winners had blood on their lungs. “How do you interpret that?” asks Dr Maclean. His answer is no answer: “Well, it’s very difficult to interpret.” Born in Scotland in 1946, Dr Maclean’s family moved to Winton, a rural town near the southern tip of New Zealand with strong thoroughbred and standardbred connections, when he was just 18 months old. “I was fortunate enough that one of our neighbours was a standardbred trainer Alex Townley. I used to spend all my spare time after school and on weekends helping in the stables,” says Dr Maclean. His love for animals led to a degree in veterinary science from Massey University in Palmerston in 1973 before he arrived at Werribee Veterinary Clinic and Hospital for a one-year internship in 1974, learning under Dr Vic Speirs and Dr Tony Mason. Dr Maclean credits Prof Doug Blood, Prof Ken Jubb and Prof Leo Jeffcoat (all University of Melbourne) as being great influences on

his career. He worked at the University of Melbourne until 1978 before branching out into private practice in Bendigo and Perth until 1982. He returned to the University of Melbourne and remained there until retirement in 2006. The respected surgeon now operates a private consultancy business. Dr Maclean is one of about 30-40 people in Australia who are registered specialists in equine surgery and operate on horses. His clean hands and instinct have revived many a racing career. When accidents happen emotion can’t come into the decision on whether to operate or not. The case of Barbaro, the champion American colt that broke down in front of the grandstand during the 2006 Preakness Stakes with shocking injuries reminded everyone involved in the business of that fact. Although Barbaro had a fractured pastern, bilateral fractured sesamoids, and a fractured canon bone, the decision was made to operate on the Kentucky Derby winner. The struggle to save the horse captured the public’s imagination but it didn’t end well. The horse was put down in

ROARER SURGERY: The intricate operation takes about 45 minutes and the horse can return to work after three months.

January 2007, eight months after the race. Dr Maclean guesses the horse was put through enormous pain in the forlorn hope of achieving a miracle, to save the horse for what would have been a proﬁtable career at stud. He refuses to condemn the vets involved, merely stating he has learned from bitter experience it’s much better to be realistic immediately: “I must admit I’m not as heroic nowadays as I

‘ It is much less

traumatic, there is a much quicker recovery and a minimal risk of complication with the technique.

’

used to be. I’ve learned there are limitations on what we can do and what we should put horses through. As I’ve got older I’ve got more conservative and more realistic, I suppose.” Dr Maclean nominates arthroscopic surgery (the use of video technology to examine an injured joint) as the biggest change to surgical procedures he’s seen in 35 years. “It is much less traumatic, there is a much quicker recovery and a minimal risk of complication with the technique,” he says. Anaesthetic techniques have improved too. Dr Maclean remembers that when he was a child he saw horses being gelded under chloroform anaesthesia then knocking themselves around for hours while trying to regain their feet. “Nowadays anaesthetics are much more reliable and smooth,” he says. If it works and it’s better for the horse it passes Dr Maclean’s muster. The scope, used to examine internal organs, was once a rigid instrument. Now

vets use an instrument used in medicine and surgery on humans called a colonoscope. These instruments are worth $70,000 when new but canny vets pick them up second-hand from hospitals and in perfect working order for $5000. Changes to casting materials to immobilise a horse’s lower leg are important too, moving from plaster of paris to ultraviolet cured material, a much stronger, lighter and more reliable solution. Dr Maclean is not one to get caught up in the hype. Even though the introduction of stem cell procedures (the use of the horse’s own cells to repair damaged tendons) to help horses overcome tendon and ligament injuries is seen as a miracle cure by some, but Dr Maclean speaks about the innovation with a sober tongue. “In my 35 years I’ve seen numerous things come on the market which were going to solve tendons and nothing has solved tendons,” he says. He uses the stem-cell process and gets some good results but his comments reflect his need as a surgeon to remain professional and detached. The challenge of fi nding the right solution to a specific problem remains eternal. That’s the surgeon’s art. When you hear Dr Maclean explain the rationale behind the decision to operate on a horse suffering colic you get some sense of the dilemmas he regularly faces. “You don’t do colic surgery unless it’s defi nitely necessary. Often these decisions are difficult to make. They are based on your clinical experience and your clinical examination parameters as to whether it needs surgery or not,” he says. “Surgery is the last thing you have to do but if you’ve got to do it the sooner the better so there is a bit of an art in examining the horse and determining when and if it needs surgery.”

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STRONG BOND

South Africans Come to Town David Payne and Jeff Lloyd were established names in South African racing before they took the big plunge and shifted to Australia. Payne came ﬁrst, followed by Lloyd last year, joining the growing band of South Africans to make the move. Payne and Lloyd have renewed their strong bond in Sydney and are looking forward to taking on the cream of Australia’s racing talent at this year’s Melbourne spring carnival. WORDS RAY THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHS MARTIN KING, SPORTSPIX

O IN TANDEM: Two of South Africa’s best racing exports, jockey Jeff Lloyd (left) and trainer David Payne are enjoying their time, and their partnership, in Sydney.

52 THE THOROUGHBRED

ut of work and out of luck in 2002, David Payne found himself walking the streets of Sydney for almost six months wondering what he had done. A South African racing legend, Payne had left behind a hugely successful training career in his native homeland and moved his family to Australia for a fresh start. “It was a very stressful time,” revealed Payne when interviewed by The Thoroughbred. “I couldn’t get stables at Randwick, I had no horses, no owners, and no one knew my name. “All we could do was walk the streets and take in the sights of Sydney for a few months – for a while there I thought I had made the wrong decision.” Payne was a former two-time champion South African jockey who retired from riding in his mid-20s and took out a trainer’s licence in the province of Natal. He was an immediate success and remained one of that country’s leading trainers for three

decades. He was twice crowned champion South African trainer and led in 98 Group 1 winners. He prepared his stable of 140 gallopers out of a private, picturesque training property at Summerveldt and won the Natal trainers premiership on 23 occasions. Yet he gambled his career by moving to Sydney. The simple question is “Why?” “There was a national election coming up in South Africa and I wasn’t happy with the direction the country was taking,” Payne admitted. “I wanted a safe environment for my family and I wasn’t sure if I could provide that in South Africa anymore. It was gut-wrenching but the time was right to make the move.” In racing parlance, Payne might have been slow out of the barriers when he ﬁrst came to Sydney but he has quickly got into stride and is right up on the pace. He has repeatedly demonstrated his training skills and produced a string of

STRONG BOND

top-class performers in recent seasons including Unearthly (B m 2000, Zabeel-Snippet’s Crown, by Snippets), Nevis (B m 2001, Danehill-Tartan Tights, by Tights), Dante’s Paradiso (B g 2000, Danske-Genesis, by Star Way), Flying Pegasus (B h 2002, Fusaichi Pegasus-Cashier, by Danehill), Hurried Choice (B f 2004, Choisir-Hustle Bustle, by Catrail), Vecchia Roma (Br f 2004, Testa Rossa-Mirror Image, by Rustic Amber), Gallant Tess (B m 2003, Galileo-Dragoncello, by Diesis) and Stripper (B f 2005, Danehill Dancer-Miss Charmer, by Zabeel). “I had to take some bad horses just to get going in Sydney but I’ve got absolutely no regrets about leaving South Africa,” said Payne, who has just switched his training base from Randwick to Rosehill. “My wife, Merle, loves the lifestyle, and my children have both got good jobs. Gary (34) works for General Pants and Tracy (31) is a lawyer at Macquarie Bank. “We are very happy living in Sydney and the racing here is great. I just wish I made the move 30 years ago.” Payne’s trail-blazing Sydney success has also led to something of a South African revolution in Australian racing. Champion South African jockeys Jeff Lloyd and his brotherin-law Glyn Schoﬁeld decided to try their luck in Sydney, making the move late last year. They have quickly established themselves among Sydney’s leading jockeys. Another South African rider, Sean Cormack, has recently moved to Brisbane while leading trainer Charles Laird has set up stables at Flemington for the new season. Lloyd, 46, has made an extraordinary impact since arriving in Sydney. He rode a winner at his ﬁrst metropolitan meeting at Rosehill on Vecchia Roma (Br f 2004, Testa RossaMirror Image by Rustic Amber) last December, produced one of the rides of the season to win the Group 1 AJC Australian Derby

54 THE THOROUGHBRED

FRESH START: Jeff Lloyd and David Payne are part of the South African push into Australian racing.

(2400m at Randwick) on Nom Du Jeu (B g 2004, MontjeuPrized Gem, by Prized), and has rocketed up the premiership standings to ﬁ nish third in his debut season. Similar to Payne, Lloyd decided to move to Sydney because of the political unrest and escalating violence that is everyday life in South Africa. “I have a family of three young kids and we had to make a decision about our future,” Lloyd said. Lloyd and his wife, Nicola, took their children, Tayah (10), Jaden (6) and Zac (4) on a holiday to Australia and New Zealand last year with a view to migrating. “We visited Sydney ﬁrst and fell in love with the city. The people are so friendly and it’s very peaceful – it’s like Durban used to be 15-20 years ago,” Lloyd said. “We decided as a family this was where we wanted to live.”

