November Newsletter, 2015

November Newsletter, 2015
Well where do I possibly start this month’s November Newsletter having just won the Melbourne Cup?
I’ve been trying to work out how I put it all on paper – but I really don’t think I can.
The boy from the bush and the girl from Miners Rest beat the world in ‘The Race that Stops the Nation.’
Below is a bit of a run down on how Prince of Penzance came to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup.
Prince of Penzance was purchased at the 2011 New Zealand, Karaka Premier Yearling Sales from Rich Hill
Stud for just $50,000.
He had his first start at Stawell in March 2013, which he won by a narrow margin, after missing the start.
From here he rose through the grades and it probably wasn’t until a year later that we realised we had a
handy stayer on our hands, as he ran 4th in the Mornington Cup and then 2nd in the Roy Higgins Quality
over 2600m. But following this run he was found to have chips in his front fetlocks, so these were removed
and he returned to racing in August 2014.
It took a few runs to get him back to his best and it wasn’t until he found a soft track at Moe that he started
to find form again. He won the Moonee Valley Cup at his next start, which qualified him for the Melbourne
Cup. At this point he was still in contention for the 2014 Melbourne Cup but this was bypassed to run in
the Queen Elizabeth Stakes where he finished a close 2nd.
At the end of this preparation it was discovered he unfortunately had developed more chips in his fetlocks
and these were removed.
Just as he was about to come back into work in February 2015 he suffered a colic attack and it was touch
and go if he was going to survive. But he’s as tough as old boots and he pulled through with flying colours.
After a lengthy spell he returned in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield in August and from here the big
question was whether he would return to his best?
It is probably fair to say he came back better than ever to win the Melbourne Cup!!!
Congratulations to Sandy McGregor, John Richards, Andrew Broadfoot,
Wilawl Go Racing Synd, Men In Hats Synd, Dalton Racing Synd & Winning Five Synd
The owners
Wilawl Go Racing (below left – photo bomb by Jeremy)
It certainly has been a fantastic journey and we are still living the dream. Every time we talk to each other
we end with saying "And do you know what WE WON THE MELBOURNE CUP.”
Wilaw Go Racing Syn's members are David and Pamela Wilson their children Andrew, Stephen and Michael
and friends Ken and Neil Laws.
We bought into Prince when he was purchased by Darren and John Foote as a yearling at the NZ sales. We
saw he had bought the yearling, we looked at his bloodline, liked Pentire's races so I contacted Darren and
he thought he looked a nice type and was happy for us to take a 10% share.
We haven't stopped celebrating! We went to The Emerald on the night of the win with all owners until the
wee hours of the morning. As well as going to Ballarat the day after, Ballarat Parade Day on the Friday and
Ballarat Cup Eve function and Cup Day.
We also had a great day last Sunday week with an afternoon celebration that we held at Bells Hotel in
South Melbourne for our family and friends to enjoy Prince's win with us. What an afternoon, that went well
into the night, so many happy faces and lots of stories.
Funnily enough Neil taught Michelle when she was an apprentice at the VRC – financial planning & business
studies and she rode the first horse David & Pamela owned 13 years ago.
Andrew Broadfoot (above right)
I am friends with a long-time owner of the stable, Paddy Wheelahan. I had had a share in a Redoute’s
Choice horse quite a few years ago that was very slow, and the trainer (not Darren) was a bit frustrating and
there was lack of communication. I knew Paddy had a very high regard for Darren and the team so I
decided to have a look on the website. On there was Prince of Penzance, so I rang Paddy and asked what
he thought and after speaking with Jeremy I purchased the last 5% left, from memory for about $2,000.
We paid bills for the next 2 years or so waiting for him to get to the races, but what an exciting horse he has
been! One of the best things about it has been meeting all of the other owners, there is a large group and
they are all great people to catch up with at the races.
By the time Melbourne Cup Day came, my family and I were thrilled to be a part and hoping for a top ten
finish. I took the kids up the back into the grandstand in the main owners’ seating area so they could see the
track (they are too small to see from the mounting yard). By the time we got there, there were no seats left,
the kids had to sit on the steps and I was behind a pillar and as a result could not see the last 100m of the
race. When he hit the front I thought I must have been watching the wrong horse and the noise from the
crowd was too loud to hear the call! So I found out about 5 seconds later that he had won.
