The unbreakable bond
Observing Joe Hickey with the stallions at Arrowfield Stud and you see a man who melds with horses and they with him.
Handling 500 or more kilos of testosterone-charged thoroughbred worth tens of millions of dollars every day is as high pressure a job as it gets, but you would never know it watching Hickey go about his daily work.
Relaxed and calm, Hickey’s cool energy transmits to these valuable equine assets. There’s an unbreakable, mutual trust between them.
Unquestionably, the greatest and most enduring bond of all during the Irishman’s 13 years as stallion manager at Arrowfield, was with the late, great Redoute’s Choice (Danehill).
“He was one of a kind. When you think how good a racehorse he was, how good a stallion he was, all the personality he had and he was such a clever horse, that’s what made him so special. All those things put together. He was a once-off,” said Hickey.
Hickey’s love for the horse he called “Doutsy” around the barn still runs deep. Two years after the champion stallion’s passing, he’s barely able to bring himself to set foot in the special stable that the personable, pretty big bay once lived in.
“I have been in there. But it was tough though.”
These days the famous stable is sacred ground at Arrowfield. Wood shavings and all, it’s been left as though he still lives there.
It serves as a shrine for the many visitors to the farm each year to go and pay their respects to the horse that has left an indelible legacy on Australasian breeding and racing.
“He loved the stable with the air conditioning and all the sawdust. He just loved it down there.
“We maintain it very well, still. It’s a showpiece area for people to look at.”
It’s evident Hickey is still affected by Redoute’s Choice’s death in 2019 at the age of 22. It was akin to losing a best friend.
“You always have a horse that you have a special bond with, I guess,” he said.
“It’s very special, that’s what the stallion business is. You build trust with the horses you look after.
“Everyone had that with Redoute’s because he was so quiet and easy to deal with.”
‘Doutsy’ had his quirks. He really enjoyed being around people and often famously stuck his tongue out.
A friendly soul, he was also a tough nut and sat at the top of the stallion pecking order at Arrowfield.
“There was no malice in him, he was always very quiet but he was always the boss of the horses too.
“When you have ten-12 stallions there’s always a pecking order. Dundeel is boss here now but Redoute’s Choice in his time, he was always the boss.”
Hickey distinctly remembers the horse’s unparalleled intelligence.
“He had a long memory too. If you did something he didn’t like, he wouldn’t forget it.”
With Redoute’s Choice a fond memory, Hickey now has four of his sons to look after at Arrowfield – champion sire Snitzel, Pariah, The Autumn Sun and the recently retired Not A Single Doubt.
He’s proud of the mark his favourite horse has left on the racetrack and also on the Australian stallion ranks.
“I’m very proud. I like watching all his sons and grandsons, and we have a grandson here at Arrowfield now which is pretty cool.
“They are all different personalities but they all have the same attributes. They are very straightforward, calm and easy to deal with and that’s one thing he passes on; a great nature.”
He admits he’s developed a soft spot for Redoute’s Choice’s five-time Group 1-winning son, The Autumn Sun, and believes he carries many of the same attributes as his super sire.
“He’s a beautiful horse. He’s the most like Redoute’s in personality.
“Snitzel is his own man and a pro. He goes about his business without any fuss and the others are lovely to deal with but The Autumn Sun has a little something special about him, like Redoute’s did.”
Having had such a close affinity with Redoute’s Choice for more than a decade, he’s feeling a little melancholy about the fact that his final crop of yearlings will go through the ring at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“It’s sad because it’s the end of an era. It’s tough to see it end.
“But we have plenty of them coming back (to stud), so that’s good.”
Hickey won’t be in attendance at the Easter sale at Riverside. Instead, he will be busy looking after his barns of stallions back at Arrowfield.
It’s been a daily ritual that’s been working wonders for many years now.
“Their whole life is based on routine. They do the same thing every day. Everything is based on routine.
“The horses thrive on it. They come in at the same time and go out at the same time and they go out in order. We keep it simple and safe. We have a way of doing things here and it works well, so we stick to it.”
While Redoute’s Choice is no longer part of that drill, the fact that his sons and grandson – the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Showtime – are is some consolation for Hickey.
“I’ve got Tas (The Autumn Sun) to look after now and I’m happy with that.
“He’s not the exact same personality as Redoute’s Choice but there’s a kindness about him that’s special,” he said.