Lloyd used the opportunity to team up again with Payne – renewing a successful jockeytrainer partnership that once dominated South African racing. “I rode for David for seven years as stable jockey in South Africa,” Lloyd revealed. “We had a lot of success together then and I was thankful I had the opportunity to ride for him again in Sydney. “It’s very tough and competitive riding in Sydney. There are a lot of good jockeys here. The big yards like Peter

‘ In South Africa you can plan a race and it will go the way you planned eight times out of 10 but that doesn’t happen here.

’

Snowden, Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse are dominant and they have their stable jockeys so it can be difficult to maintain a good winning strike rate but I do enjoy the challenge. “David’s support has been very important and helped me to get started. I can only imagine how tough it must have been for David when he first came to Sydney with no horses and no owners.” Lloyd, who has ridden with success in 11 countries including Hong Kong, has become a favourite with Sydney punters because of his distinctive European-style of riding and his uncanny ability to win tight finishes – without extensive use of the whip. Although he sits much higher in the saddle than most Australian jockeys, he is able to get the best out of his mounts through a combination of superb balance and strong hands-and-heels riding. “There is a lot more emphasis on the whip in Australian racing,” Lloyd said. “Back home you can only hit a horse three times in a row and no more than 13 times in the straight. The rules are similar in most overseas countries.” Lloyd said he did not feel any pressure or the need to adopt an Australian style of riding to “fit in” more quickly to Sydney racing. “The Australian riding style is unique and it is not copied by any other countries,” he added. “I don’t want to go changing my style now, not at my age.” Lloyd said the greatest difference he has found between South African and Australian racing is the racetracks. “The tracks here are very tight and tend to favour front runners a lot,” he said. “There are a hell of a lot of unlucky horses at almost every race meeting and I do find that very frustrating. “I might not have changed my style of riding but I have had to adapt to ride the Australian tracks. “In South Africa you can plan a race and it will go the way you planned eight times out of 10 but that doesn’t happen here.

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THE STYLE: The unique, aggressive hands and heels riding style of Jeff Lloyd is best captured in this three-picture sequence as he urges star 3YO Nom Du Jeu (outside) as he attempts to overtake Sarrera in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick. Few Australian jockeys get as low and high in the saddle in a matter of a few strides.

“Everything can go to a plan to a certain point in a race then it all goes out the window and it is the horse that gets the luck and the breaks at the right time that wins.” Payne acknowledged there were signiﬁcant differences between South African and Australian racing. The trainer praises the professionalism of Australian racing, rating it “far superior” to South Africa.

‘ It’s hard to understand why Australia is so pre-occupied with sprinters because the best race here is the Melbourne Cup.

’

“Australian racing is so well run,” Payne said. “The prizemoney is much higher and racing here is such a popular sport. “The media coverage is incredible. You are lucky to ﬁnd any racing stories in the press back home. “There is not the interest in racing in South Africa as you ﬁnd in Australia. Everywhere you go here people want to talk to you about the races. Australians are very passionate about their racing. “South Africa has a lot of good horses, good trainers and good jockeys but the public doesn’t

have the same level of interest in the sport.” However, Payne believes Australian racing’s concentration on breeding and racing sprinters is to its detriment. “In Australia, the racing industry is too reliant on sprinting, sprinting, sprinting,” he said. “South Africa tends to have more classic-type horses. I have been going to the New Zealand yearling sales since 1971 because they breed more of the classic horses. “It’s hard to understand why Australia is so pre-occupied with sprinters because the best race here is the Melbourne Cup.” Payne and Lloyd are looking forward to making their ﬁrst concerted effort at Melbourne’s famous spring carnival this year. Lloyd has never ridden in Victoria but said he was hopeful of teaming up with Nom Du Jeu in the Melbourne Cup. “The Melbourne Cup is such a famous race it is even big back home, it is the one international race we all watched in South Africa,” Lloyd said. “I’ve always wanted to ride in the Melbourne Cup and I can’t wait to ride at Flemington because it seems more like the tracks we have at home where every horse gets a chance.” Payne has assembled his strongest stable of equine talent since he ﬁrst came to Australia and nominated the likes of Stripper,

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Hurried Choice and Gallant Tess as his mainstays for the Melbourne spring carnival. “I have 50 horses in work at Rosehill and that is enough – I want to concentrate on quality, not quantity,” Payne said. “It’s the strongest stable I’ve had in Australia and I think we can have a real crack at the

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Melbourne spring carnival. We have had the odd runner in Melbourne over the years including a couple of Oaks starters but we have never had a team as good as this for the spring.” Ray Thomas is the racing editor of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph.

Lessons from EI outbreak Leading trainer David Payne said the reaction of the federal and state governments to the devastating equine inﬂuenza (EI) outbreak in NSW and Queensland last year was an example of the regard the sport is held in this country. The trainer revealed it was the second time he has had to endure such an ordeal as he also had experience of EI in 1986 when South African racing was shut down with the virus outbreak. He revealed the South African Government basically turned its back on the racing industry. “The South African Government didn’t do a hing to help racing but the Australian and NSW governments certainly helped with the compensation packages they paid,” Payne said. “I’m sure a lot of trainers would have gone out of business if it wasn’t for those compensation packages.” However, Payne said the

government’s attempts to fight the EI outbreak last year were flawed. “They didn’t know how to contain EI,” he said. “We spent too much time last year chasing EI up the freeway when they should have gone to the border, started vaccinating there and worked their way back in. “The best way to stop a bushfire is to fight it from the outside in, not the other way around. “If they had decided to vaccinate sooner we would have been back racing a lot quicker than we did. The big lesson we have to learn is to make sure we continue annual vaccinations. “In South Africa you still get little flare-ups of EI to this day but because they still vaccinate, these flare-ups are contained and eradicated within a week or so. Racing doesn’t have to stop because of an outbreak.”

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QA UINELL

When a trainer and a jockey get together, privately and professionally, the question remains

who’ s the boss?

Cranbourne trainer Nikki Burke and leading jockey Mark Flaherty have known each other for more than 20 years, but it is only in the past four years have they formed a partnership professionally and privately. Burke and Flaherty speak openly to ADRIAN DUNN about their life on and off the racetrack. PHOTOGRAPHS LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM

How would you describe the relationship? Nikki Burke: Umm, great. Mark Flaherty: What’s the ‘umm’ about? Is there any grey area about who is in charge? MF: Sometime I have ideas and Nikki doesn’t agree, but she IS the boss. NB: When it comes to the horses, yes. Otherwise, no. How would you describe each other? NB: We have been best mates

58 THE THOROUGHBRED

since we were 15. He’s pretty happy-go-lucky. He loves life, but when he’s dedicated, he trains pretty hard. He’s a good worker. MF: She’s a workaholic. I wish sometimes she would switch off a bit, but she struggles to do that and I have to accept that. We went away to Phuket for 10 days and I think it took Nikki seven days to wind down. She only started to enjoy herself the last four or ﬁve days. How do you deal with major disagreements?

NB: I probably brood over them a little bit, but I think I’m pretty realistic. There aren’t many disagreements except when it comes to him riding a bad race. They are the main disagreements are when he thinks he’s ridden it all right and I think he has mauled it. MF: That doesn’t happen too often. When we do I try to air it. Nikki can hold a bit of a grudge, but in saying that we are both a bit stubborn in our ways. We have known each other since we were 15 and we are pretty good mates.

PARTNERS: Trainer Nikki Burke, sitting on the fence, and jockey Mark Flaherty are enjoying their relationship on and off the racetrack.

Has Mark mauled many? MF: It doesn’t happy too often. Normally, I throw my hands up if I’ve ridden one badly. There was a time at Werribee where I agreed that I didn’t ride it too well, but I tried to explain to her that the horse wasn’t as good as she thought. I agree I didn’t ride it too good but I made a couple of runs on it and the horse wasn’t any good. NK: I think it has happened twice. The day at Werribee, I’ll concede that Mark was right. It (Raid The Ark) was a morning glory horse. On race

day she wasn’t worth a crumpet, but Mark didn’t give it much of a chance. She had all the ability, but she just wasn’t a racehorse, but on that day he rode her badly. How do you deal with a bad ride? MF: Firstly, you have to learn by it and then get over it in a hurry. You can’t let it do your head in because you will only go out and not ride with a clear head in the next race. NB: I just tell him (or whoever it is) that they murdered it. Straight

up. Don’t I? I normally make sure I watch the replay ﬁrst and then I let them know. Who is the ﬁrst to admit they are wrong? NB: Him. I tend to be a bit stubborn. MF: I try to air it. Nikki can hold a grudge. What is each other’s greatest strength? NB: His motivation, his work ethic. MF: She is such a worker, but I don’t want that to be a downfall so that she runs herself into the

ground. In the past four years her PR has really improved. She has learned to promote herself. She used to get really nervous if she had to appear on TV. She knows she is a hard worker and she knows she is doing a good job, but she was too shy to let everyone out there know that. She is getting much better. What are each other’s greatest failing? NB: Mark having too much fun. MF: Ahhh. Stubbornness ... sometimes.

THE THOROUGHBRED 59

QUINELLA

forever to get to sleep and no sooner than you do than it’s time to get up. NB: I think it’s lost its appeal. No one goes and it takes forever to get there in peak-hour trafﬁc and the horses get there in a mess because they’ve been stuck in trafﬁc for so long. It really is a nightmare and you don’t get home until really late. We haven’t got the staff to say ‘we’ll stay in bed after a night meeting.’

