Rhinoceros stampedes into Derby contention
Cambridge horse woman Emma-Lee Browne and her husband and co-trainer David are living the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) dream with their Vadamos (Monsun) colt Rhinoceros after he won his maiden over 1600 metres impressively at Sandown yesterday.
Ridden by Jordan Childs, the attractive looking three-year-old raced up on the speed and broke away for a dominant win over the fillies Blackbomb (Vancouver) and Quite the Lass (Helmet).
In July Rhinoceros made an inauspicious debut at Ruakaka, beating only one horse home in a two-year-old set weights and penalties race over 1200 metres, but after three starts in Australia he has turned the corner and is now being touted as a potential contender for the Flemington Classic.
“He’s taken a little while to learn his trade. His trial here (in New Zealand) before he left was very good,” said Browne.
“He got to Australia and he was like a little boy out on the town. He decided to do everything wrong jumping out and going hard and getting excited in the parade ring.
“His work had been a lot more settled leading up to today and his behaviour was a lot better. A little bit of racing experience has helped and he has settled into his environment after a few runs.”
Rhinoceros’ win yesterday vindicated Browne’s early belief in him as a Derby prospect.
“I think when we came over with the dream we thought we will always aim big and we can readjust as we go along.
“When we put him on the plane to come it was a dream that maybe he might get there. Now it’s quite possible the way he won.”
Browne has had to remain at home in New Zealand to manage their Sparta Racing stable, which has 20 horses in work while husband David has travelled with Rhinoceros to Australia and is based at good friends Natalie Young and Trent Busuttin’s yard at Cranbourne.
“It was quite a hard decision because we knew it would be a long time. I stayed home to look after the horses and our three children.
“It’s kind of tough but we stay on the phone quite a lot.”
Browne is the daughter of former Olympic show jumping rider Jeff McVean while her sister Katie Laurie was a member of the Australian show jumping team at the recent Tokyo Olympics.
She started out training racehorses with her father and together they won the 2001 New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) with Leica Guv (Deputy Governor) so she knows what it takes to win a three-year-old classic staying test.
“He’s well bred, his family have all been group performers. If he can put it all together he definitely has the ability there and he’s the right type.
“Off everything he’s shown us he has all the attributes to say he can.”
Rhinoceros is the first foal to race out of the talented Lonhro (Octagonal) mare Hot In Pink, a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Melt (Iffraaj), out of the dual Listed stakes winner Ticklish (Maroof), who ran third behind Miss Andretti (Ihtiram) and Magnus (Flying Spur) in the Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m).
His sire, Prix du Moulin (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Vadamos, stands at Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand for a fee of $12,500 (+GST).
“I really like the Vadamos horses. We have had a couple that have been really nice types.”
Rhinoceros is not the only horse the Brownes are campaigning in Melbourne over the spring. They have four horses there at the moment including last Saturday’s Feehan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) runner-up Elephant (Shocking), who is related to Rhinoceros and is also owned and bred by Andrew Fowler.
“He’s had a lot of luck with the family and puts a lot of thought into how he breeds them so it’s good to see it paying off.”
Browne explained the theory behind the African animal names.
“They called him Elephant because he always curls his lip up like he has a trunk. He does it all the time. When Rhinoceros arrived at the stable someone said “well this one needs to be named Rhinoceros” so it just stuck really,” she said.
Browne, a former sheep trader, has the aptly named stayer Border Leicester (Redwood) lining up today at Mornington in a Benchmark 78 race over 3080 metres.