In This Months Edition
Syndicates With Denise Martin - Star ThoroughbredsBy Scott Gooley, AAP RacingThis month, Inform chats with Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds. We find out how to become a part of the excitement of racehorse ownership and the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure the horses and owners have every opportunity to succeed. It's a common sight on any racecourse. An owner or group of owners cheering their charge home over the final stages of a race. Animated and vocal, they urge their horse to the line with everything they can muster. For the winning connections it's euphoria and elation. For the connections of the other competitors, although they'll have to wait for another day, the adrenalin is still pumping as the post race discussions take place. Ask any owner and he or she will tell you the thrill excitement and benefits of being a racehorse owner are unique and hard to match. But racing isn't called the "Sport of Kings" for nothing. With a booming bloodstock market in recent years and each sale seemingly reaching new and extravagant record prices, it's understandably impossible for Mr or Mrs Joe Average to believe they can become an active part of racehorse ownership. However an ever-increasing option that does appeal to those interested in entering thoroughbred racing without facing the bidding war of a sales ring is racehorse syndications. One of the country's leading syndications company is Star Thoroughbreds. Established in 1994 by Denise Martin, the Star Thoroughbred team and horses have built an impressive record over the last 13 years. Star Thoroughbreds are based at the famous training establishment of Gai Waterhouse - Tulloch Lodge. Gai not only is the exclusive trainer for Star Thoroughbreds but also plays a major role in selecting yearlings to race in the purple and white stars silks. 'We buy our yearlings expressly on the recommendation of Gai, renowned yearling selector George Smith and veterinarian Dr. Greg Nash. At the same time I need to determine that each yearling purchased has commercial appeal for the market.' says Denise. 'Gai identifies the key elements in selection of the yearlings as the individual in question need to look like a true athlete. They do not always need to be the biggest, but must have good bone. Gai often says the fillies need to be feminine and the colts need to be athletic.'  Flaming (Beautiful Crown - Mahlin) in full
flight winning at Kensington This theory seems to have stood the test of time, as a quick look down the Star Thoroughbred honour board reveals more than just a couple of "handy winners".'Some of our best performed horses of the years include Danglissa (Flight Stakes G1, Queen of the Turf G2), Stoway (Lord Mayor's Cup, Hawkesbury Cup, Summer Cup), Kingsgate (Cameron Hcp), Primrose Sands (9 wins), Flaming (Civic Stks), Baghdad, Ariante (Kingston Town G3 2003), Theseo (Premier's Cup G3) and Keiki (Champagne Classic G2)." With a solid record of success, is there a particular sale that the Star Thoroughbred team concentrates on or thinks represents good value? As Denise states emphatically, 'Unfortunately not'. Finding potential winners only comes through sheer hard work and pouring through an ever increasing amount of sales catalogues each and every year. 'Like all buyers, I find sale time exhilarating and great fun, although very exhausting at the end of it all. We spend from early morning every day analysing the catalogue, deciding which horses we wish to buy on behalf of our owners. This selection process is vital as it forms the basis of our success in the years to come. We have been able to buy our most successful horses from all the major sales. Group 1 winner Danglissa was bought at the Magic Millions for $45,000 (won over $800,000), Stoway, the winner of 12 races and almost $600,000 was bought at the William Inglis Easter Sale for just under $60,000. One of our current best performers Flaming, the winner of almost $400,000 was bought at the William Inglis Sire Produce sale for $27,500.' 'Over the past couple of years we have extended our maximum spend for the yearlings for which we particularly love. Interestingly enough, three of our current stakes performed horses were bought for more than $100,000. Theseo, winner of the Group 3 Premier's Cup at Doomben this year was bought for $132,000. Group 2 winner last season and highly talented three year old Keiki was bought for $165,000 and highly promising stakes performer Kyros was bought for $100,000.' Not all purchases reach the heights of being a 'Black Type' winner though. Denise points out that there's also been a few bad "judgment call" in the high pressure atmosphere of the sales ring. 'Gai recommended a Marscay colt which I didn't buy for $50,000 which went on to become Group 1 winner Excellerator and a Danzero colt for $90,000 which I also didn't buy and is still racing as the multiple Group 1 winner and former Champion 2 year old Dance Hero.'  Theseo's owners celebrate after a Randwick win