How does the other deal with pressure? NB: I reckon he’s really good with pressure. He had a fair bit when he was riding Regal Roller (Ch g 1999, Regal ClassicArantxa Rose, by Rancho Ruler). He never changed, he was focused. He did his form and went there conﬁdent and he handled it head on. MF: A lot better than she used to. No meltdowns, just nerves. I don’t think she doubts herself; she just gets very nervous about the result. Who is the biggest dummy spitter? NB: That would be you. It’s easily you, you really crack it. If you get beaten on a horse and you think it should have won, you spit it. MF: No way. I’m very competitive and I used to have a bad temper. I think through maturity, I’m a lot better. I reckon we are pretty much on a par. What has been your biggest racetrack success together? MF: No doubt, Not A Copy (Gr g 2002, Genuine-Manilla Mistress, by Final Card) when he won at Sandown in April – for a range of reasons. NB: It was the ﬁrst city winner Mark had ridden for me and he is my favourite horse. I own him and he’s a pretty special horse. I fell in love with him the day I bought him. He did a tendon before he raced so just to get him back again was a great thing. How do you deal with people who criticise each of you in your profession? MF: I stick up for her as a trainer and then I’ll probably tell them they don’t know what they’re talking about. As a rule it doesn’t happen any more. People are starting to realise that Nikki is a very good trainer. NB: I just laugh. If I watch the race at the pub and they say ‘bloody Flaherty murdered it’, I’ll tell him and then laugh.

60 THE THOROUGHBRED

TEAM MATES: Nikki Burke (right) has 45 horses in work at Cranbourne. Most will be ridden by her partner Mark Flaherty (left) when he resumes riding this spring.

Where do you see yourselves in ﬁve years? NB: I hope we can keep upgrading the team every year and just get better quality so we’ve got a stable full of horses capable of winning in the city. That’s pretty hard when you haven’t got 80 horses in work. (Burke has 45 horses on her books). Four years ago when we got together I had three horses. Mark has brought new people into the stable. MF: The way things have turned around for Nikki in the past four years has been unbelievable. Nikki has stuck her neck out this year buying 14 yearlings, but they’re virtually all sold. Five years might wind me up as a jockey. I’ll be 41 then and I’ll be rapt with that. When I was 21 and started to struggle with weight I thought if I could ride until I was 30 I’d be doing well. Now I’m 36 and still going. I hope we can build a team together. I’d be

‘ I can’t watch jumps

races, but I feel the people involved. What will the jumps jockeys do? What about the trainers who just have jumpers?

’

happy for Nikki to keep being the trainer and I would be the bloke in the background. Is it hard to sell with owners to have Mark ride your horses? MF: No. The majority are great. A couple have their own ideas, but they own the horses so if they want someone else that’s the way it is. MF: In my weight range I hope the owners are happy to have me on, but if they want someone else on, I would rather them speak up and go that way. If owners don’t want me, I don’t want Nikki to feel under any pressure to put me on. I’ve been around long enough now to know not everyone is going to be happy for me to ride their horse. Do you talk anything else but racing? NB: We don’t talk about racing. I like reading. MF: We talk about racing a lot. We like going to the movies and I like Nikki reading to me. I’m not the best reader in the world. What’s your view of night racing? MF: I could do without it. For a little while it was successful, but now they get no one there. You don’t get home until after midnight and you can’t wind down straight away. It takes

What is the biggest issue troubling racing at the moment? NB: Prizemoney. I know they’ve just announced an increase, but it has been a long time coming. I’m also concerned about the jumps. What will happen to all these horses? I can’t watch jumps races, but I feel for the people who are involved. What will the jumps jockeys do? What about the trainers who just have jumpers? All those activists should go to the Dandenong market and see what happens to the horses. MF: Obviously, jumps racing. If those horses weren’t jumpers they would be at the knackery. And, I don’t think they have thought of the middle people (and below) with the prizemoney. All the big races are worth X amount and they always go up each year, but at the weekday meetings prizemoney has been the same for four or ﬁve years. If you were CEO of RVL for one day, what would you do? NB: Probably have a race free day a week, maybe a Monday because Sunday racing is great. It would be great to have a day where you don’t have to think ‘gee, is there a race there for something that I’ve got?’ You don’t have to go, but when the races are on you look at the meetings because you run your horses where you think they can win. MF: Probably the same. I know it’s a choice thing, but if you have done a lot of work on a horse and you were going to make Monday your day off then it gets a run, you are really forced to go.

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Untitled-3 1

5/6/08 9:15:43 AM

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Rockmount-QuarterPage-Thoroughbred.indd 1

10/9/08 4:42:14 PM

NICE WORK: Two young horses work up the all-weather track at The Beeches, the idyllic Sutton Veny training farm of former Australian trainer Jeremy Gask. Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World War I soldiers camped in the region in 1918.

62 THE THOROUGHBRED

HORSES FIRST

Aussie hope Lies in English fields Two years ago trainer Jeremy Gask’s enthusiasm for his profession was waning. His career was in limbo, when by chance he answered an advertisement looking for a trainer with an alternative approach – now Gask ﬁnds himself in England, working for a ﬂedgling organisation in idyllic surroundings. Gask took his family with him and feels comfortable in his new surroundings, excited about the future. DANNY POWER visited the young trainer in England. PHOTOGRAPHS HORSE FIRST RACING

utton Veny is no ordinary English country town. There is no pub. The last one was closed earlier this year due to disinterest from a growing band of young, wealthy families who have moved into the area, many of whom commute daily the 90 minutes to work in London. The lack of a local drinking hole is a contrast to an amazing Australian connection to this quaint but expensive village on the Salisbury plains in south-west Wiltshire, just a stone’s throw from ancient Stonehenge. Like most towns in the area, Sutton Veny was, and in some ways remains, an “army town”. Early in the 20th century it was used almost exclusively as a base for Australian World War I soldiers to recuperate from the terrors of the battles of France before they returned to Australia. Unfortunately, these poor fellows, after surviving the stench and the slaughter of the trenches of Frommel, and Gallipoli before that, were – incredibly – struck down by an epidemic of Spanish Flu, which wiped out most of the 127 Diggers now buried in regimented graves with typical white headstones at the back of Sutton Veny’s St. John’s Church.

As a tribute, the small but exclusive Sutton Veny primary school each Monday honours its Australian links by singing Advance Australia Fair. In 2008, there is a difference; two of the little voices singing along with their English classmates are distinctly Australian. Darcie, 7, and Larnie, 5, are daughters of the former South Australian trainer Jeremy Gask. Gask is firmly entrenched in Sutton Veny as the private trainer for the fledgling racing corporation Horses First Racing Limited. The operation is primarily under the directorship of former publisher Eamonn Wilmott, who made his fortune producing the world’s first computer magazine in California in the heady days, when Google was something more likely associated with a leg spinner than a search engine. A stale and disillusioned Gask surprisingly handed in his training licence in Adelaide at the end of the 2005-06 season. At the age of 34, he was considered one of the bright young trainers in Australia. The miniscule prizemoney on offer in South Australia meant ridiculously low returns for trainers battling for what was left of the spoils from an industry still reeling from the sale of its TAB and a lack of government support.

THE THOROUGHBRED 63

HORSES FIRST

“The political situation, as far as racing goes, in Adelaide was an ever-present distraction. The negativity appeared to be bordering on a disease, something I tried hard to avoid,” Gask said. “It was understandably difficult to attract the better class of horse to South Australia. I upgraded facilities as best I could, always wanting to provide the best for the horses, but the return on the investment in South Australia was simply not good enough. “I was losing the passion required to do justice to the clients and horses. The last thing I wanted to do was float in limbo. I had to make a move one way or another.” Gask closed his stable and took a job working for veterinary medical company Vet Biotechnology, while he also began a part-time university course in veterinary science. In the winter of 2007, he read an advertisement for a trainer, placed by Wilmott in an international search for a horseman who fitted the green philosophy behind the aptly named Horses First. Gask applied, and because of his youth, history of alternative training methods (when he used the long stretches of the Goolwa beachfront at the mouth of the Murray River), and his excellent training record, got the job. It was just as brave a decision by Wilmott as it was for Gask to THE STRING: The impressive, undulating all-weather track at Horses First is one of the key features at Jeremy Gask’s disposal as he sets out to make his name in England.

CONTENTED: Jeremy Gask has had his passion for racing rekindled since he moved from the beachside town of Goolwa in South Australia to the historic village of Sutton Veny in the south-west of England.

uproot his young family – wife Kerrie and three children Darcie, Larnie and Harrison – from a settled life in Goolwa. Gask said his wife’s support was a major factor in taking the big step to move to England. “After meeting with Eamonn and seeing the plans for the future, it looked a very exciting opportunity. The focus on developing a property and concentrating on training the horses was very attractive to me. My weaknesses as a trainer, such as accounting, communication and office work, would be taken out of my hands, leaving me to concentrate on the challenge of training the horses.” Gask is no stranger to training in England. He worked for three years for leading trainer Mark Tompkins, finishing up as a head lad before he returned to Australia in 1997 to start his training career with one horse, out of stables bought by his father Richard, at Morphettville. In 10 years, he became a regular “top five” trainer in Adelaide and boasted winning 15 Stakes races with horses such as Tingirana, Ista Kareem, Fly For Me, Maybe McLaren and El Diablo.

