Who is next in the Godolphin hot seat?
As far as human resource power plays go in the bloodstock industry, Vin Cox joining Yulong was arguably as big as it gets in this part of the world.
The head of Godolphin Australia for the past six years, Cox will officially depart the ‘blue army’ on December 1 with Yulong’s bottle green his new colour of choice.
So, who will replace Cox at the top of Sheikh Mohammed’s Australian racing and breeding division?
Here are some of the potential candidates, in no particular order, who could be in line for the coveted role.
Jason Walsh
After recruiting Cox from outside Godolphin last time, the board may elect to promote from within and Jason Walsh, the long-time racing and bloodstock manager, is front of mind.
A graduate of one of the early Darley Flying Start intakes, the Western Australian, who is a qualified veterinarian, has been a key part of Godolphin Australia’s management team since 2009 and a promotion for Walsh would be seen as a smooth transition given he’s familiar with the inner workings of the business domestically and internationally.
It would also be another feather in the cap of the sought after Godolphin Flying Start programme, which has churned out many industry leaders in many different sectors, if Walsh was to become the boss.
Peter Orton
Peter Orton is one of the most respected people in the game and for the past 23 years has been an integral part of Vinery Stud and its various machinations under different ownership structures.
That said, Orton has been a mainstay of the Hunter Valley stud and his eye for a horse is second to none, selecting Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance as a yearling among many others.
Personable and considered, it could take a bit to prise him away from Vinery, but Orton could be the person to take charge of Godolphin, particularly if there was the desire to up the ante at the yearling sales with the goal of unearthing the next stallion prospect or high-class filly such as Everest contender In Secret.
Sebastian Hutch
The Inglis Bloodstock chief executive spent a decade at Coolmore, an experience that provided him with exposure to the Magnier family’s inner workings and how a global thoroughbred empire and a large-scale dual hemisphere stallion roster is managed.
Hutch was head-hunted by Inglis in 2018 to lead the auction house’s bloodstock division, navigating the complexities of the pandemic, so he would bring a wealth of experience to Godolphin in a not dissimilar way to Cox brought to the table.
Secondly, the Godolphin blue isn’t that much of a change from Coolmore’s navy, nor Inglis’ royal blue for that matter. He would be able to keep his current collection of ties and not look out of place in mounting yard celebrations if he was to take on the Godolphin job.
James Cummings
Godolphin Australia’s head trainer since mid-2017, James Cummings is articulate and university educated and since joining as Sheikh Mohammed’s private trainer Down Under he has prepared 100 individual stakes winners, including valuable colts Anamoe, Bivouac and Microphone.
With his record and the Cummings pedigree behind him, as well as ambition to burn, he could be capable of stepping up to take the leadership reins.
Cummings has also been known to frequent trackwork in a suit, so heading straight from Warwick Farm to head office in Sydney’s eastern suburb of Edgecliff wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.
Barry Bowditch
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch has long been mentored by Cox, having worked at Inglis before relocating to the Gold Coast.
For Magic Millions owner Gerry Harvey, Bowditch was the logical successor to Cox and perhaps he could again follow the path taken by his predecessor to lead Godolphin, particularly with the incoming Yulong general manager to lean on for advice and support.
Bowditch has also been Australia’s Keeneland representative, so he has established connections in the US as well as being a regular visitor to the UK for the Glorious Goodwood meeting, among other events.
Cox was able to commute from the Gold Coast to Sydney regularly to undertake his role, so Bowditch wouldn’t necessarily have to give up the beach lifestyle to take on the role.
Ross Cole
Another candidate who could be promoted from within, lawyer Ross Cole has been with Godolphin since 2015 as its director of corporate services and was the interim managing director after Henry Plumptre resigned and prior to Cox’s appointment.
Also, the long-term secretary of the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Cole is a life member of the Scone Race Club and he was a commercial litigation lawyer with experience in equine law.
Given his high standing at Godolphin already, the promotion would not be out of place.