Star Thoroughbreds have an established track record and no management fees (once syndicate has been established). The cost of an average one tenth share of current syndicates is approximately $17,000 (1/10th share can range form $8,000 to $20,000) and being part of a well established syndication is an attractive option for those interested. But it's not for everyone as Denise is keen to point out. 'All owners venturing into racehorse ownership for the first time need to understand that their purchase is not necessarily an investment, but rather the opportunity to participate in a new lifestyle. It is also essential that new owners only buy from registered syndicators, with a proven track record to ensure that the company has been in business for an extended period.' Obviously one of the advantages of owning a horse with a syndicate is the social aspect. The chance to meet new people and potential friends with a similar interest. There's regular open days at Tulloch Lodge, the raceday itself and of course the possibility of sharing in some prizemoney! It's an aspect of racing that Denise enjoys and her infectious enthusiasm for the industry is contagious.  Denise Martin and Gai Waterhouse in a winning
mood with jockey Chris Munce But as is the case with any group of people, it's a near impossible task to keep everyone happy and seeing eye to eye. So what happens if there is a dispute amongst owners? With 13 years in the industry, Denise has come across disputes in the past and more importantly, has taken the steps to avoid, or in the least, minimize disputes occurring in the future. 'We have a formal partnership contract, which is a binding arrangement, signed by all registered owners prior to the horse commencing racing. This contract allows for a majority vote of 7 out of 10 shares in all decision making processes. This eliminates the prospect of a minority group within the partnership wanting to control the group.' There's no doubting that over the years, the Star Thoroughbred team have established themselves as one of the country's leading racehorse syndicators, with all aspects of the business dealt with in a professional and thorough manner. So is there anything left that the Star Thoroughbreds team and Denise wish to achieve? 'Like all those in the racing industry, I would like to win a Doncaster or a Melbourne Cup - or both! Winning is what it is all about - winning at Stake level is a thrilling experience, for owners and syndicators alike.'  www.starthoroughbreds.com.au Trainer Alert: Chris WallerTrainer Chris Waller is on a red hot streak. From May to the end of July the stable trained 21 winners culminating in four winners at Rosehill on 21/07/07. Horses that have helped him on his recent winning way include: Griz, Double Elle, Danz in Paris, Come on Cugat, Mystery Queen and the promising Gently Bentley. Waller had his best-ever season last year, breaking into the top five Sydney trainers with a total of 38 winners. Although Waller has yet to train a Group One winner, he's knocking on the door. Unfortunately he lost Spring Champion Stakes runner-up All Black Gold in a trackwork accident in January which may have given him his breakthrough. But he has some good back up horses coming through the ranks including Triple Honour and Gently Bentley. And the way he's churning out winners suggests he may pick up another horse or two yet. Waller might seem like an overnight success, but since 1990 to mid August 2007 he's trained an impressive amount of winners.  Chris Waller Stats - 01/08/90 to 17/08/07
A minute with Glen Munsie: Media Manager TAB Sportsbet Glen Munsie
Hobbies: Golf (Playing) and Rugby League (Watching). Go Those Bunnies! Best horse seen: Easy, Kingston Town. Best race caller seen: In his prime, Geoff Mahoney (Sydney's On Course Caller in The 70's/80's after Ken Howard). Favourite raceday: Overall Golden Slipper Day for its depth, but for entertainment value, I did have a wonderful day out at Bedgerebong Picnics a number of years ago. Favourite track: Kembla Grange. A place where they cannot do enough for you. How long working for the TAB: Started in December 1999. My role: Media Manager for TAB Sportsbet. My duties involve radio and television interviews, (2KY, 2GB, 2MMM, 2UE, 4TAB, Sport 927, 2BH, 2HD, Radio 97 as well as SKY Channel) and promoting awareness of the TAB Sportsbet brand and product offering in both sport and racing. Most memorable day at the track: At Randwick on 25/6/94 backing a 200/1 chance Oxford Prince, trained by Garry Nickson at Canterbury to win a 1600m 2yo race at it's 4th run after it had finished well back at Cessnock, Wyong and Kembla. It came from last in a field of 16 and won by a nose. Tragically it died 9 weeks later after breaking down on the track. Funniest thing seen in racing: Many a sight after a long carnival day, but would have to say the day at Caulfield when 2 jockeys were unseated approaching the home turn and one (Andrew Payne?) finished atop the other riderless runner. Horse ownership: Shared in the ownership with a few mates of a horse called Just Quietly back about 20 years ago but it never made the track. Product News: SpeedmapsAAP are introducing a brand new product into their line up - speed maps. Did you know that around 50% of races are won by horses that are in the first three approaching the 400m mark of a race? This figure increases even more in sprint races. By using your speed maps you can take a lot of the guesswork out of form study and capitalise on these powerful statistics.  Example of Speed Map