6 4 T H E T H O R O U G H B R E D | SUBSCRIBE NOW

‘ The passion is back more than ever and I am more comfortable in the surroundings now.

I am sure these factors will lead to winners.

’

Gask and Wilmott have built a unique partnership in a short time. They live on properties that overlook The Beeches, the former dairy farm that stretches into an amphitheatre of a ﬂat, circular bowl in a valley surrounded by hills carved in ancient times by slow-moving glaciers. Their paths cross daily. Wilmott, who suffers from a form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, forces himself to rise early to watch the string work, standing beside Gask on a hilltop overlooking the farm. The pair discuss everything from the quality of the horses working by, to the plans for the future as they bide their time between work-outs. Wilmott is an intelligent, genial man, forever asking

www.thethoroughbred.com.au

questions, living his passion to the full. This idyllic property is surrounded by wildlife, and Wilmott’s green philosophy results in organic farming and an approach to horse welfare that includes combining alternative, organic veterinary treatments with modern horse training techniques. Initially, Horses First was a rehabilitation centre for broken-down crocks. Since Gask’s arrival, partners have invested into the venture, with the injection of funds directing a more commercial approach. Some exciting youngsters have replaced many of the old handicappers. Gask has two-year-olds by leading sires such as Royal Applause (B h 1993, Waajib-Flying Melody, by Auction Ring), Street Cry (B h 1998, Machiavellian-Helen Street, by Troy) and Kheleyf (B h 2001, Green Desert-Society Lady, by Mr. Prospector). Gask has witnessed a transformation in the property, which began its development in 2004. “In the space of six months, a new 1600m allweather track was laid, the current 1400m all-weather uphill gallop was re-surfaced,

HORSES FIRST

new barns have been built for another 40 horses and kilometres of fencing have been installed,” he said. “We have a Seawalker, one of the best assets I have seen and something I think would be very popular in Australia. It is essentially a walking machine in salt water, chilled to about 3-4 degrees. We also have a high-speed treadmill on the way from Australia.” At the time of writing Gask had trained only two winners, but the stable has been in a rebuilding phase, and the pressure to perform hasn’t yet been put on the young trainer. Even so, he has been able to rejuvenate several old horses to produce performances beyond their recent form to such a degree that the respected journal The Racing Post has labelled him as a trainer to watch. Gask said he has been trying to implement some of his Australian training ideas, but he is still learning. “The challenge of preparing horses first-up over two or even three miles (3200m-4800m) has been difficult, and I have tended to under-prepare the stayers and possibly over-work the sprinters. In Australia, the use of official trials is a big advantage for this purpose, but there are no official trials here. Two-year-olds in the UK go to the races without trials, requiring more education and very careful planning,” he said. “Now I am beginning to understand why some sires don’t tend to produce the results in Australia as they do here and visa versa. Horses here need to be adaptable to changing undulations of the tracks and different going. The tracks can go from one extreme to the other. I have raced horses on incredibly heavy tracks as well as some that have been harder than anything I have experienced in Australia. The all-weather tracks are getting more and more popular here, and I have found them to be very fair and good for bringing on young horses.”

66 THE THOROUGHBRED

Gask ﬁrmly believes in his future in England and he can’t wait for his young team to start racing. He has added to the Australian ﬂavour by employing former long-time Lindsay Park employee Paul Cooper to the Horses First team as his right-hand man. Cooper’s experience, going back to riding Better Loosen Up in trackwork in the early 1990s, will be invaluable, and the affable South Australian has settled in well to his new surroundings.

Dream team for success Eamonn Wilmott, pictured above, is the principal behind the England-based Horses First Racing, and the appointment of young Australian trainer Jeremy Gask. Wilmott outlines the philosophy behind Horses First, why Gask was selected, and future plans, including their environmental attitude to horse welfare. “Our goal is to be one of the best racehorse training facilities in the world. That’s a lofty ambition and we are under no illusions as to what a huge task it represents. To achieve this ambition we are constantly looking for best practice in every aspect of racehorse training. That includes diet, training regimes, facilities (high-speed treadmill, Seawalker, gallops, custom-built walkers etc.) and equipment such as jog carts and heart rate monitors. “We are also developing relationships with breeders, owners, agents and indeed

“I really enjoy it here. I have never had the ambition to train on my own, and to be part of a new operation like this, working with Jeremy, is perfect for me,” Cooper said. For Gask, the aim is to make an impact in the next 12 months with an impressive batch of 18 current two-year-olds, and a new batch from the yearling sales later in 2008. The dramatic life switch has rekindled his love of racing and

other trainers in the UK and overseas to get the best horses racing in the best races for them. For example, we’ve just bought Mrs Penny and Catalan Bay from Australia to come and race here in the UK, and we will continue to buy sprinters from Australia where we believe the breed is presently stronger. I know Jeremy would love nothing more than to bring a horse from here to the Melbourne Cup and obviously we’d be delighted with that! ”Given our global view of racing, we were always going to be attracted to someone who could bring a fresh view and new experiences to the team here. With the facilities we already had in place we were able to attract a terrific response to our search for a trainer with over 60 responses from around the world. Jeremy was a standout from his first letter. His track record of success, his burning desire to learn and improve, his openness to new ideas and his professionalism were, and indeed are, outstanding. It wasn’t a close decision and we know we have the right man. “He’s settled in brilliantly and it’s easy to tell he’s enjoying life here. His wife and family are absolutely terrific – they live next door and I don’t think we could get on any better. ”Jeremy has the dream ticket in many ways with the farm set

the thoroughbred. “The passion is back more than ever and I am more comfortable in the surroundings now,” he said. “I am sure these factors will lead to winners and make me a better trainer in the process. Life has taken some dramatic turns for my family in the last couple of years, however, we are all excited about the future and we are loving it here.” HORSES FIRST RACING: www.horsesﬁrstracing.com

up for success; good horses coming in all the time, and the time to get everything the way he wants it. Like every professional sport, racing is tough and every opportunity brings pressure but his previous experience as an Aussie rules footballer (Gask was a champion schoolboy footballer in Adelaide, and represented South Australia at Teal Cup level) and successful trainer stand him in good stead on that front. He’s got the opportunity to define and write his own future and that’s all any of us can ask for. ”We’ve always cared about the environment and took the farm organic as soon as we bought it four and a half years ago. We planted a couple of thousand trees, miles of hedgerows, even put in a wildlife pond and will continue to do all we can to support the wellbeing of the farm. A lot of the cynics in racing here think we are tree huggers and wasting our time on green ‘non-essentials’. I see everything we are doing as supporting our ‘horses first’ principles. It’s difficult to get good research but I’m sure an organic pasture free of weed killer and pesticides is better for horses. It takes more time and money to maintain but I think time we show that horses, like us, don’t thrive on long-term exposure to chemicals.”

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ANDREW LEMON HAROLD FREEDMAN

EDITORIAL

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T H E T H O R O U G H B R E D 67

EDITORIAL

68 THE THOROUGHBRED

Available at David Jones and selected quality menswear stores

FASHION PLATE

Checking out the form In spring, the nation’s sporting focus turns to racing, and its love affair with fashion. For those attending the track on race days, it is important to look the part. WORDS PETER DI SISTO PHOTOGRAPHS MICHAEL WILLSON

here are several distinct aromas one might associate with Flemington – the natural smell of horses and whatever else wafts from their bodies and stables; the fresh sweetness of roses, especially at carnival time; and the delightfully sharp timbre of money won, counted and folded away, to be spent with joy later. That’s why it’s hard not to be taken aback during a visit to the august VRC Committee Room, which

overlooks the famous straight six and provides a delightful wide view of the historic track and its iconic landmarks. The Committee Room features wood paneling, spotless carpets and intricate paintings of past Melbourne Cup champions and lazy days at the races, including Carl Kahler’s 1887 work Lawn at Flemington. So what’s the room’s overwhelming scent? Hairspray. That distinctive perfume might appear to be out of place, but not when it’s wafting across a hat box

with the name of celebrity milliner Peter Jago stamped in big black letters across its top, and a cardboard box full of Joanne Mercer heels for the ladies (including the odd pair in patent leather) and a selection of Croft winklepickers for the gents, a type of pointy shoe/boot originally favoured by rebellious British rock fans in the 1950s. (Got to love fashion designers’ ability to look back for their modern inspirations.) On this day, racing industry types – predominantly of the female

THE THOROUGHBRED 69

FASHION PLATE

persuasion – have congregated to be made into fashionistas, taking over the sweeping hallways (and as many of the vacant rooms as possible) in a manner the actress Zsa Zsa Gabor would probably have employed at a Hollywood gathering at the peak of her celebrity. “Get me zis, darling,” might have been muttered, although words can become jumbled when they’re trying to push through a visible cloud of hairspray. If fashion models are taught one thing, it’s how to walk unencumbered in a ridiculous pair of heels, a skill some mortal women also acquire, though usually at a cost to their precious feet. The ﬁrst model we spy is yet to develop the skill, although her uneasy saunter across the carpet might have more to do with a preoccupation with the large bulldog clips applied to tighten the back of her dress, and the drink she’s waving around. Today it’s a soft drink; on race day odds-on it’s champagne. The hair’s sculpted and has assumed that unnatural shine generally associated with TV presenters, and there’s a hint of fake tan product at work. (There’s a chance those who use tubes or cans to attain that gaudy orange glow could be in trouble, as local ofﬁcials are considering following a recent Royal Ascot decree to ban its use.) Inside, others are preening (and being preened), searching for the right eye shadow to complete looks that demand hair, dresses and hats – look this year for ‘hatinators’, a hybrid of hats and fascinators to be in vogue – are perfectly matched. The subtle revelation of cleavage is addressed, albeit coyly. Outside, men in sharp suits and striking ties lean against the bar. They’re waiting – as men are often asked to do when ladies are in preparation mode – so they discuss horse form. A striking brunette wanders past. “I don’t see her winning a Group 1,” one of the gents says. Can’t agree.

