The Corner with Garry Chittick

And so, another Melbourne Cup has been run. Regretfully, Mary and I were not there. I have no idea how many we attended up until COVID, and I miss the Cup week. Victoria prides itself as the sporting capital of Australia; it may be, they certainly know how to create an event.

The race, well, I love a good two-mile challenge. The combination of all the elements could not have been better demonstrated than on Tuesday. Unfortunately, not all staying races create this excitement with a number of dour contests. However, Australasia’s problem is there’s now only four Group 1 two-mile races to compete in. Nowhere is this issue more keenly felt than by we breeders, to be presenting to our buyers yearlings that are not going to reach the maturity that enables them to compete at their best for at least another three years and be rewarded with a satisfactory result in the sales ring; well, the evidence is there for all to see.

Are the Northern Hemisphere stayers superior, probably not, but they are more suited than the bulk of our breed. Why, clearly breeders in the Northern Hemisphere have owners with the approach of our owners of previous generations. This is not a criticism; it simply reflects the change in the ownership makeup. I would be interested in totalling the Australasian ownership involved in Tuesday’s race. Individual participation is now a rarity; syndication is now the backbone of our ownership. I think it’s great but some time ago a prominent Australian trainer said identify a staying prospect in Europe who may be running in six months he would marshal together 20 shareholders within a week, call the same 20 and suggest they line up for a later-maturing potential stayer, and he would struggle. 

The window of opportunity for the horse NZ was renowned for is still there – buy a European stayer you are going to miss the excitement of Three-Year-Old competition, and sure Derby and Oaks winners will go on to compete over ground, but how many Derby winners do you see supported at stud. For that matter, even less Cup winners.

Where to from here, I wouldn’t presume to be the judge of the direction of our fellow stud masters, replenishing any stud’s sire line-up is constantly on our minds. We never stop assessing prospects, however difficult it may be, our reputation and record is built on the horse we believe in; the problem is we need owners to believe also.

They say if you want to retain a relationship, you should never discuss politics or religion. Well, we are about to go to the polls. Under our MMP are voting, which very few understand, we will need God’s intervention. Never in my time have I seen such a potpourri of misfits who, without God’s intervention, may determine the future of my efforts. Ironically, what do they fight over, how to reallocate the endeavours of those who do take risks, work hard, and pay their tax, with little knowledge of how that will be allocated. Wealth and Capital Gains tax are the current catch cry. So the result of all governments’ debasing of the value of money has resulted in increased paper values of assets, which they now feel entitled to share. 

I think all politicians should be compelled to race a horse; only then will they experience how to win, how to lose, what it’s like to be up, more often down, and how the prayer for an inquiry to change a result rarely is answered. Win or lose, you will still have a horse whom, if you look after well, will continue to love you, a true measure of life.

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