Highs and lows of a year without peer
Any review into 2020, whether it be about thoroughbreds or typographers or everything and anything in between, will state the obvious – it has been a year unlike any other, with tribulations unmatched in the modern era.
Hardly a soul on the planet has been untouched by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which a year ago had infected only a handful of people in Wuhan, China.
Now, almost 80 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with Covid-19 with hundreds of thousands added to the total daily. Earlier this week, 847,406 people were added on a single day.
Of those, 1.72 million are dead of coronavirus-related complications.
The pandemic will continue well into 2021, while the after-effects will linger well beyond next year. For now, though, it is time to take stock of the 2020 calendar year with a look at five highs and five lows for Australia and New Zealand’s racing and breeding industries.
Low – Covid-19 pandemic
Does much more need to be said? The Covid-19 pandemic will be one of the defining events of the 21st century when historians in the future examine this time period. It has created dramatic upheaval, forced new ways of thinking and will have ramifications long beyond 2020.
High – The racing industry
In Australia, apart from a couple of meetings here and there, racing has continued virtually unaffected by the pandemic, even as Melbourne went into one of the world’s harshest lockdowns in August.
Strict biosecurity rules were implemented early and have ensured that there have been relatively few incursions by the virus into the racing sphere. Even potential exposure to the virus has been dealt with strongly, as seen by the tests required of those Melbourne jockeys who had been in Sydney last weekend.
Australia, Hong Kong and Japan are the three major jurisdictions who have been able to continue racing throughout the pandemic. The United States has also continued without stopping, but the country has also seen a number of outbreaks amongst participants – especially within their jockey colonies – and racing at a number of tracks has been postponed on many occasions.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison may talk of New South Wales being the “gold standard” when it comes to testing and contact tracing, but in the racing game, the land down under can rightly be seen as the gold standard. It is something about which every participant should be proud.
Across the Tasman, New Zealand racing came to a halt for four months due to a month-long national lockdown imposed by Jacinda Ardern’s government.
However, the industry took it on the chin, working within the guidelines, and has returned with renewed vigour. If anything, the New Zealand industry appears healthier than it has in many years with a number of investors expressing confidence in its future.
That is not something directly linked to Covid-19 – it has been a long-term project which began with the Messara Report, with its recommendations in the process of being adopted. However, with time to identify priorities and reassess its position earlier this year, 2020 might – in the future – be considered the year in which New Zealand racing began to bounce back strongly.
Low – Postponed or shifted sales
The bloodstock industry got through the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the NZB Premier Yearling Sale, the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale before the pandemic became a full-blown crisis in late March.
It forced Australia’s marquee yearling auction, the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, to be split into two sections, with the first section – held in its traditional spot – switched to online only.
The same fate befell the Chairman’s Sale, which was held as a virtual auction, before buyers were allowed back in limited number for Easter Round 2,
Magic Millions was forced to push the National Sale back from its traditional late May, early June spot in the calendar to a late July, early August slot, but was rewarded with a stronger buying bench than might otherwise have been expected months earlier.
It was not all bad news, however…
High – Digital sales platforms
The trend towards digital sales platforms for the buying and selling of bloodstock accelerated dramatically in 2020 as traditional sales were forced to implement new initiatives during the pandemic.
While the digital platforms were already gaining traction before the pandemic struck, they have become a critical component of trading bloodstock this year.
In Australia, Inglis has been the long-term leader with its digital platform well-established, to the point where it was employed to host the Australian Broodmare Sale, the Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale and the Great Southern Sale, while Magic Millions also had success with its first digital offerings in 2020.
The Inglis Digital twice-monthly sales grossed over $50 million throughout the year, while the platform recorded a first Group 1 winner when $22,000 purchase Bella Vella (Commands) took out the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
In New Zealand, gavelhouse.com has established itself as a market leader and even launched a South African subsidiary throughout the year.
