Inside Headquarters Issue 2 2023

ISSUE 2 2023

HARD TO BEAT WIDGEE TURF ENJOYS A NEW PACE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

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CONTENTS

5 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 6 CEO’S MESSAGE

8 From a Kiwi stable of just a dozen horses, trainers Bev and Ken Kelso produced the 2023 Australian Guineas winner, Legarto, which is the first New Zealand-trained horse to take out the top honours. A DREAM COME TRUE

12 GOING AT A DIFFERENT PACE

Group 3 winner Widgee Turf was taken in by the legendary horse family the Egans following his retirement and is now living a quiet but fulfilling life in the high country of Victoria.

As King Charles takes the reins of the Royal family’s thoroughbred interests, their loyal Bloodstock and Racing Advisor, John Warren CVO is hoping that a strong, tough Australian filly at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting will bring some joy. ALL THE KING’S HORSES

We reflect on the legacy left behind by jockey Dean Holland, who was tragically taken too soon. VALE DEAN HOLLAND

Mariah Kaminski has loved horses her entire life. Now, whilst running Stonewood Agistment Farm at Mornington and working as a pre-trainer and strapper for stables keeps her busy, she wouldn’t have it any other way. A LIFELONG LOVE TAJ ROSSI: THE BEST 3YO FOR BART AND ROY Taj Rossi blazed a trail of success in the spring of 1973, and we look back at his remarkable career. 50 years on, Flemington will once again host the final of the Taj Rossi Series in July. 24

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Publisher: Jo King Editor: Celia Purdey VRC Managing Editor: Adele Pace Design: Different Drum COVER PHOTOGRAPH Victoria’s stunning high country is heaven for ex-racehorse Widgee Turf.

GOLDEN GLORY Lucy Yeomans talks about her life from a pony-mad toddler and talented eventer to soon-to-be co-trainer at Kennewell Racing. 28 KEEPING UP THE PACE As the manager of the Wimmera Racing Club and overseeing eight racing clubs in the busy region, Penny Penfold is adamant she could not do it all without the support of the racing community. 32 Deane Lester was an admired racing analyst and mentor to jockeys in the industry, and we pay tribute to this legendary figure. VALE DEANE LESTER

For all membership enquiries, please contact VRC Customer Service on 1300 727 575.

Inside Headquarters is published by the Victoria Racing Club Limited (ACN 119 214 078).

THE CLUB AND THE COMMUNITY The Victoria Racing Club has a long and proud history of supporting the community through a number of programs. We recap some of the work we have been doing with charities and other programs over the last 12 months.

All contents are copyright and cannot be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. VRC, Flemington, Melbourne Cup Carnival, and Racing Rewards logos, “Melbourne Cup”, “the race that stops a nation”, and “the celebration that stops a nation” are all trademarks of Victoria Racing Club Limited. Copyright of the logos and other content in this magazine is owned by Victoria Racing Club Limited or used under licence from third parties. All rights reserved. Photography: Photographs of members and their guests may be taken in Members Enclosures and may appear in Club publications and brochures. Please advise the photographer if you do not wish to be photographed. Photographers are asked to respect members’ wishes in this regard, but any member may nevertheless be incidentally included as part of a crowd or background. VRC photography courtesy of Getty Images, Racing Photos, GAZi Photography, Lucas Dawson Photography, Igor Sapina and other sources as listed.

MOVEABLE FEASTS A recent guest chef of the VRC at the Long Lunch in March, Charlie Carrington’s cooking philosophy embraces the diversity of the world and all of its wonders. We catch up with him about what is on the menu this winter. STRONG AND BOLD RULES THE RUNWAYS 44 The Melbourne winter has arrived, and its the perfect time to don a chic jacket to the track. Former Vogue editor Kirstie Clements brings us updates straight from the European catwalks about the trends to take on.

A SPECTACULAR AUTUMN 46

We recap Flemington Racing Spectacular, where racing, community and family were all celebrated in a carnival atmosphere.

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CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

products within the Members Enclosures, including dining and car parks. In the first quarter of this year, the VRC announced the results on an independent study conducted by IER on the significant economic impact delivered by Cup Week. The Melbourne Cup Carnival confirmed its status as the number one economic generator of any annual sporting event in Australia with $422.1 million in gross economic benefit delivered to the state of Victoria in 2022. The event provided more than 16,000 jobs and delivered more than 60,000 visitors to the state. We are incredibly proud of the contribution that Australia’s first major event continues to make to Victoria and Australia. The magic of the Lexus Melbourne Cup continues to attract people from across the world, but here in Australia, a total of 10.3 million adults, or one in every two, engaged in Lexus Melbourne Cup Day last year through watching, listening or participating in an activity to celebrate the day. That engagement is evident in initiatives such as the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, where we have seen a record number of applications to host the 21st annual Tour. We look forward to announcing this year’s tour destinations at the launch on the 6th of June. I thank members for their continued support of your club and I hope to see you at one of our many upcoming race days or events.