70 THE THOROUGHBRED

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: KATY MOORE Stallion Nominations – Darley Victoria Carla Zampatti dress, fashion incubator headpiece, own accessories and shoes. WENDY KELLY Trainer of Group 1 winner Bon Hoffa Carla Zampatti dress, fashion incubator headpiece, Decubja necklace, Decubja black scarf, fashion incubator umbrella, Joanne Mercer shoes.

GREG MILES Sport 927 race broadcaster Hugo Boss suit, Robert Talbott tie, Rufﬁ ni & Brooks shirt, Henry Bucks handkerchief.

PAT CAREY Trainer, 2007 VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss Kent & Curwen suit, Robert Talbott woven tie, Rufﬁ ni & Brooks shirt, Henry Bucks handkerchief.

DAMON GABBEDY Bloodstock agent – Belmont Bloodstock Agency Hackett London suit, Henry Bucks shirt, Breuer of France tie, Ascot handkerchief.

CHERYL CAREY Wife of trainer Pat Carey and sister to trainer John Meagher Decubja dress, Carla Zampatti necklace, fashion incubator headpiece, own shoes.

APRIL MATTHEWS Ex-jockey, now RVL OHS stable safe manager Carla Zampatti dress, fashion incubator headpiece, stylist’s ring, shoes.

TRISH OLIVER Wife of champion jockey Damien Oliver; (INSET) With daughters Niali and Zara Oliver Eduardo Calucag dress and belt, fashion incubator headpiece, own shoes, stylist’s watch.

Thank you to the Flemington Event Centre, photos taken on location in the VRC Committee Room.

STYLISTS Donna Whittington 0414 554 214 Bronii Parker 0419 423 443

All fashion incubator headpieces are made by Rhiannon Pietsch.

HAIR & MAKE-UP Ana Robinson, Victoria University make-up department.

All male outﬁ ts supplied by Henry Bucks. For full product information, visit henrybucks.com.au

THE THOROUGHBRED 71

RICH HISTORY

Building a monument A chance phone call a quarter of century ago took ANDREW LEMON on the racing journey of a lifetime, one that would create a monumental history of the turf in Australia. PHOTOGRAPHS MICHAEL WILLSON

remember taking the phone call more than 25 years ago from a history professor I barely knew. Would I be interested in some research work, half a day a week, for a racing mural project at Flemington? Harold Freedman, then ofﬁcially titled State Artist of Victoria, had a studio in a disused school in East Melbourne. He was already at work, I was told. He needed someone to help ﬁnd information for the rest of his pictures.

A MAN OF HISTORY: Andrew Lemon poses at the Victoria Racing Club ofﬁces, with the famous Flemington straight six in the background.

THE THOROUGHBRED 73

For a young man who loved horse racing, went to meetings whenever he could and was intrigued by the history of the sport, it was too good a chance to miss. Half a day a week has turned into nearly half a lifetime, though I should quickly add that there have been long pauses in the project. The paintings took Harold and his assistants a mere seven or eight years to finish. The first two books that I researched and wrote were released in 1987 and 1990 respectively. They mapped the history of Australian thoroughbred racing across its long and fascinating origins and on through what we called, in volume two, ‘the golden age’. It is a cliché but it was justifi able. How else could you describe the 80 years that stretched from Archer and The Barb past Carbine and Wakeful and on to Phar Lap and Ajax? It was the time when horse racing was in the heart of every Australian. Now, a quarter of a century after I first walked into the artist’s studio, the final volume has been achieved, incorporating some of Harold’s work, along with stunning photographs and equine paintings by others. The classic format of the original books has been given a subtle, more modern look and, best of all, the first two volumes have been revised and reissued. The new book stands alone as The History of Australian Thoroughbred Racing – In Our Time, 1939 to 2007. But it also serves as the third and final volume of the complete work. There were many times when I thought the whole thing was dead and buried. It was revived chiefly because of the tenacity of former Victoria Racing Club secretary and CEO Rod Johnson, and because of the enthusiasm for history shown by the current club chairman Rod Fitzroy. Both understood that the history and tradition of our sport should never strangle new ideas and enterprise but must nevertheless

be valued as an asset and as a guide for the future. History is not just decorative. It is our memory and our heritage. We have had a rich tradition entrusted to us. For this last stage of the project the VRC harnessed the practical support of the Melbourne and the Moonee Valley racing clubs, the Australian Jockey Club and Sydney Turf Club, the Queensland Turf Club, Racing and Wagering WA and Racing Victoria. In my three books I have devoted substantial sections to each of the states so that it is a truly national study.

‘ History is not just decorative. It is our memory and our heritage.

’

Having now researched the history of Australian racing in great breadth and often in depth, I can say that we have a long way to go in applying good historical research to our sport. The Australian Racing Museum in Melbourne has made a start but there is much more that needs to be done nationally. Our clubs (the sponsors mentioned partly excepted) always seem to have more pressing priorities

than caring properly for their history. Only a handful of truly outstanding books have been researched and written on aspects of Australian racing. Cricket has a much stronger literature. Another shortcoming is that Australian racing still does not have an electronic database that allows us to search easily for the racing records of horses earlier than the late 1980s. It would not be a simple matter to create a reliable one. It would take care, resources and historical knowledge, but it could and should be done. Earlier this year, when my work on volume three was at last completed, I sat down to write the introduction. It’s a wonderful moment to reach the end of a long project but you have to guard against self-indulgence. This is what I wrote.

he origins of the project stretch back, for me, to 1982 when I was invited to provide research assistance to Harold Freedman. His brief was to paint seven murals, each 10 metres high, to grace the ceilings of public lounges in the Hill Grandstand – then brand new – at Flemington. Freedman appreciated the colour and vitality of the topic but had no personal interest in

FABULOUS FLEMINGTON: Just one example of the artistry of Harold Freedman depicted in a monumental book by historian Andrew Lemon.

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the sport and never developed one. Having previously completed a similar pictorial epic on the history of wheeled transport, for Melbourne’s Spencer Street (now Southern Cross) railway station, he imagined that experts and a few books would be all he needed to find the images he required. Working with a small team of assistants, he wanted to depict the origins of the sport, its beginnings in each Australian city and the establishment of each important racecourse, as well as the great jockeys, trainers and owners. But not just that: he wanted its ancient and its English origins – the first Derby, for example; the first races at Newmarket. He wanted to animate the scene: there had to be champion horses of every era, depicted in accurate detail with silks and saddles. Bookmakers and racecourse touts, the vehicles that took people to the races, landscapes of courses and stud farms; he wanted dapper gents and beautiful ladies. There needed to be Flemington and the bush, technologies such as photo fi nish cameras, radio broadcasters. He wanted reference to what was happening overseas, especially if Australians were involved. As Freedman started on the canvases he began to think that few people would see his work in its final location, so he wanted a book to showcase his paintings. But there would be so many individual paintings. If the book was to have any usefulness it would need words. So he wanted three books: one for the beginnings, to cover the first two murals; one for the golden age, from the first Melbourne Cup to the era of Phar Lap; and one for modern times – which in those days meant from World War II to the 1980s. My qualifications to muck out these Augean stables* were a youthful love of racing and

REPRODUCED COURTESY OF THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN THOROUGHBRED RACING

RICH HISTORY

THE HARD YARDS: Andrew Lemon’s painstaking and meticulous research created an extensive history of thoroughbred racing in Australia.

the beginnings of an academic interest in the topic. In the early 1970s I had to write an honours study in Australian history on some aspect of public morality. I chose ‘Racing and Politics – the great totalizator debate 1880–1906’, which covered the failed early attempts to legalise the betting machine in Victoria. My research took me to the Victoria Racing Club where a rather dubious Jim Shannon allowed access to ancient minute books of the club. Discovering there a transcript of an interview between the VRC committee and the illegal Collingwood tote operator John Wren was my ﬁrst scoop, and the history of the sport has intrigued me since. The story and misadventures behind volume one (1987) and volume two (1990) of this history are told in the new updated editions (2008). I am not sure now how I managed to get

through the research in the time. It was done through traditional primary sources: old newspapers at the State Library of Victoria; visits to racecourses and stables; official records, minute books, the writings of others. The mural was completed in 1989. The process had taken seven years. It also took its toll: Harold suffered a debilitating stroke with one last panel to finish. He is credited as artist in the third volume as well as in the previous two, though in practice all of panel seven was painted by his assistants, David Jack and Joe Attard, with Joycelyn Moreland and lettering artist Bruce Walker. Harold was able only to sketch out ideas for that panel. But we all acknowledged the formidable drive of the official artist who was determined, in spite of health impediments, that the mural would be completed. The publishing project came

to a halt after volume two, when Harold’s deteriorating health, and bad times economically for the racing industry, made it untenable: he died in 1999. I came back to it only in 2005. The challenge of writing volume three was considerable. It is difficult to gain perspective on recent events, and many current sources of accurate information remain closed to the researcher. In a litigious age, individuals may not appreciate the considered words of historians but I have tried to speak plainly from facts, not hearsay. I cannot pretend to have the whole picture. In the end this book and the two that preceded it are the books the artists and I needed when we began. They explain to me – and I hope now the reader – some of the things that always intrigued about the history of the sport in Australia. The worst part was having to leave out or barely mention so many great jockeys, trainers, owners, officials and horses, so many interesting places and events. I can only apologise to those who will feel slighted. I remind myself that this is a history, not a who’s who. But I never wanted it to be the last word: I hope it will encourage more people to tell their own racing stories. * Augeus is a figure of Greek mythology “renowned” for his fi lthy stables. One of the tasks of Hercules was to clean out the stables in a single day, a task he concluded by diverting mythical rivers. Thus the concept of “cleaning Augean stables”. Source: Wikipedia.