It was an unbelievable feeling. I will never forget immediately after the race it was absolute stony silence
among the owners of the other horses – you could have heard a pin drop and they probably couldn’t believe
what they had just witnessed. I ran into Paddy Wheelahan in the betting ring after the race and he came
up and joined us in the committee room to celebrate the win for the rest of the afternoon.
How our syndicate MEN IN HATS started
Back in late 2010 after years of boozing at Spring
Racing Carnivals and Country Cups we decided to
have a crack at the horse ownership game. We
managed to get 6 guys to chip in some money and
our syndicate Men In Hats was born. Our members
include myself (Sam Brown), my brother Adrian
Brown and mates Tim Ashford, Scott Jenke, Mike
Botting and Greg Williams.
We were novices at the game but after a few wins in
0-58 grade, with other trainers. We thought it
couldn’t get much better.
any better! Still we had our hearts set on a top 10
finish anything more would be a bonus.
The Finish
When he crossed the line we started going crazy
screaming jumping for joy (the same feeling you get
when you celebrate any horse win except with some
slightly bigger and longer man hugs). The major
difference was that after all that emotion, shock sets
in. “Holy sh*t”, “What the f**k just happened”,
“Did that just happen” were some of the memorable
comments.
How we bought into the Prince
We knew yearlings were high risk and we had just
enough money left in the syndicate for a punt on one
yearling back in 2011. We had no idea how we were
going to buy a yearling and narrowed down our
search to deciding on a trainer first.
We got in touch with Jeremy around sales time and
a Pentire – Royal Successor yearling was available
and we purchased a 10% share
Dreams
I guess we knew he was special after his first city win
at Flemington. He pulled his head off in a 3yo
2000m race yet still won. I recall the commentators
at the time saying “no horse does that”. Michelle
was also a big believer in the horse. We nearly fell
over one day in the mounting yard, might have been
early his second prep, when Michelle said to us “He
is probably the best horse I have ever ridden”.
We certainly never had dreams of great success but
despite injuries and setbacks he kept raising the bar
each prep. City winner, stakes winner, Group 2.
What could be next Group 1?
When he made this year’s cup field we were all over
the moon. To survive emergency colic surgery and
make a Melbourne Cup field in the same year you
have to be a tough and special horse. What an
owners dream just to get a runner in the Melbourne
Cup. We knew how hard it was to get in. I guess we
never dreamed of winning it especially at $101 but
we certainly all thought he had the ability (we
thought he should have been a $30-$40 chance) but
we were more than happy to take the longer odds
and fly under the radar. At the end of the day in any
race or sporting event anything is possible. When
Stevie drew barrier 1 at the barrier draw we had
goose bumps – such a magic moment – could it get
L to R: Mike Botting, Sam Brown, Adrian Brown,
Greg Williams, Tim Ashford, Scott Jenke
We were so happy for Michelle. She had great faith
in the horse from day 1 and she always backed his
ability. She truly deserved all the accolades for her
hard work and effort. She and the Prince were made
for each other. What a ride in the biggest race on the
biggest stage. 10 out of 10 ride for sure.
As far as celebrations go we all went back to the
Emerald Hotel. It was great to share the cup with
friends, family and others. My motto is that you
never know what is around the corner in horse racing
so you celebrate each win like it’s your last – I think
I got home at 5am.
The look of shock and surprise on other people’s
faces when they got hold of the cup is what I
remembered most of that night. I don’t think any
Melbourne cup has ever touched as many hands as it
did that night – it was truly the people’s cup.
A big thank you to all of the Weir staff at both
stables Ballarat and Warrnambool. Without the
enormous team effort and the brilliant training
efforts this amazing story wouldn’t have been
possible. As owners we feel very privileged to be a
small part of it.
Owner Services Manager – Katrina Wood
I’d gone down to Flemington as a last minute thing, can’t not go to the Cup when we have a
runner! I managed to wangle a seat in one of the trucks with Doc, Sue and Stevie, and we had a
nice relaxed but exciting trip down the highway.
The races before the Cup were a bit of a blur, but eventually it was time to find the best vantage
point for the Race that Stops the Nation. I watched it from just outside the mounting yard with
Killa (Kevin) and Emma, I was just keen to be with people who understood the significance.