James Cummings over the Flemington Racing Spectacular, with Cummings, jockey Ben Melham and eight-year-old gelding Cascadian combining to win the Group 1 TAB Australian Cup which had been elevated to $3 million prize money for the first time. Australian Guineas Day produced a special victory for Matamata based trainers Ken and Bev Kelso who won the Group 1 Australian Guineas. Their exceptional filly Legarto is one of only a handful of horses in training for the husband and wife pair and helped realise a dream for New Zealand thoroughbred racing when becoming the first Kiwi-trained horse to win the Australian Guineas. Never far away from the winner’s circle is Gai Waterhouse and it was Gai and co-trainer Adrian Bott who secured the first of six golden tickets into the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup with Goldman with his win in the revamped Lexus Roy Higgins. The race was part of the new standalone TAB Australian Cup Day and offered direct entry into the Lexus Melbourne Cup. A win by Goldman in the Lexus Melbourne Cup would be fitting, given 2023 marks ten years since Gai’s famous victory in the great race with Fiorente. We recently saw Lunar Flare win the second golden ticket into the Lexus Melbourne Cup for Michael Dee and Grahame Begg with victory in the Listed Lexus Andrew Ramsden (2800m). During the months of February and March, the Club increased its engagement to support new, and existing fundraising initiatives. Black Caviar Lightning Race Day saw 3AW’s Ross Stevenson’s sold-out Love Letter to Racing event raise more than $14,000 for the VRC’s 2023 Pin & Win partner Australian Childhood Foundation. More than $50,000 was raised across the three March race days for the Childhood and Racehorse Movement (CARM) and the Good Friday Appeal. On Australian Guineas Day, more than $9,000 was raised for CARM while $41,000 was donated to the Good Friday Appeal as a result of fundraising initiatives on Super Saturday and TAB Australian Cup Day. Planning is well underway for the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival, and we look forward to sharing more details with members, sponsors, partners and the public in the coming months. In July, members will receive their 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival Guide , detailing information on all member exclusive

W elcome to the second edition of Inside Headquarters for 2023. It is with deep sadness that we reflect on the passing of both Dean Holland and Deane Lester earlier this year. Dean and Deane were an important part of racing at Flemington and friends to so many in our industry. Their loss has affected the wider racing community and the VRC continues to keep the families of Dean and Deane in our thoughts with plans already underway to create ongoing recognition of their lives and contribution to racing. We thank those people who immediately attended to the jockeys and horses involved in racing incidents during March at Flemington. Medical team members were quick to assist Mark Zahra, Ethan Brown, Craig Williams and Jamie Kah and we wish those riders well with their recoveries. Horses Holymanz, Maximilius, Dubenenko and Flyball were returned to the care of their stables with no significant injuries. These events are a reminder of the dangers faced by jockeys every day and the level of bravery and courage displayed by horsemen and women across the country. A memory we will treasure forever at Flemington is the win of Dean Holland in our most prestigious sprint, the Group 1 Yulong Stud Newmarket Handicap over 1200 meters down the Flemington straight. Dean was a humble winner of the race after picking up the ride on In Secret following the fall of Jamie Kah. It was a very special moment for me to have had the privilege to present the winning Jockey trophy to Dean. I will never forget the joy on his face. The Yulong Stud Newmarket Handicap was one of two feature race wins for trainer

Neil Wilson CHAIRMAN

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CEO’S MESSAGE

the VRC Equine Wellbeing Fund. The RDA Pakenham Committee and their members are incredibly passionate and the Subzero Arena will open up more opportunity for the community to enjoy horse-related activities. We look forward to seeing strong member attendance across winter, as members enjoy the warmth and comfort of Flemington’s world class venues and hope you enjoy this edition of Inside Headquarters .

to ensure that we continue to provide a world-class environment and the best service possible. The VRC will not cap the number of restricted members to allow for future growth. There is still room within the cap to elevate to a full membership and we hope to be able to reach that cap in the coming seasons and encourage members to introduce their family and friends to VRC membership. Final preparations are underway for the 2023/24 Membership Renewals, with members due to receive their Membership Renewal communications in June – please keep an eye on your inbox. We continue to focus on all membership categories and members will note from next racing season that Junior members will have access to all four days of Cup Week, which has previously been restricted. This ensures that all members of the family can enjoy the magic of Cup Week together. Looking ahead, winter racing is where some of racing’s stars hone their craft, with horses such as Giga Kick and Passive Aggressive bursting onto the scene at Flemington during the winter months last year. Coming up is the VRC National Jockeys Trust Race Day and in June, Flemington will welcome back the Good Friday Appeal as our charity partner for VRC Community Race Day to celebrate the record-breaking tally of $22.3 million raised for our neighbour, The Royal Children’s Hospital, ensuring that they can continue to deliver world-leading paediatric care. Community Race Day features a special VRC/MCC Members Event and will be followed by VRC Country Race Day later in June. We build towards Flemington Finals Day in July before a favourite of many, VRC Members Race Day. As we head into the second half of the year, we reflect on what has been a busy first six months for the VRC, both at Flemington and within our extended community. The VRC and the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Pakenham were delighted to recently launch the new horse-riding facility, the Subzero Arena. Located at RDA’s Pakenham property, the arena honours one of racing’s greatest heroes. The Subzero Arena was a collaboration between the VRC and RDA Pakenham, with the VRC donating a special synthetic material that has been re-purposed from the Flemington training track plus nearly $60,000 from