Dr Andrew Lemon is the author of the three volumes of The History of Australian Thoroughbred Racing which feature the Flemington murals of Harold Freedman. The third volume, In Our Time, 1939 to 2007, has just been published by Hardie Grant Books. Details of all three books are available from www.historyofracing.com. au. He is consultant historian to the Victoria Racing Club.

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Gripped by Cup fever

What makes the Melbourne Cup a great race? The answer is, of course, many things. The glamour, emotion and sheer excitement of the two miler has captured a nation, and spread far and wide to Europe and other parts of Asia. RAY HUXLEY nominates his favourite Cup moments.

76 T H E T H O R O U G H B R E D

irst day at the races? 1955. Flemington. First Tuesday in November. I don’t remember what I was wearing (it would have been short pants) and I cannot be certain if I was there with my mother or a family friend named Mr Purvis, but there was a moment on that day that sticks in my mind and can never be erased. I was perched on a railing next to the inside fence with a clear view of the last half furlong of the race and I can still picture the ﬁ nish which employed all the elements that make up this most wonderful sport of thoroughbred racing.

RUNNING ON EMPTY: Lightweight Toparoa (Neville Sellwood) holds off the game champion Rising Fast (Bill Williamson), lumping 63.5kg to win the 1955 Melbourne Cup.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION

THE GREAT RACE

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BRUNO CANNATELLI

FLASHY CHESTNUT: This painting depicts Peter Pan in all his athleticism. Peter Pan won the Melbourne Cup in 1932 and 1934. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE VICTORIA RACING CLUB

With 100 yards (91 metres) to go, I watched Toparoa, a rough, tough, super-ﬁt product of the Tommy Smith assembly line clinging to his narrow lead and being threatened, nay intimidated may be a better word, by a racing hero named Rising Fast. Two of the greatest jockeys this country has seen, Neville Sellwood and Bill Williamson, were doing everything they knew to coax something extra from two horses who had already given their all and were running on empty. Toparoa had taken the lead on the home turn. Rising Fast, after being near last after interference, made ground to go after him. Sellwood, knowing that his charge had the metric equivalent of only 48kg on his back, went early realising that Rising Fast had 10 stone (63.5kg). I read later that the crowd went “wild with excitement” when Rising Fast made his charge. Having won the Caulﬁeld-Melbourne Cups double the previous year (plus a Cox Plate and L.K.S. Mackinnon Stakes thrown in), he was trying for the impossible – a double double! If the crowd was “going wild” I didn’t notice. All I saw was the pain in Rising Fast’s eye when he went past me. I felt as though I was close enough to touch him and I saw in those last few strides that he just couldn’t do what he wanted to do, draw to and beat the horse in front of him. Of course, he didn’t know the horse he was trying to catch had 15.5kg less on his back, but his heart and lungs sure did. The margin was three-quarters of a length. There was no sadness. I left the races knowing a love affair with the sport had started. I had always had an interest in racing, but being there and seeing one of the great racehorses of the century get beaten yet displaying so much character and so much courage, it left me in awe of what I had just witnessed. The word did not hit me at the time

but I realised that I had just seen nobility in defeat. I think of old RF whenever I hear The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha. From then on I read every word I could ﬁnd about horse racing and that included the

‘ All I saw was the

pain in Rising Fast’s eye when he went past me.

’

THE KING: Legendary trainer Bart Cummings, who has won 11 Melbourne Cups.

history of the Melbourne Cup. Remarkably Archer, who won the first two Melbourne Cups, was not highly rated as a racehorse by his illustrious trainer Etienne De Mestre (who held the record number of Cups wins (five) until a century later when a bloke named Cummings came along). Old Etienne (not a name that has really caught on) is said to have made a killing when Archer won his first Cup but finished his days as a trainer not financially well off despite a highly successful career. Apparently although he won countless races, he more often than not plunged large chunks of money on the wrong stablemate. But the Melbourne Cup is like word association. Mention Archer, Phar Lap, Carbine, Comic Court or Rising Fast – Melbourne Cup! And vice versa. Phar Lap was a phenomenon during his lifetime and still makes headlines today. Recently there were people still plucking hairs out of his hide to determine if he was poisoned in the US after winning the Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico (then the world’s richest race). He was a hero to a nation when we badly needed one and he created

so much excitement that he dominated the front and back pages of every newspaper worth its salt. So much has been written about him, even a film (appalling though it was) and a first-class coffee table book, but he is best remembered for one thing; he won the Cup and did it after a so-called attempt was made on his life (sounds like one of the greatest newspaper beatups I’ve ever heard – more likely a car backfiring than a shotgun missing from point-blank range!) to a delay in getting him to the track in time for the race because of engine failure (hmm). There had been many fi ne Cup winners in the years between Archer and Phar Lap including the magnificent Carbine (1890). “Old Jack” carried 65.5kg (2kg more than Rising Fast) and scored handsomely. He was later sold to the Duke of Portland and stood at stud in England, where he produced the English Derby winner, Spearmint. Carbine carried the “greatest ever tag” until Phar Lap came along 40 years later. Shortly after Phar Lap came another of the crowd favourites – Peter Pan a fl ashy chestnut with a silver mane and tail who won the Cup

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BRUNO CANNATELLI

THE GREAT RACE

THE DIVA: Makybe Diva, after winning three Melbourne Cups, joined Phar Lap and Bart Cummings as part of racing’s folklore.

in 1932 and again in 1934. In his second win Peter Pan carried 62.5kg on extremely heavy ground and won by three lengths (ofﬁcially – it looks more like ﬁve). Such was his popularity, or maybe the thought of seeing “the new Phar Lap”, the gates were bursting with 90,000 attending despite the fact that it started raining in the morning and didn’t stop all day. Under those conditions it is doubtful that a large percentage of the 90,000 got to see the great horse that day but one thing I’m sure of – those who were there came for the racing, for a chance to see the horse. But more about that later. The beautiful thing about the Melbourne Cup, the single most important ingredient, was its appeal to the masses. Carbine, Phar Lap and Peter Pan were champions of their time and racegoers loved them. They were expected to run in the Cup and they did and they won and the crowds would have stories to tell their grandchildren. But the champion and the wealthy owner did not always win, in fact it was the reverse. Being a handicap, the so called “little man” had a chance. Bitalli won the Cup in 1923, going into the race with just one previous win and therefore being weighted on 44.5kg. He bolted in landing some huge bets that caused him

to start favourite. He never won again (hmm, again). In 1936, two years after Peter Pan’s triumphant second Cup win, Wotan won the Cup. He didn’t land any betting plunges. He started 100-1 and was “unders”. After performing poorly at his last race as a three-year-old, his New Zealand owners tried to give him away but couldn’t ﬁnd any takers. The following year he somehow managed to ﬁnd his way to our shores and came from last to win in track-record time. (hmm, again). The “Bitallis” and “Wotans” of the racing world have kept winning, but so too have some wonderful gallopers. Light Fingers refusing to let stablemate Ziema get past her in 1965. No wonder Roy Higgins loved her and wouldn’t allow a picture of another horse on the walls of his home. And Galilee, what a horse he was. I doubt I will see a better “two miler”. He won the Cup in 1966, beating Light Fingers who just couldn’t respond when this sports model car unleashed a staggering sprint in the home straight to score with utter contempt for his rivals. Light Fingers, Galilee, Red Handed (1967) – that was three in a row for Bart Cummings. People were asking could he equal Etienne De Mestre’s record? Well, we had to wait

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‘ And Galilee, what a horse he was. I doubt I will see a better ‘two miler’.