Even outside of the digital platforms, though, the move to online-only sales – especially early in the crisis – showed the ability of sales companies to adapt and change.
Inglis was hardest hit by the pandemic, but managed to pull off some quite incredible figures amidst both a setting hardly conducive to big spending as well as an economic outlook that appeared rather grim early on. However, Covid-19 has affected each of Australia and New Zealand’s sales companies in different ways and the manner in which they have reacted deserves plenty of credit.
With 2020 behind us, expect to see a greater move towards digital sales in the future.
Low – Winx’s first foal
Anticipation was high in mid-October when legendary mare Winx (Street Cry) was set to deliver her first foal.
However, that excitement gave way to crushing disappointment and devastation as the filly, by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), was still-born.
The four-time Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner was not served in 2020 as she recovered from the loss of her filly and it will not be until 2022 that Australia’s highest-earning thoroughbred has another foal on the ground.
High – Profondo
In a year in which Covid-19 has reduced the sales calendar to a game of Jenga, it is perhaps no surprise that 2020’s most expensive yearling across Australia and New Zealand came pre-pandemic.
That was a colt by the late Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) out of Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) winner Honesty Prevails (Redoute’s Choice), who was offered by Arrowfield Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
After a terse bidding duel, the hammer fell at $1.9 million to Ottavio Galletta, whose colt Castelvecchio (Dundeel) joined the Arrowfield Stud roster later in the year.
Named Profondo, he is currently spelling but will return to trainer Richard Litt’s Warwick Farm stables in the near future for another preparation.
On a side note, one cannot mention Honesty Prevails without paying tribute to her trainer Rick Worthington, who died this year after a long battle with cancer. A definite low from 2020.
Low – Anthony Van Dyck
The death of Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo) in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) was the one thing Australia’s greatest race simply didn’t need.
It was tragic on so many levels; every death leaves a mark, but the loss of the first Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) winner to race in Australia was an especially brutal blow, coming in the three minutes in which racing has its biggest platform all year round.
Not that it matters to Mehreen Faruqi and her supporters, whose anti-racing crusade would be utterly laughable if it wasn’t gaining traction year on year. Perhaps the industry should be relieved that the Trump-Biden election removed the Melbourne Cup from the news cycle within hours.
The Melbourne Cup was the culmination of a particularly brutal spring in which a number of horses were injured at Werribee.
While many people suggest simply ignoring the “ban racing” crowd because they are a vocal minority, they are growing all the time. Put simply, the anti-racing brigade is doing a better job at advocating their position and engaging people while many within racing simply want to keep talking to the established base.
These are our potential future participants, gone, all thanks to a PR campaign boasting style over substance.
I don’t believe there will be a time where racing ceases to exist in Australia, but further marginalisation is also not the answer.
As for the Melbourne Cup, which suffered its sixth death since 2013, the Victoria Racing Club and Racing Victoria are undertaking a review which is set to change the nature of the international raid on the Melbourne Cup. It’s unlikely there will be one answer or one solution – it will be a case of throwing mud to the wall and hoping it sticks.
Fingers crossed it works, because another death in the Melbourne Cup in 2021 may just signal the end of its social licence.
High – Jye McNeil
While it is understandable that Anthony Van Dyck dominated the headlines post-race, particularly amongst the mainstream media, it is disappointing because they missed the emergence of a genuine star.
Those in racing know it, though – it was the day Jye McNeil graduated to the big leagues.
Plenty of riders were deserving of spring plaudits, with Jamie Kah top of the list. It was going to take something special to take those honours away, but McNeil produced such an effort on the first Tuesday in November.
His ride on Twilight Payment (Teofilo) to win the Melbourne Cup will go down as one of the great steers in the race’s 160-year history. Perfectly judged from the front, he rode the Irish stayer not just for his strengths, but also to ensure that as few of his rivals as possible stood any chance.