A t Flemington over February and that was enjoyed right across course. We saw strong member and crowd engagement overall, with 637 people attending all three March race days and nearly 50,000 people attend four Group 1 race days in February and March, including the highest crowd on Black Caviar Lightning Day in a decade. Over that period there was also a number of well received and attended events including the VRC Members NGV Private Viewing – Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse ; the Flemington Racing Spectacular Long Lunch; and the very March, we saw not only great racing but kind weather and an environment exclusive Racing Hearts experience, which showcased the great work by one of our community partners at Racing Hearts. I would like to thank those members that formed part of the inaugural members advisory group. This new member initiative provides the club with a clear forum for member feedback. The group were able to share their views on key topics, issues and ideas relating to the VRC Membership and experience at Flemington. It is valuable feedback to our team that helps inform decision making and future opportunities. Off the back of the activity on and off course in recent months, we have seen a significant member renewal rate and the addition of new members. We are proud to be fast approaching 33,000 members, the second-highest number in the history of the VRC. The membership cap we announced earlier this year of 30,000 full members is reflective of the membership growth and

Steve Rosich CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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UPCOMING MEMBERS EVENTS AND RACE DAYS

Explore a snapshot of the thrilling race days, events and experiences coming up. To find out more visit vrc.com.au

SATURDAY 3 JUNE

SATURDAY 20 MAY

VRC NATIONAL JOCKEYS TRUST

VRC COMMUNITY RACE DAY

SATURDAY 17 JUNE

WEDNESDAY 21 & FRIDAY 23 JUNE

VRC COUNTRY RACE DAY

ROSE PRUNING WORKSHOP

SATURDAY 1 JULY

JULY 2023

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FLEMINGTON FINALS RACE DAY

VRC.COM.AU FIND OUT MORE

SATURDAY 15 JULY

VRC MEMBERS RACE DAY

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A DREAM COME TRUE From a Kiwi stable of just a dozen horses, trainers Bev and Ken Kelso have produced the 2023 Australian Guineas winner, Legarto, making history as the first New Zealand-trained horse to take out the top honours.

BY DANNY RUSSELL

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Even months later, the significance of the achievement is not lost on the Kiwi pair. “I think what hit home to me about the importance of the race was when someone posted on a website all the winners of the race, and I think I counted something like 17 or 18 stallions – horses of the calibre of Zabeel and Pins,” Kelso said. The Kelsos seemed destined to train Legarto, just as Philip Brown seemed destined to own her. They had already been racing Levante with great success. So much so that Brown, the owner of Ancroft Stud in Matamata, was determined to buy and race another Proisir filly. “We had Levante, she was our first Proisir mare,” Kelso explained. “She was such an outstanding mare with great temperament and great ability. So we thought we’d go back and look for another one and that’s where we found Legarto. So, we were quite lucky.” Kelso might be overplaying their luck and underplaying their ability to pinpoint a standout yearling. The pair had traveled to the Karaka Sales in 2021 with two Proisir fillies in mind. Their first choice turned out to be Prowess in “book 1”, but they didn’t have the buying power to match fellow Kiwi trainer Roger James. James bought her for $230,000 and in March this year she won the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill. Their second choice was Legarto in “book 2”. They bought her for $90,000 and split the ownership between eight couples – the Kelsos took a 10% share. It was not long before they knew they had something special. “I think it was when she went to the Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa (in October last year), which was a Group 3, and she won it by three lengths – Prowess (3rd) was in that race as well,” Kelso explains. “She won it with so much authority and I turned to Philip Brown who was sitting beside me, and I said, ‘it’s hard to believe, but lightning might have struck twice’. And he

Legarto’s win in the Australian Guineas was thrilling down to the final seconds.

T hey told Ken Kelso he was coming to Australia to run second. “You won’t beat Jacquinot in the Australian Guineas” the naysayers and so-called experts said. But Kelso thought otherwise. The no- nonsense, straight-shooting Kiwi trainer was quietly confident his horse could prove them wrong. He and his co-trainer wife, Bev Kelso, had a lot of faith in Legarto. They had seen the Proisir filly do things at home that no other horse had done in their 45-year training partnership. She could finish a race like a runaway train. But sometimes even trains can hit dead ends. In the home straight, the Kelsos would have happily settled for second – or even third. “It looked like we were getting held up and we were only going to run fourth, fifth or sixth,” Kelso recalls. “I remember my wife screaming at the TV in the trainer’s room at Flemington: ‘run third, run third’, which, obviously, was for us to try and get some black type.” By the 200m mark of the 1600m Group 1 Guineas, Attrition had hit the front and Legarto was still waiting for clear room – she was spotting

the leader two lengths and was only just beginning to start a run. The naysayers and so-called experts appeared to be right: she was never going to win. Even history was against her – no Kiwi-trained galloper had ever saluted in the Australian Guineas. Then Legarto unleashed something special. Jockey Michael Dee was able to navigate his way out from behind Japanese Emperor and then let the runaway train loose. Incredibly, Legarto passed Attrition in the shadows of the post. Japanese Emperor finished second and Jacquinot crossed the line in sixth. Kelso was right: Legarto could do things other horses could not do. “The way she picked herself up in that last 100m, it was really outstanding,” Kelso said. “I was stunned. I said to the TV presenter, I think it was Bruce McAvaney, ‘Can you pinch me to make sure I’m not dreaming?’.” Kelso was far from dreaming. He had witnessed his filly make history – the first New Zealand-trained galloper to win the race, and the first Group 1 victory in Australia for the husband and wife team.