’

another seven-eight years for that to happen when Bart produced Think Big to win in 1974 and 1975. In 1974 Think Big beat the glamour mare Leilani and Bart said: “I’ve beaten myself”. The following year he did the same when Holiday Waggon provided the quinella. The following year he had the runner-up Gold And Black on the Van Der Hum bog track, but Gold And Black came back in 1977 and won. Cummings has become part of Melbourne Cup folklore. Presently his record stands at 11 winners of the Cup (ﬁve quinellas). He is the Cups king and each year the ﬁrst thing early Cup players do is look up the Cummings entries. He has been quoted many times on how to prepare a Melbourne Cup winner. The theories range from running over a certain number of miles in the lead-up, to needing at least one 2400-metre race. Then he might do something completely different and step Saintly straight out of winning the Cox Plate in 1996 to the Cup win 10 days later. A million words have been written about Cummings and he is an incomparable horseman. A trackwatcher I know and respect

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told me one day that he was standing next to the great man one morning when Bart raised his binoculars and instructed a staff member to have a particular horse treated for ear lice. To the bemused trackwatcher, who could barely see the horse about 100 metres away, Bart turned and said: “You can tell by the way he is flicking his ears.” We could fill these pages with Bart quotes but my favourite: Female reporter to Bart after a big race win: “Bart, tell us the secret of your success.” Bart: “Horses.” Another great Cummings quote, this time belonging to his son, Anthony. “My father taught me everything I know,” said Anthony. “Unfortunately, he didn’t teach me everything he knows.” In the past 20 years the only challenger to Cummings has been Lee Freedman, who won his first Melbourne Cup with Tawriffic in 1989 and followed up with Subzero (1992), Doriemus (1995 and the great Makybe Diva (2004-05). David Hall trained the mighty mare when she won her first Cup in 2003. Makybe Diva was immortalised at Flemington in September on Makybe Diva Stakes day when the bronze statue of her is unveiled. Only two others have been honoured in this way at our greatest track, Phar Lap and Bart Cummings. The trio are synonymous with the Melbourne Cup.

he year after Makybe Diva’s third triumph, the race changed maybe forever. Two Japanese horses, Delta Blues and Pop Rock, drew well clear of the rest of the ﬁeld and showed they were clearly superior stayers to the local product. We had seen the race begin to change when Vintage Crop (1993) and later Media Puzzle (2002) won for Dermot Weld. The world’s biggest stable, Godolphin, began sending contenders and

fter an apprenticeship on the punt and a growing love of racing I was fortunate enough to become a cadet journalist with what at the time was recognised at the best form guide in Victoria (as well as many other titles). It was the Melbourne Truth and I loved it. I worked for a great racing editor in Ron Taylor and learned quickly the need to work fast but accurately. It was from there that I would go on to work for all the Melbourne metropolitan newspapers and eventually end with the Melbourne Herald where the biggest job of the year was to do the Melbourne Cup story – write the whole front page story in less than 15 minutes. I had watched my predecessor, Jack Elliott, ﬁle the Melbourne Cup story many times and marvelled at the speed of the

man. By the same token I was not surprised because Jack was a remarkable man. Give him a challenge and he would say, “next”. Many people wouldn’t know it but Jack was the man who had the time the Melbourne Cup run changed to 2.40pm. from what used to be an earlier time. He simply went to the VRC and told them that if they ran the race at 2.40pm he would guarantee that The Herald would run the picture of the Cup finish and a front-page story in that evening edition. The VRC saw the tremendous publicity that it would generate and agreed. When The Herald folded in 1990 the Cup was put back to its present time. I don’t know how much time Jack had, but I know that my first Cup for The Herald in 1987 was restricted to a 3pm cutoff. It didn’t matter if there was a delay at the start, a horse bolted or the roof fell in. It was 3pm because that was when the printers started to roll. Lord, how we prayed that there was never a protest. Now filling the front page in 10-15 minutes is a daunting

‘ Now filling the

front page in 10-15 minutes is a daunting task.

’

task even if you can babble out words like a machine gun to some of the world’s greatest copytakers (and they were). You knew you were looking at 30-40 paragraphs, which made it near impossible so we ﬁgured out a way of writing copy before the race. I would talk to a few bookies, chat to trainers with runners, punters, anyone who could be useful. Then about 30 minutes before the Cup was run, you would start the story: “A mighty roar greeted 24 runners as they thundered out of the stalls and as usual the early pace was fast as jockeys edged their way into a position … bookmakers said it was one of the biggest betting Cups in memory … pap, pap, pap etc.” The idea was that you ﬁlled it up with enough “junk” so that when you started the real story it would be placed on top and gradually push the junk further down as you delivered the story of the race. Brilliant, it got you rolling knowing every line you said was pushing the other stuff further out of reach. At 3pm the copytaker simply said: Stop! There was no more time. That’s when it was time for a stiff drink. I headed for the members’ bar and as I walked through the mounting yard I saw the connections of Kensei being escorted to the committee room. It ran through my mind. My

story and the front page picture were already being printed. The Herald would be selling outside the racecourse by the time they made their way to the carpark. Back then you could still walk through the carpark but things have changed with the advent of corporate boxes and marquees. Talking with a VRC employee after the 2007 Melbourne Cup we were discussing the restructuring of Flemington. Without any malice whatsoever he noted that as much as the club wanted everything to be put in the right place, there were always keen eyes looking for another spot, anywhere, that might allow another marquee or seven to be ﬁtted in. Such is the remarkable demand in this present age, when going to the Cup (or these days, also the Derby, the Oaks or Final day) is as much or more a social occasion than just a day at the races. To each his own. I work in the corporate boxes and marquees during the Spring Carnival and thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere. But if you think back to the 90,000 who stood in the rain to watch Peter Pan win his second Melbourne Cup you know that many of today’s patrons have a different outlook. Stand in the rain to watch a horse race? Goodness no! “The Manolo Blahniks might get muddy.”

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE VICTORIA RACING CLUB

promised to keep sending them until it won the race. And then the Japanese showed an interest – after Eye Popper ran second in the 2005 Caulfield Cup, they sent in some big guns. Last year they were kept at bay by the equine influenza crisis. Quarantine will prevent them from coming again this year but they won when they tried and they will be back with samurai-style stayers again. The European invasion was headed by Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien, who has seemed to be captivated by the atmosphere of the Cup on his visits in the past two years. In 2006 he saddled up the joint favourite Yeats, who finished seventh behind Delta Blues, and last year the Irishman wasn’t far away with third placegetter Mahler. Luca Cumani also had last year’s runner-up, Purple Moon. The Cup is becoming internationally recognised as a race and as a target for the world’s best stayers. In other words, it is going to become harder to keep the Cup at home.

SPORTS CAR ON LEGS: Ray Huxley doubts he will see a better “two-miler” than Galilee, pictured beating stablemate Light Fingers in the 1966 Melbourne Cup.

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THE GREAT RACE

Facts and Figures – Emirates Melbourne Cup Leading Trainers Trainer Bart Cummings

Lee Freedman

Etienne de Mestre

Wins 11

Walter Hickenbothan 4

Current Jockeys Horse (Year)

Jockey

Wins

Horse (Year)

Light Fingers (1965) Galilee (1966) Red Handed (1967) Think Big (1974–75) Gold And Black (1977) Hyperno (1979) Kingston Rule (1990) Let’s Elope (1991) Saintly (1996) Rogan Josh (1999)

Glen Boss

Makybe Diva (2003–04-05)

Darren Beadman

Kingston Rule (1990) Saintly (1996)

Jim Cassidy

Kiwi (1983) Might And Power (1997)

Damien Oliver

Doriemus (1995) Media Puzzle (2002)

Tawrifﬁc (1989) Subzero (1992) Doriemus (1995) Makybe Diva (2004) Makybe Diva (2005)

Shane Dye

Tawrifﬁc (1989)

Yasunari Iwata

Delta Blues (2006)

Archer (1861) Archer (1862) Tim Whifﬂer (1867) Chester (1877) Calamia (1878)

Michael Kinane

Vintage Crop (1993)

Steven King

Let’s Elope (1991)

Kerrin McEvoy

Brew (2000)

Mentor (1888) Newhaven (1896) Carbine (1890) Blue Spec (1905)

Chris Munce

Jezabeel (1998)

Michael Rodd

Efﬁcient (2007)

Scott Seamer

Ethereal (2001)

James Scobie

Clean Sweep (1900) Bitalli (1923) King Ingoda (1922) Trivalve (1927)

Richard Bradﬁeld

Patron (1894) The Victory (1902) Night Watch (1918) Backwood (1924)

Winners By Age

John Tait

The Barb (1866) Glencoe (1868) The Pearl (1871) The Quack (1872

Age

Wins

Breakdown

3YO

colts/geldings, 1941 Skipton (colt) 3 ﬁllies 1921 Sister Olive (ﬁlly)

4YO

5 mares

2007 Efﬁcient (gelding) 2001 Ethereal (mare)

Leading Jockeys Jockey

Wins

Horse (Year)

Last winner

Bobbie Lewis

The Victory (1902) Patrobas (1915) Artilleryman (1919) Trivalve (1927)

5YO

2 mares

1995 Doriemus (gelding) 2003 *Makybe Diva (mare)

Harry White

Think Big (1974–75) Arwon (1978) Hyperno (1979)

6YO (gelding)

4 mares

Glen Boss

Makybe Diva (2003, 2004, 2005)

2002 *Media Puzzle 2004 *Makybe Diva (mare) 2007 *Delta Blues (entire)

Jim Johnson

Gatum Gatum (1963) Rain Lover (1968–69)

7YO

2 mares

1999 Rogan Josh (gelding) 2005 *Makybe Diva (mare)

Bill McLachlan

Prince Foote (1909) Comedy King (1910) Westcourt (1917)