It is not just his riding ability that stands him in good stead for the future, though. The 26-year-old is media savvy and possesses the social nous that will ensure he builds on that Melbourne Cup win to stamp himself as a world-class rider
Don’t be surprised if Hong Kong or Japanese authorities come knocking soon, with Hong Kong a natural fit as a lighter rider. However, with partner Jess Payne giving birth to their son Oakley in August, perhaps he will remain in Victoria – something that should be applauded by Melbourne racegoers.
Low – Subzero and Graham Salisbury
A number of retired racehorses were farewelled in 2020: Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock), Danewin (Danehill), Eremein (Timber Country), Might And Power (Zabeel), Norzita (Thorn Park), Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) and Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) were among them.
However, few deaths touched the hearts of racing fans like the mighty grey Subzero (Kala Dancer), who followed his constant companion Graham Salisbury beyond the veil in 2020.
Salisbury, the clerk of the course who adopted Subzero at the completion of his Melbourne Cup-winning career, became synonymous with his beloved ‘Subbie’ as they travelled far and wide as ambassadors for racing.
While their deaths weren’t unexpected – Salisbury had long suffered the effects of cancer, while Subzero was a month shy of his 32nd birthday when he succumbed to numerous ailments – they still caused ripples across the racing industry.
Few horses have had the global following of Subzero and it is impossible to think of Subzero without thinking of Graham Salisbury. I’m sure that 2021 will bring an appropriate tribute to the horseman and his best mate.
High – Snitzel and Savabeel
The premier stallions of Australia and New Zealand, Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and Savabeel (Zabeel), cemented their dominance as the leading sires of their generation as they once again won the respective premierships on either side of the Tasman.
For Arrowfield Stud’s Snitzel, it was win number four, becoming the most prolific champion sire since Danehill (Danzig).
Heading into 2021, he sits tenth on the general sires list and is yet to have a two-year-old winner in Australia this season. Last season, he’d already had five two-year-olds victorious by the end of the year, including stakes winners Away Game and Wild Ruler.
However, horses like Golden Gift (1100m) runner-up Cerda look capable of figuring in the two-year-old races in the autumn and they are likely to prove critical to the stallion making it a high-five.
Waikato Stud stalwart Savabeel made it six straight titles with his Grosvenor Award win in 2019-20. He is already on top in this year’s premiership and, through sheer volume of runners, it will take an extraordinary effort for him to be toppled.
While we are at it, let’s add in two more highs – it’s the sort of year that needs as many highs as possible.
High – Classique Legend
There is no doubt that The Everest (1200m) has been a tremendous success in its short history, earning a new audience that transcends the traditional racing bubble.
So far, each winner has added something new to the recipe. Redzel (Snitzel) was the rags to riches story in year one, before demonstrating how it acted as a target in year two. The third year saw Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) score as a three-year-old and take Champion Three-Year-Old honours despite never winning a Group 1 race.
The same can be said for the Les Bridge-trained Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), whose emphatic win at Randwick in October was arguably the most impressive of all four victories to date.
Heading into 2021, The Everest form should be tested globally through Classique Legend, who is now in training in Hong Kong with Caspar Fownes, and runner-up Bivouac (Exceed And Excel).
While Classique Legend failed in the Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m), it was always going to be a tall order for him to perform there given all the circumstances against him.
If the grey can return to anything like his Everest form in 2021, the world stage should prepare for a new sprinting star.
High – Denis Pagan
There are few better stories in racing worldwide than that of Denis Pagan, who completed the transformation from AFL premiership-winning coach to Group 1-winning trainer when Johnny Get Angry (Tavistock) took the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
It was just his second winner, too, and came mere months after he took out his training licence.
The only shame is that there weren’t the usual 100,000 people trackside at Flemington, because the ovation – in a city where AFL is often considered akin to a religion – would have been absolutely tremendous.
Hopefully, Johnny Get Angry can continue to develop in 2021, for it could be the feel-good story that racing needs.