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Guineas was her sixth win from seven starts and pushed her prize money over the $1 million mark. Straight after the Flemington race she was flown home and sent to a spelling paddock at Brown’s Ancroft Stud in anticipation of the coming spring. “The intention was to give her a six-to- eight-week spell. We don’t believe in letting them get too fat,” Kelso said. “We will get her boxed up and then make a plan on what we will do in spring.” Options include the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill or the $5 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. “Philip Brown has bred a Cox Plate winner (El Segundo), so he would love to win a Cox Plate,” Kelso said. “Whether she is a Cox Plate type of horse, I don’t know, but we’ve got so many options.” At times you think it , s getting tough but then you get a horse like Legarto or Levante , and you keep going.

Ken Kelso embraces jockey and fellow Kiwi, Michael Dee, after the incredible win.

complete with stables, at Matamata – about two hours south of Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island. The pair are now in their mid-70s, employ between one and two full-time staff, and train a dozen horses at any one time. “It works because we both love horses,” Kelso said. “We are both hands-on. It is pretty hard to work together, too, at times, but we both complement each other. Bev’s got a very good eye for detail. “At times you think it’s getting tough but then you get a horse like Legarto or Levante, and you keep going.” The Kelsos have won 13 Group 1 races in New Zealand and now one in Australia. He insists there are no secrets to their success. “Let’s face it, training is not rocket science,” Kelso said down the phone from New Zealand. “I don’t care who it is – no one can make a slow one go faster. I think it’s attention to detail. Horsemanship, that’s all it is.” Legarto’s historic victory in the Australian

said: “I think it just has’. Obviously, we were referring to Levante. “So that was when we thought, ‘gee, this thing might be something special’. And, of course, her next start after that was at Riccarton when she won the Thousand Guineas, the Group 1.” The Kelsos were heavily involved in the show jumping scene during the 1970s and almost stumbled into training because of Bev’s success with a struggling, second-hand horse. At the time, Ken was working in the civil engineering department of a hydroelectric scheme, while Bev “pre-trained the odd racehorse”. “She got offered a horse to train that hadn’t done very well in the stable,” Kelso explained. “She didn’t have a license, so the owner said, ‘go and get one’. That horse won at its second start for Bev. In 1977.” Buoyed by the success, Ken Kelso obtained his training license 12 months later. In 1979 they bought their existing 10-acre property,

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Ken and Bev Kelso’s belief in Legarto never wavered, and they were rewarded for hard work and faith.

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Victoria’s stunning high country is heaven for ex-racehorses like Widgee Turf to see out their days.

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GOING AT A DIFFERENT PACE

Retirement has never looked better for Group 3 winner Widgee Turf, taken in by legendary horse family the Egans to live out his life in the high country of Victoria.

BY MICK SHARKIE

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With Billy Egan aboard, Widgee Turf had a Group 1 placing in the 2019 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes before retiring to a life in the high country.

I n the Victorian high country, a good horse is worth its weight in gold and always has been. Horses are a part of high-country culture, they are part of everyday life. The landscape is as tough as it is beautiful, steep and unforgiving, hot in the summer and freezing in winter; this is working horse country, and the Man from Snowy River would feel right at home. It’s fitting then that Group 3 winner Widgee Turf has found his way to the high country in retirement. The son of Turffontein was a hard- nosed competitor on the racetrack with a huge will to win – they don’t come much tougher than Widgee Turf. On a farm on the outskirts of Mansfield, the unofficial capital of Victoria’s high country, Widgee Turf and a group of other ex-racehorses are being introduced to a very different pace of life by a family synonymous with racing and with high-country horses.

Billy Egan grew up in Mansfield. His father Brendan and mother Sarah always had horses around the place, thoroughbreds, stockhorses, ponies, as did his uncle Gerald, a trainer of racehorses but perhaps better known as a trainer of young jockeys – he was also a stuntman in The Man From Snowy River film. “I grew up around horses, grew up riding them, it was that sort of lifestyle where horses were just a part of everyday life,” said Egan. Despite the honest nature of working life in the area, there has always been money in Mansfield. The town was a service centre for the surrounding mining outposts during the gold rush and fortunes were made and spent on Mansfield’s streets. Recently the town has boomed again as a gateway to the snowfields of Mt Buller and a weekend escape for well- heeled Melburnians, but horses remain a constant.

“People would ride in and go to the pub, do their shopping. There’d be horses tied up in the main street. It doesn’t happen as much these days with a few more cars around but stockmen, cowboys and girls, camp drafters they’re all still around,” said Egan. Egan was always going to be a jockey, there were no two ways about it. He started his career in 2005 and despite some tough times and injuries – the latest in August 2022 when a fall at Pakenham nearly cost him the use of his left arm – he couldn’t imagine another life. A Group 1 win has eluded him so far, but good horses haven’t, and Widgee Turf was one such horse that made a particularly long- lasting impression on Egan. Egan was in the saddle when Widgee Turf made a winning debut in a Swan Hill three- year-old maiden in August 2016 and stayed in the saddle for much of the horse’s 42-start

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career, combining for nine wins, eight on metropolitan tracks, and a Group 1 placing in the 2019 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. “He was a fierce competitor, he put in 100% every time you went to the races. He was so cruisy and laid back around the stables, but like a great sportsperson, he had that white line fever when you took him to the races,” Egan said. “That turn of foot was something else. When you let him go he really took off. I can’t really describe what it was like, it felt pretty bloody good when he was at his top.” When trainer Patrick Payne called time on Widgee Turf’s racetrack career with 11 wins from 42 starts and over $1.2 million in the bank, Egan sprang into action. “As soon as he retired, I reached out to his owners Gordon and Marlene McIntosh and asked if I could take him up to the farm and look after him,” said Egan. “Mum and Dad have a great property where we retrain horses for the trails and bush riding. It gives them purpose in their lives. The horses up there are pretty spoilt and well looked after. I wanted a good life for him.” Egan has spent plenty of time with Widgee Turf while he has recovered from his latest fall, a bit of horse therapy helping to keep his mind and body healthy ahead of a return to the saddle. Recently Egan took some racing mates out for a ride, with Lindsay Park’s Will Hayes, jumps jockey Aaron Kuru and his girlfriend Laura Kane and his father Brendan all hitting the trails on retired racehorses that now call the Egan family farm home. Rather than sit around in a paddock eating grass all day, Egan reckons that horses like Widgee Turf are happiest when they are working, when they have something to do.