A Speed map is a plan of how a race is likely to be run and predicts the likely position of a horse on settling. All horse's preferred racing positions are determined and presented to the client as a simple chart, thus saving hours of race study. Speed maps are used for race analysis by professional punters, bookmakers, jockeys, stewards, owners, trainers and anyone who need to know the likely pattern of a race. Track bias - one of the greatest advantages of speed maps, is that they give you an edge in overcoming track bias. By simply referring to the speed maps you can identify which horse will be suited or disadvantaged. If the track bias is favouring leaders, then simply look for horses in the leader position on the speed maps. Sometimes the bias will be in certain sections of the track i.e. hard up against the rails. Once again, by referring to your speed maps you will see where the horses will race and thus who is advantaged or disadvantaged. Pace of the race - another important piece of information that speed maps provide is the likely pace of the race. From this you can determine which horses are likely to be suited. In general, a slower pace favours horses closer to the lead whilst a faster pace favours horses coming from behind. All punters know the disappointing feeling of seeing their horse at the tail of the field in a slowly run race. When the leaders quicken and they start to sprint, many a times it is impossible for them to win. An example; "Freddy Teddy" has a lot of early natural speed and usually leads in his races. But in today's race Freddy Teddy has a wide barrier. On paper you might think that Freddy Teddy may not be able to cross the field and lead. However speed maps give special attention to early sectional times (first 600m) and thus are able to determine a horse's early cruising speed and whether wide barriers will or won't affect their chances. Speed maps also enable you to accurately determine how many lengths any given horse may be from the lead. This type of information is critical especially when considering the chances of horses that race in the middle/back of the pack - are they giving away the leaders too much start? Will they be able to weave their way through the field or will they have to come around the field? Another benefit of speed maps is that you can determine which horse is likely to receive a soft or hard run in the race (i.e. a horse trapped wide).There's nothing worse than seeing your horse sitting 3 wide facing the breeze in a fast pace race. More often than not it ends up finishing amongst the tailenders. There are many factors that determine a horse's racing positions. Some of these include:
AAP's speed maps aren't computer generated and are only produced after careful individual assessment after race acceptances are taken. Because of the work required, speed maps are only available from noon on Fridays for the forthcoming Saturday meeting. Which meetings are covered? Sat metro meetings in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane When are they available? Fridays 12pm - 5pm How to order? Call AAP racing 12pm - 5pm on Fridays on 1800 811 358 or email: salesandadmin@aap.com.au What do they cost? $9.95 per meeting Payment? - All major credit cards accepted. Speed maps are emailed to clients in a PDF file.* *Available soon for downloading on AAP's Form Analyser. Watch our website for further information. Mounting Yard TipsBewildered about Bandages?Many mounting yard observers will tell you to steer clear of horses that wear bandages or are taped up around the fetlocks or (hind) bumpers. Is it sound advice or racing scuttlebutt? The reasoning behind bandaging a horse is to protect and support (possibly unsound) legs and joints. When a horse is taped on either the front fetlocks or bumpers, it is usually an indication that the horse is striking itself when it gallops. That's not good, after all a horse should stride smoothly and not hit itself when galloping. Anything that may hurt a horse will cause it to shorten stride or fail to stretch out properly. However, the majority of horses are taped for precautionary reasons. A horse taped like the one pictured below could be cause for concern. But always relate it to the horse's form. If it is racing consistently and has always worn bandages or been taped, you've probably got nothing to worry about. Conversely, sometimes horses lose form and the reason can be that it is striking itself. A sudden appearance of not-seen-before-bandages should send a warning signal that maybe not all is right with your selection.  Image - Steve Hart
There are rules which trainers must abide by in bandaging horses. The bandages must be stitched so as not to come apart during a race. Sometimes they can break free, like this famous shot of former top miler Imposing taken during a breakfast with the stars gallop (W S Cox Plate, 1979). Luckily, horse and rider escaped any injury. An old adage is; never back a horse with bandages in the wet. Stands to reason, the bandages become waterlogged and add an extra handicap to the horse. Horses also tend to need more care and maintenance as they get on in years, so it's not unusual to see bandages on some of the older gallopers, particularly geldings who don't have the luxury of being retired to stud. Not everyone thinks that bandaging is necessarily a bad thing. Top Randwick mentor David Payne says bandages on the bumpers are used mainly as a precaution. "We work on dirt tracks here and horses tend to come down on their bumpers (like sandpapering the dirt)". But Payne thinks that horses are generally bandaged more than what they were in the past and also bandaged more in Australia than in South Africa (Payne's former training base). Bandages:
August Quiz
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