Tom Reilly
The chief executive of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, Tom Rielly could be enticed to jump ship to the global giant.
Well-connected politically, both within racing circles and within parliament, the former Sydney Morning Herald editor would be well versed in understanding the complexities of Godolphin in the wider industry and the role it can play in advocating on industry issues.
Coming in with hands-on horse experience, he also has a degree in international relations which could also prove advantageous in dealing with head office and getting a larger budget to spend at yearling sales in Australia and New Zealand.
Andy Makiv
Another Godolphin/Darley employee who is well connected and has an understanding of both sides of the business, racing and breeding, he has already earned his way up the chain of command, being promoted previously.
Makiv briefly stepped outside the racing bubble a few years ago, but he was soon back in the Godolphin fold knowing the industry was where he belonged, so those in the northern hemisphere would be confident they’d receive 100 per cent commitment if they chose to promote him.
He is also well-versed in the racing side, managing prominent owner Colin McKenna’s stock and he has owned a few talented horses himself such is his ability to select a quality yearling.
Jonathan D’Arcy
Again, if Godolphin is looking outside the organisation for Cox’s replacement, long-time Inglis employee Jonathan D’Arcy would be a steadying influence.
Calm and composed, D’Arcy has been in and around the industry for decades and, no doubt, he would be capable of keeping the Godolphin/Darley ship sailing in the right direction with the strong team already in place.
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Earlier this week, we reported that there are plans being drawn up for a new racecourse to be built in Thailand, principally near Bangkok International Airport.
There are also separate investors looking at other sites in the Asian country to construct a track and to professionalise the thoroughbred racing industry.
Of course, like any of these big idea projects, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge and hurdles to jump, but there does at least appear to be some impetus behind the Thailand idea, which could replace the dying Singapore industry.
Eric Koh, a Singapore owner and businessman, is assisting the Thailand Horse Racing Association with its goal of making thoroughbred racing a mainstream sport.
Neighbouring Malaysia could also benefit from the closure of Singapore racing – owners and their horses have already started relocating in greater numbers in recent months, predominantly to Selangor Turf Club in Kuala Lumpur – with plans for another racecourse to be built at Johor Bahru to the country’s south and, as a crow flies, just 25 kilometres from the city state of Singapore.
International wagering – and transparency and the integrity of the racing – will be pivotal to the Malaysian and Thailand projects being viable long term.
A strong totaliser, which was one of the major problems Singapore racing encountered, will also be crucial to racing’s success or otherwise in Thailand as well as Malaysia, particularly if the latter is to increase its appeal and, thus, prize-money.
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Cliff Brown operates a quintessential boutique racing stable with 20 horses in work at Mornington and hopes to increase that to 25 or 26 in the near future.
With that number he’s never going to be able to take on the likes of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Lindsay Park or Mick Price and Mick Kent Jnr, but Brown is already defying his lack of firepower, training three stakes winners in a little over two years and he has Honor Galore, an unbeaten Spirit Of Boom filly, in tomorrow’s Danehill Stakes at Flemington.
Brown’s decision to quit Singapore during Covid may be an inspired one given racing is on its deathbed over there, but the trainer still can’t quite believe what’s happened this year.
“The reasons I came home were Covid and family mainly,” he told us.
“We hadn’t seen the two oldest kids [for a long time] and racing wasn’t what it once was, and I was worried it might go down further, but not in my wildest dreams did I ever think they’d close it.
“That was just never, ever a thought to me.”
Tim Fitzsimmons, last season’s champion trainer at Kranji, was Brown’s assistant in Singapore and he feels for the young trainer who was making a big impression in the Lion City and now must decide what’s next for him.
“My assistant has done well there, Tim Fitzsimmons, and he said he turns up to work every day and it’s just sad,” Brown said.
“It’s hard to maintain the enthusiasm. He has spent so long up there getting ready for it, he gets the opportunity, he absolutely flies and they pull the rug from underneath him.”