“He just adapted straight away to his new life. He settled in beautifully. Sometimes he gets up alongside one on a trail ride and wants to get up into a canter so that competitive spirit is still there, but you never really lose that do you?” said Egan. “Thoroughbreds can do anything physically. If they’ve got a tough mindset they’re even better. He’s got the smarts for sure, he’s so adaptable.” “He’ll have a great life up at Mansfield and he deserves it, too.” The career of Widgee Turf is a true racing fairy tale; a $4500 weanling sold through the Inglis Great Southern Sale, the horse then became a cult hero with punters thanks to his will to win and dazzling closing speed, and retired a million-dollar earner, healthy and sound. A horse that gave so many so much joy on the track, it’s only fitting that the Widgee Turf story has a happy ending. Mum and Dad have a great property where we retrain horses for the trails and bush riding. It gives them purpose in their lives. The horses up there are pretty spoilt and well looked after. I wanted a good life for him.

The wide open spaces and the mountain terrain are not only great for the horses, but the humans who are riding them benefit, as well.

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VALE DEAN HOLLAND 1988 - 2023

bloke with the big grin outside the jockey’s room who always had time for a chat. The proud dad with a kind word and a family photo to share. Holland was someone that you wanted to be around, and you felt better for being around him. No fall is taken lightly in the jockey’s room. The collective breath is held in the aftermath of an incident, colleagues wait for fallen comrades to sit up, to put their hand in the air. In the moments after Holland’s tragic fall at Donald on April 24th, the racing community prayed and hoped that the popular jockey would be OK. The news of his passing was utterly devastating, shaking the sport to its core. A young father and gifted horseman taken far too soon. Holland, 34 is survived by his partner Lucy, his four children Harley, Luca, Frankie and Lily, his parents Darren and Belinda and sister Kirstie, extended family and a legion of friends and colleagues who are proud to have called him a mate. Family and friends gathered to farewell Dean Holland at Flemington, with moving tributes from the jockey’s family and colleagues. The service concluded with a guard of honour held on the Flemington track.

There would scarcely be a more popular member of the Victorian jockey’s room than Dean Holland. His trademark grin and good-natured cheekiness were known from Warracknabeal to Flemington, the scene of his last great triumph. Holland was destined for a life in the saddle. A natural lightweight, Holland’s father and grandfather were both accomplished jockeys. Beginning his career in Adelaide in 2005 as apprentice to trainer Jon O’Connor, Holland became a respected horseman with over 1118 winners including Group and Listed wins.

He was a man who was as humble as he was talented, and he highlighted both qualities in the moments following the Newmarket Handicap in March.

Holland stepped into the breach in the absence of Jamie Kah and masterfully guided the James Cummings-trained filly In Secret to victory. His post-race interview was not the time to celebrate, instead, the welfare of his colleagues was front of mind.

Because that was Holland. The life of the party but never the centre of attention. The great mate with a shoulder to lean on. The cheeky

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ALL THE KING , S HORSES While the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year has left a hole in many aspects of her reign, the appearance of a strong, tough Australian filly at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting may soften the blow of it being the first without the former monarch.

BY PATRICK BARTLEY

John Warren CVO (left), Bloodstock and Racing Advisor to the King and Queen Consort, was the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s valued confidante and friend for many years. They are pictured here at Royal Ascot in 2013. (Max Mumby/Getty Images)

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FEATURE

S peaking exclusively to the VRC from the United Kingdom, John Warren CVO, Bloodstock and Racing Advisor to The King and Queen Consort, admitted that the absence of Queen Elizabeth will be felt across all days of one of the world’s most celebrated carnivals. “The late Queen Elizabeth loved attending Ascot and hardly ever missed a day, right back from when she was a teenager. “With its long history of Royal patronage, we are delighted that King Charles III along with Queen Camilla will carry on the tradition of attending Royal Ascot again this year. “His Majesty has taken on the late Queen’s horses along with the Queen Consort. “They’ll be looking forward to the build-up to Ascot with the hope of having some exciting runners over the week,” Warren said. Warren is also excited about this year, especially due to the presence of a number of Australian horses. Coolangatta, who has been one of Australia’s favourite sprinters in her short, but highly successful career, is now preparing for a tilt at the King’s Stand Stakes, one of the world’s most revered sprinting events. The presence of Coolangatta has not been lost on the King and Queen Consort, either, as Warren explains. “Having bred Coolangatta we (the Royal Family) are very excited to hear the news that she is being aimed at the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes on the opening day (Tuesday 20 June, with the carnival concluding on Saturday 24 June). “We only have a few mares in Australia under our Highclere Stud Australia banner but have been fortunate enough to have bred such a remarkable filly who had been beautifully trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace,” he said. Senior British Horseracing Board executive, Nick Smith explained how the Royal Family celebrates Ascot. “Whilst of course it was a shame (last year) that the late Queen was not well enough to come to Royal Ascot in the final year of her reign, there were lunches at Windsor Castle and the Royal Procession took place each day