Emma was unofficially calling the race, and when Michelle moved off the fence, Emma yelled “oh
my god, she’s moved off the fence, she’s in the clear, he’s going to do it!!!!” And we all just started
screaming and jumping and SCREAMING them over the line (I’m getting goose bumps just
thinking about it).
When he won, we had the biggest and most enthusiastic group hug you’ve ever seen! I’d been
jumping up and down so much that my shoes had fallen off at this stage, so I picked them up
and said to Emma (although everyone was still screaming at this point) “where do we go???” and
then she led me on a sprint through the crowd and into the main area of the mounting yard,
where the horses are led into. To describe the atmosphere in there as electric is a massive
understatement; it was something I will never forget.
Thank god I had Emma to cling onto as I put my shoes back on and tried to regain a shred of
composure. BEST DAY EVER!!!!
Maddie Raymond – The Strapper
I started working for Darren when he first opened the stables in Warrnambool just doing
weekends as I was still at school, I then moved on to work for David Hayes for 2 years before
coming back to work for Darren in 2012. I've been with him now for 3.5 years apart from a 6
month stint in Ireland working for Willie Mullins. I've learnt so much in my time with Darren and
loved every minute.
Being part of the winning Melbourne Cup team was by the far the highlight of my life, it's a once
in a lifetime thing to work with a horse like that and I have never been more proud. Getting to
work with such good horses on a daily basis really makes my job a whole lot more enjoyable.
Success, as he is known around the stables, has been a favourite of mine for a while now and I've
put a lot of time and effort into him this prep which makes winning the Cup so much more
special.
The week after the cup was one of the best but longest
weeks of my life, there was a lot of celebrating with not
just racing people but my friends and family. Work was
still very busy so not a lot of sleep was had but wouldn't
change it for the world. We all made sure that we
embraced the win because things like that don't happen
every day.
Being invited to go to Bali with Michelle for a holiday
really topped off the whole win, having a little break and
time to reflect on what had happened was just what I
needed. It was the perfect end to a great spring carnival.
Every time I think of the race or see a photo I still get
goose bumps, I don't think that feeling will ever go away.
I’m already counting down the days until he comes back
from the paddock, work just isn't the same without that
one horse that gets you out of bed in the morning.
Bring on Melbourne Cup 2016!
Back To Berriwillock
Darren always promised his tiny home town if he was to ever win the Melbourne Cup he would bring it
back to Berriwillock to share with everyone.
A week after winning the Melbourne Cup he ventured on home, where they shut off the main street and
held a homecoming reception.
They came in their droves from across the Mallee, schools arranged buses and farmers stopped harvest,
which is practically unheard of, just to congratulate Darren on his achievement.
After a lovely BBQ lunch and official speeches it was off to local watering hole, The Golden Crown, where
as promised the Cup was placed on the bar.
The Golden Crown had been closed since June this year and with their hometown hero coming back, the
locals worked tirelessly throughout the week to have it up and running just in time so the festivities could
continue.
Many kicked off their shoes and danced the night away in the main street, where the only thing to be seen
was pure joy for the Berriwillock boy!!!
Country Racing Victoria is offering a chance to claim their own piece of
Melbourne Cup Memrobilia.
The poster is available on line for the price of $5 plus postage at
http://www.countryracing.com.au/crv-2015-melbourne-cupcommemorative-poster
All proceeds raised will go to Down Syndrome Victoria and Ballarat
organisations McCallum Disability Services and Peplow House
Ballarat Closes Main Street
It was a typical Ballarat day, cold and drizzling rain, but it didn’t stop the people gathering in Sturt Street
to cheer on their local idols.
Prince of Penzance made the trip to the main street, where he paraded with strappers Maddie Raymond
and Stevie Payne holding the Melbourne Cup.
The crowd roared as each connection was introduced on stage for questioning – Michelle Payne, Darren
Weir and part owner John Richards, but the biggest cheer of all came when Stevie Payne walked on stage.
We thought everyone knew who Stevie was before the Melbourne Cup, but if not they sure do now.
Both Darren and Michelle were overwhelmed by the support from the Ballarat community and no doubt
the town itself is super proud of their success.