8YO

no mares

1938 Catalogue (gelding)

Jack Purtell

Hiraji (1947) Wodalla (1953) Rising Fast (1954)

Darby Munro

Peter Pan (1934) Sirius (1944) Russia (1946)

Current Trainers Trainer

Wins

Horse (Year)

*bred to Northern Hemisphere time

Winning Barriers (1924-2007) Barrier Wins Last Won 1 4 1990 2 2 1997 3 3 2002 4 4 1987 5 5 1993 6 5 1965 7 2 2004 8 4 1957 9 4 2007 10 5 2006 11 7 2001 12 2 1949

Barrier Wins Last Won 13 2 1970 14 6 2005 15 1 1971 16 3 1998 17 4 1986 18 19 5 1967 20 2 1988 21 3 1999 22 3 2000 23 2 1976 24 3 1973

Bart Cummings

Light Fingers (1965) Galilee (1966) Red Handed (1967) Think Big (1974–75) Gold And Black (1977) Hyperno (1979) Kingston Rule (1990) Let’s Elope (1991) Saintly (1996) Rogan Josh (1999)

Lee Freedman

Tawrifﬁc (1989) Subzero (1992) Doriemus (1995) Makybe Diva (2004) Makybe Diva (2005)

George Hanlon

Piping Lane (1972) Arwon (1978) Black Knight (1984)

*Barrier stalls introduced in 1958

Dermot Weld

Vintage Crop (1993) Media Puzzle (2002)

Winning Saddlecloths (1877-2007)

Jack Denham

Might And Power (1997)

David Hall

Makybe Diva (2003)

David Hayes

Jeune (1994)

Brian Jenkins

Jezabeel (1998)

Laurie Laxon

Empire Rose (1988)

Sheila Laxon

Ethereal (2001)

John Meagher

What A Nuisance (1985)

Michael Moroney

Brew (2000)

Graeme Rogerson

Efﬁcient (2007)

Katsuhiko Sumii

Delta Blues (2006)

S/cloth Wins Last Won 1 9 2005 2 7 2006 3 4 1997 4 11 1986 5 7 2004 6 8 2007 7 2 1981 8 8 1992 9 5 1957 10 3 1937 11 7 1988 12 11 2003

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S/cloth Wins Last Won 13 6 2001 14 4 2002 15 5 1991 16 3 1972 17 5 1999 18 1 1932 19 6 1942 20 3 1897 21 1 1923 22 4 1998 23 2 1922 24 4 2000

Facts and Figures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Emirates Melbourne Cup Points Of Interest

â&#x20AC;˘ Delta Blues (2006) is the ďŹ rst Japanese-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup. â&#x20AC;˘ EfďŹ cient (2007) became the ďŹ rst Victoria Derby winner to win the Cup as a 4YO since Phar Lap in 1930. â&#x20AC;˘ In 2008, it was discovered that the Cup won by Wodalla in 1953, which was recycled by the VRC and presented to the owners of the 1980 winner Beldale Ball, was, in fact, the Cup won by Phar Lap in 1930. â&#x20AC;˘ Melbourne Cup â&#x20AC;&#x153;ďŹ rstsâ&#x20AC;?: â&#x20AC;&#x201C; First run in 1861 (winner Archer), on a Thursday. Continued on Thursday until 1874 (apart from 1863 when run on Friday). First prize was 710 pounds (winner take all). â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Run on Tuesday for the

bend at the half-mile (800m) for the ďŹ rst Cup won by Archer in 1861.

ďŹ rst time in 1875 (won by Wollomai). The Cup has been run four times on a Saturday: 1916 (postponement due to weather); 1942-44 (World War II). The ďŹ rst â&#x20AC;&#x153;ďŹ rst Tuesday in Novemberâ&#x20AC;? Cup was in 1876 (won by Briseis). â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In the 1861-62 Cups, the ďŹ rst and second horses (and riders) ďŹ nished in the same order, the only time this has happened. Archer (J. Cutts) beat Mormon (W. Simpson). Mormon was favourite in 1861, while Archer was favourite in 1862. Winning margins were six lengths and eight lengths. â&#x20AC;˘ Start from existing area â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the straight six (1200m course) at Flemington â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was introduced in 1862 (race won by Archer). The Cup was started on the

â&#x20AC;˘ Cup trophy in its existing form â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1919 (won by Artilleryman). â&#x20AC;˘ Camera ďŹ nish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ďŹ rst used to determine the winner in 1948 (won by RimďŹ re). Some controversy followed and the camera was re-aligned in 1949.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BRUNO CANNATELLI

â&#x20AC;˘ No winning mare has produced a Melbourne Cup winner.

â&#x20AC;˘ Barrier stalls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ďŹ rst used for the Cup in 1958 (won by Baystone). â&#x20AC;˘ Imported winner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1910 (Comedy King). â&#x20AC;˘ Million dollar cup â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1985 (won by What A Nuisance) â&#x20AC;˘ First 3200m â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1972 (won by Piping Lane). Distance reduced by 61.44 feet (18.7m) on two miles.

Delta Blues: The ďŹ rst Japanese Melbourne Cup winner..

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PASSION FOR THE JOB

The man who sells the Cup

eigh Jordon is the classic case of the paperboy who eventually moved up the line to take control of the newsagency. Jordon, who comes from a non-racing background, has worked his way through racing’s administration system, straight from university and the National Bank in 1987 to the important position in 2008 of Director of Racing International Operations for Racing Victoria Limited. While Jordon’s portfolio in racing is vast – it includes everything from race programming to track maintenance – it is in the spring that Jordon becomes public property as the attention is drawn to the international visitors in Melbourne for the Spring Carnival, particularly the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Jordon is not only responsible for enticing northern hemisphere owners and trainers to Melbourne, but also the intricate, and occasionally challenging, job of looking after them when they arrive. The international development, and success, of the Melbourne Cup has been largely due to Jordon and his predecessors from the VRC and RVL – Les Benton, Mark Player and Stephen Allanson – who pioneered the growth in international interest in Australia’s greatest race. Jordon believes that the Cup carnival sells itself, especially in Europe. No longer is there the need to spruik the carnival in the style of a Lygon

82 THE THOROUGHBRED

HARD SELL: Leigh Jordon is gearing up for an inﬂux of overseas contenders for the 2008 Spring Carnival.

Street restaurateur. “The only hard sell we are up against is that the other countries offer travel incentives whereas we don’t. We rely on the strength of our prizemoney,” Jordon said. The sixth to 10th placegetters in the Melbourne Cup in 2008 will receive $125,000 each. “The thing we do better than anybody, I believe, is the level of service we offer when the internationals arrive in Melbourne. For instance, we have an RVL person in the quarantine yard (at Sandown) every morning to cater for their needs. “Some trainers are on their ﬁrst trip, and sometimes the kids who come out with the horses are inexperienced about what to expect, so it is important that we look after them the best we can. It is a talking point in Europe about the way the Australians look after the visitors.” Jordon cites Englishman Brian Ellison, who maintains his desire to return to Australia with a

good horse despite three years of disastrous attempts to run in the Melbourne Cup with Carte Diamond (badly injured in a track gallop at Flemington in 2005) and Bay Story (put down after breaking a leg at Flemington in 2007). Jordon, who cut his teeth in racing administration developing the highly successful VOBIS and SuperVOBIS racing and breeding schemes, worked for a year under Allanson before taking the job full-time in 2006 when Allanson accepted the position of RVL chief executive. “The good thing about Stephen at the time was that he didn’t hog the limelight. He gave me the important areas of Japan and North America to cover,” Jordon said. “It was a great thrill for me when on my ﬁrst trip to Japan, I was able to get Katsumi Yoshida to send Eye Popper to Melbourne, and he ran that great second in the Caulﬁeld Cup behind Railings (in 2005).

“That paved the way for Yoshida to quinella the Cup a year later with Delta Blues and Pop Rock.” Jordon also has a vision of encouraging trainers to aim for races other than the BMW Caulﬁeld Cup, Tatts Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup. “The Age Classic (on the last day of the Carnival) is now a leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, and I am sure we will see horses from Hong Kong, Japan and Europe running in that race as it is set between the Sprinters Stakes in Japan and the International Sprint in Hong Kong,” he said. “And now that the Emirates Stakes is worth $1 million, there is a growing interest in that race, especially for horses that are not up to the level of the Breeders’ Crown. “We can’t compete with the Breeders’ Crown series (in North America), which is run at the same time as the Cup. We should stick to our policy of targeting the right horses for our races.” Jordon is a racing administrator who has enjoyed the social side of racing with a large syndicate of mates under the name of the Mad Syndicate, which has raced horses with the “mad” preﬁ x, the best being the top race mare Mad Shavirl (B m 1991, Navajo Bird-Over Star, by Star Way), a Stakes winner of nine races and $218,000 in prizemoney in the mid-1990s. From that fateful day in 1987 when former VRC chief executive Rod Johnson said, “son, you’ve got the job”, Jordon has been sold on racing.

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PHOTO BY SEAN GARNSWORTHY (THE SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP)

Leigh Jordon has made a rapid rise through racing’s ranks, and one of his major responsibilities is to look after the international visitors to the Melbourne Cup. WORDS DANNY POWER