so proud that she was taken by the facilities that we had and especially the boxes that looked out over the valley. “Dad said at the time, ‘The Queen turned to me and said ‘do you know Colin, all your horses have a room with a view, and isn’t that marvellous’,” he said. The Hayes family, on behalf of the Australian people, donated a filly that was called Australia Fair, as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977. This year some of the finest racehorses in Australia are tentatively looking to make the journey to Royal Ascot after so many Australian horses have been successful or very competitive during this week of racing that is followed by racing people across the nation. Astute bloodstock agents from Europe, Asia, America, New Zealand and Australia will be trackside monitoring all the results, not only racehorses and stallions of the future, the fillies and mares are just as much in demand for their wonderful pedigrees. No one can doubt the enthusiasm that the likes of John Warren has for this year’s meetings. Noted as one of the finest horsemen and judges of horseflesh, this year’s carnival will indeed be a different one. “It certainly would be remarkable if she (Coolangatta) makes the line up as she has a tremendous group of sporting owners, and we can’t imagine anything more exciting if she happened to pull it off,” Warren said. However, if the appearance of Coolangatta in this year’s King’s Stand Stakes can prove successful, there might not be a dry eye in the Royal Box.

with members of the Royal Family leading it, including the now King and Queen Consort on one day and the now Prince and Princess of Wales on another. Royal Ascot is very much a family visit, but as a private one, the exact details of who is attending each day isn’t confirmed until much nearer the time.” From Hong Kong, Hall of Fame trainer David Hayes remembers Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as a devoted owner who had thoroughly studied the pedigrees and the grade of races that her horses with him were contesting. “She was most fastidious at studying her horses that were coming to me to be trained and knew their pedigrees and, to a large degree, their capability. I met her through John Warren who was instrumental in establishing a relationship with the Royal Family. “But I was always taken by the fact she would ring, sometimes late at night, to discuss the performance of a horse that day or a performance going ahead. I was so appreciative at training, not just for the Queen, but for a woman who studied the backgrounds of the horses I had in my yard,” Hayes said. Hayes said that he remembered Queen Elizabeth visiting his father’s state of the art property in the Barossa Valley of Adelaide called Lindsay Park. “I was a young bloke, and I must say, Dad and Mum moved me out of the way when the day arrived. But I’ll never forget it and Dad was (Her Majesty) was most fastidious at studying her horses that were coming to me to be trained and knew their pedigrees and , to a large degree , their capability. Trainer David Hayes

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FEATURE

DID YOU KNOW? The origins of the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot can be traced back to 1807 when an area was reserved exclusively for family, guests and the Household of King George III to view the first running of the Gold Cup. The Royal Enclosure as we know it today was established in the mid-nineteenth century when the Emperor of Russia, Nicholas I, visited Ascot for the first time as a guest of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. The concern raised from an impromptu descent into the Winners’ Enclosure by the Emperor, the King of Saxony and Prince Albert to examine the winner of the Queen’s Vase, prompted authorities to enclose the area in front of the Royal Stand in 1845. Excluding the Royal Stand, this area immediately became the most exclusive part of the racecourse. (Source ascot.com)

Queen Elizabeth II was a hands-on owner and breeder, and is pictured here with her racing manager John Warren. (Max Mumby/Getty Images)

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Working with horses requires dedication, patience, and a deep understanding of the intelligent animals. Mariah Kaminski’s life is filled with them at every turn, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. A LIFELONG LOVE

BY MICHAEL MANLEY

L ife can take you in different directions and Mariah Kaminski is glad her flirtation with being a beautician at the age of 15 didn’t eventuate. Instead, she headed down the thoroughbred path and she’s more than thankful that she did. As a child Kaminski rode horses but making a career out of working in thoroughbreds wasn’t even in her thought process. “I actually wanted to do beautician work and I left it too late trying to find somewhere to go for my work experience,” Kaminski said. “My sister Elisha was already working as a track rider at Mike Moroney’s and she said come into the stable and do work experience there instead.” Sixteen years later she is completely engulfed in the world of thoroughbred racing, so much so there’s barely enough hours in the day to fulfil her multi-faceted thoroughbred involvement. Kaminski regards being involved in the equine world as a privilege and doesn’t see it as a job. Together with her partner, jockey Jake Noonan, Kaminski runs Stonewood Agistment Farm at Mornington, which they purchased in 2019. She also pre-trains horses for several stables, predominantly Moroney and Tony Noonan. (She currently has Noonan’s old galloper Steel Of Madrid and Von Mystic from Logan McGill’s stables.) She has also returned to working at Moroney’s for a couple of days a week and has five Off The Track horses, of which most compete in equestrian events. And at home, the indefatigable Kaminski also has two young boys with Noonan, Isaac 5 and Bennett 1. Kaminski said she fell in love with thoroughbred racing from

A strapper’s relationship with their horses is a special one, and this is certainly the case for Mariah Kaminski and Emissary. (George Sal/Racing Photos)

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FEATURE

Strapping Emissary for the Lexus Melbourne Cup was a huge thrill for Kaminski.

we started to get serious and we’ve worked our way up through the grades.” Linton Street and Kaminski were recently crowned the overall champions in the Novice division of the Racing Victoria (RV) Off The Track (OTT) Dressage Series, conducted at Boneo Park from December 2022 to March 2023. They have also competed in Equestrian Australia events, and he has been placed in one of the open dressage series. It’s near impossible for this horse lover to choose a favourite, but when pressed Kaminski said her favourite was probably one she called Nugget, who raced as Murcielaga. “I took him on when he retired and we’ve done a lot of jumping events. He’s more like my best mate, he’s no star.” She also has a soft spot for 21 year-old Pure Malt. “I was 15 when I got him and over the years I’ve leased him out to friends, but he’s come back to me. Kids ride him and he’s awesome with younger horses, too.” Kaminski acknowledges how busy she is but she just says: “I just make it work.” “I love horses. I’d been riding all my life and as soon as I started at the races, I loved it. It’s more like a hobby. It doesn’t matter whether they are fast or slow, I just love them.”

Kaminski strapping, and the stable decided to stick with her. “Melbourne Cup Day was awesome. I thought I’d never strap in a Cup. At one stage in the straight I thought we’d won it,” she said. “That was still a fantastic day, and a very exciting day for the team. I was very grateful for Mike allowing me to stick with him for the preparation.” Most of Moroney’s top gallopers of recent years have spent time at Kaminski’s property, including Tofane, Buffalo River, Chapada and Bermadez. Her sister Elisha also pre-trains and agists Moroney’s horses. “I’ve got a dressage arena and that’s the pre-training arena. I work with not just the spellers, but he also sends horses here for a freshen up.” She also has five retired racehorses at her property who she adores. One of her favourites is Linton Street who she strapped at Moroney’s. “He was one of mine and I had a bit to do with him. I rode him in trackwork and strapped him. When he retired, I was pretty quick to grab him,” Kaminski said. Linton Street spent time with another of Mariah’s sisters Rebecca before coming back to her in 2019. “After his first trial he came to my house …

the first moment she walked into Moroney’s stables, where she would spend her first decade in racing. Now, most of the horses she has spelling at her property are Moroney’s. She also pre- trains some for him, and the trainer will send horses to her during their preparation for a freshen up where Kaminski does dressage work with them. Late last year she also returned to working at his Flemington stables a couple of days a week which was due to her relationship with the galloper Emissary. Kaminski fell in love with Emissary when he was spelling at Stonewood Agistment farm and proved to be the catalyst for her to return to work at Flemington. That love affair almost rewarded her with racing’s ultimate prize, a Lexus Melbourne Cup, as Emissary finished second. It was Emissary who got her back to Moroney’s as a strapper last year after she stopped working at his stables several years ago. “I just fell in love with Emissary and when he returned to work, I asked whether I could strap him,” she explained. “They were really good and they said I could come in once or twice a week.” Emissary sealed the deal when he won the Heatherlie Handicap first-up at Caulfield with

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FEATURE

TAJ ROSSI: THE BEST 3YO FOR BART AND ROY

Lunar Flare’s recent run away victory on the Andrew Ramsden Stakes brought fond memories of one of the great horses of the modern era, Taj Rossi. Here’s a closer look as to ‘why’.

BY JOE MCGRATH

W hen reflecting on his stellar career, former champion jockey Roy Higgins would always talk of Light Fingers and Red Handed. His two Melbourne Cup winners from 1965 and 1967 respectively. When talking about other very good horses he rode – and there were many – he always paused before talking about Taj Rossi. For some reason there was a deep appreciation of a horse with a constitution unseen in most thoroughbreds. As cited in a biography written by Patrick Bartley called Roy Higgins – Australia’s Favourite Jockey a chapter was dedicated to Taj Rossi, Tontonan and Leilani. On Taj Rossi he rated him as the best 3YO he ever rode: “His spring was incredible,” Higgins reflected in 2009 after another Cummings-trained star, So You Think, won the Cox Plate. “His only real failure, if you could call it that, was a fourth in the Caulfield Guineas. I settled third on the fence and that’s where he finished, under a stranglehold. “I was waiting for something to move but nothing did. I was climbing over their backs. I said to Bart (that) he could have won by two lengths.” Next start Taj Rossi took on the older horses at Moonee Valley in the W.S. Cox Plate (2000m) then reverted back to his own age group in the Victoria Derby (2500m) a week later. He would then drop back to a mile one week after that to run in the George Adams Hcp (1600m) and then go on and

Bart Cummings described Taj Rossi as incredibly tough, and the best 3YO he raced. (Michael Jeffery/VRC Collection)

is one of the best, if not the best three-year- old Australia has known in the last fifty years.’” Cummings would also say in his autobiography titled Bart - My Life : “There was nothing Taj Rossi couldn’t do that spring (1973). I thought Taj Rossi was the best three-year-old ever to have raced, certainly the best I’d trained, and believed that the sky was the limit for him. But he caught a stomach virus the next autumn and just wasn’t the same.” Taj Rossi was raced by Melbourne businessman Victor Peters who, along with his wife Lila, also raced the very good Fulmen in the late 1960s. Their colours of white with

return to his own age group in the Sandown Guineas (1600m) the following week. He won them all! In a spring that was extraordinary, Taj Rossi went on to be judged Australian Champion Racehorse for the 1973–74 season. 2023 marks the 50-year anniversary since the son of Matrice dominated the Melbourne racetracks. Arguably, we are yet to see his like again. Bartley’s recount of Taj Rossi goes on to document: “Taj Rossi won nine races from 21 starts with most of them coming from his three-year-old season and earned this plaudit from his trainer: ‘All along I have said that he

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FEATURE

Interestingly, through the Grahame Begg trained Lunar Flare, an ironic winner of the 2022 VRC The Bart Cummings (G2) at Flemington on Turnbull Stakes Day given the Cummings – Peters connection, we have seen a return of the famous Peters colours. This has come about via part-owner John Valmorbida who is married to Michelle, a daughter of Vic and Lila Peters. The Peters and Valmorbida families have been long- time friends for many years. Lunar Flare is also raced by Frank Kraps and long-time successful owner and Melbourne real estate authority, Jack Bongiorno. From a breeding perspective, Taj Rossi was by Matrice, a high-class sprinter miler which would win the 1956 SAJC Goodwood Hcp as well as the 1956 VRC Cantala Stakes and the 1956 and 1957 VRC Linlithgow Stakes. He sired 24 stakes-winners including Taj Rossi, Manihi, Toltrice, Pago Pago and La Trice – all high-class performers. From Dark Queen (by Coronation Boy), this is a thoroughbred family which would hold

brown circles would become synonymous with quality throughout the late 1960s, 1970s and early 80s. They mainly raced horses in their own name and found their way into the top echelon of races across the country. There was a Cummings connection throughout. Feature races were not unfamiliar to the Peters-owned horses. The Peters would later establish Fulmen Park on the Mornington Peninsula named after their first racehorse, a winner of eight stakes races including the Brisbane and Adelaide Cups. Taj Rossi was retired to stud in 1975 and leased to Spendthrift Farm, Lexington, Kentucky in the US for a couple of seasons. He would return to stand at Dr Phil Redman’s Turangga Farm in Scone, NSW with the best progeny to include Taj Eclipse (1983 VRC Oaks) and Taj Quillo (1986 VRC Gadsden Stakes) both raced by the Peters family. He’d also sire the popular 1989 AJC Doncaster Hcp winner, Merimbula Bay. He died at the relatively young age of 15 in 1985.

2023 marks the 50-year anniversary since the

son of Matrice dominated the

Melbourne racetracks. Arguably , we are yet to see his like again.

Roy Higgins atop Taj Rossi just pipped Leica Lover at the post in the 1973 Victoria Derby. (News Ltd/Newspix)

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special importance for both the Cummings and Peters families as it would see horses the ilk of Taj Rossi; Saintly (1996 VRC Melbourne Cup; MVRC W.S Cox Plate); Storm Queen (1966 STC Golden Slipper; VATC Caulfield Guineas etc) and even Stormy Passage (1958 SAJC SA Derby) emerge. Stormy Passage was the first Melbourne Cup runner for Cummings back in 1958. It would also produce Dark Eclipse, a winner of the 1980 STC Golden Slipper. On talking further about Taj Rossi, Bart Cummings had this to say in a book written by the great Les Carlyon called The Master . “He (Taj Rossi) was a great type, except for a plain head, an inheritance from his boof- headed father Matrice. More importantly, he was tough, incredibly so. He hit his head on the starting stalls before the Caulfield Guineas, bringing up a lump as big as a cricket ball, yet still ran fourth. During the spring he just kept walking up, week after week, and winning. He won the Victoria Derby, the Sandown Guineas and Ascot Vale Stakes against his own age. Against all comers he won the Cox Plate and George Adams Handicap (now the Kennedy Champions Mile) at Flemington.” On 1 July, Flemington will once again host the final of the Taj Rossi Series – a $160,000 Listed race held over 1600m for 2YOs. There will be two heats conducted at Flemington (20 May and 17 June); two at Sandown (31 May and 14 June) with further heats conducted regionally in Swan Hill (9 June) and Bendigo (18 June). Whilst there have been many horses grace the hallowed turf at Flemington, few could do it in the manner that Taj Rossi did. He raced in an era which included other top 3YOs the like of Imagele, Grand Cidium and Leica Lover. Through the popular Taj Rossi Series, his memory lives on.

TAJ ROSSI

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS Champion Racehorse of the Year 1973-74 VRC Victoria Derby (2500m) MVRC W.S Cox Plate (2000m) VRC George Adams Handicap (1600m) VRC Ascot Vale Stakes (1200m) MVRC Moonee Valley Stakes (1600m) VATC Sandown Guineas (1600m)

Bay Foaled

1970

Sire Matrice Dam Dark Queen Trainer J.B Cummings Owners Vic and Lila Peters

TOTAL STARTS WINS 2NDS 3RDS TOTAL PRIZEMONEY

$208,980

2023 TAJ ROSSI SERIES

HEAT VENUE DATE

RACE

Flemington Sat 20 May $130k 2YO SWP 1400m (N/C)

Sandown Wed 31 May $50k 2YO Handicap 1400m (N/C)

Swan Hill

Fri 9 Jun

$125k 2YO SWP 1300m (N/C)

Sandown Wed 14 Jun $50k 2YO Fillies Hcp 1300m (N/C)

Flemington Sat 14 Jun $130k 2YO Open Hcp 1400m

Bendigo Sun 14 Jun $35k 2YO Open Hcp 1600m

Final

Flemington Sat 1 Jul

$160k Listed 2YO Open Hcp 1600m (N/C)

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