Almanac Racing: I have a horse in the Melbourne Cup

 

 

My wife Jacki and I own a horse that is running in this year’s Melbourne Cup. Okay, so we own a micro share of a horse that is running…it’s a syndicate via My Racehorse in horse number seven ‘Just Fine’ trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and to be ridden by Jye McNeil.

 

We first saw a story about Just Fine on the racing.com channel on Melbourne Cup Day 2022 while their ambassador Jason Richardson interviewed Gai Waterhouse. Just Fine had just being purchased by the My Racehorse syndicate and Gai Waterhouse for £300,000. Just Fine was a five-year-old gelding trained by Sir Michael Stoute who had 14 starts for 3 wins. What we liked about Just Fine was the back story he was previously owned by her majesty Queen Elizabeth II before she passed away and had one start for a win on October 4, 2022, under King Charles III. We just liked the story that we own a racehorse trained by the first lady of the turf Gai Waterhouse and our horse we previously owned by the Queen and King.

 

 

 

 

Just Fine is the first horse I have been involved with. I always thought unless in a syndicate with friends the costs would be too high to get into ownership with the initial outlay and ongoing costs. With My Racehorse the share for Just Fine was $250 with no ongoing costs. We have also been lucky that is has raced in Melbourne several times as that is part of the ownership, I enjoy is watching it live race and see it in the stalls. The worry for me with horse ownership was it would be running most of the time midweek while I am at work.

 

I have always loved horse racing since I was a youngster even though my family are not being horseracing followers. While they do enjoy it during the Spring Carnival, I follow nearly year round, especially for the Melbourne and Sydney Spring/Autumn Carnivals, SA and Queensland Winter Carnival and WA’s Summer Carnival. My first memory of horse racing was in grade prep for the 1979 Melbourne Cup where I got Salamander (second) and Cubacade (fifth) in the school sweep, (though I’m unsure as to why I got two horses and what the prize was). I remember Mum had Belldale Ball in the cricket club sweep in 1980, Kiwi’s thrilling win in 1983 and tipping At Talaq and Empire Rose in 1986 and 1988 Melbourne Cups.

 

As my parents were not punters my first bet was not until I was 18 in 1991 when I backed Let’s Elope and then the trifecta in 1992. Saintly was my preferred horse until the great Makybe Diva won in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Diva is my favourite ever and I can honestly say I liked her twelve months prior to backing her in the 2002 Werribee Cup and Queen Elizabeth – her 2003 win was the best collect I have ever had. Other successful tips have been Delta Blues, Efficient, Fiorente and Vow and Declare. None though come close to Makybe Diva though and I think her 2005 when she won the Australia Cup, Tancred (BMW), Memsie, Turnbull, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup as one of the best racing calendar years ever. While I also like Black Caviar and Winx and I think they are champions, I never backed them as they were always too short. My all-time favourites besides the Diva are Black Bean, Umrum, Saintly, Flavour, Chautauqua, Bella Nipotina, Divine Madonna, Typhoon Tracy, Redelva and basically followed anything Neville Wilson rode or any of the Camperdown trainers like Geoff and Denis Daffy and Ron Gravett.

 

 

 

 

I love horse racing and I enjoy a punt on it only, but I am not a big punter. I love reading the form guide and try and find some value in at $1 each way bet. I generally bet on my first selection, a roughie and sometimes an exotic bet like a quinella. So much do I enjoy it that 10 years ago I started a racing spreadsheet where I collected all results from over 150 races in five states from 1983 onwards which feature the trainer and jockey for each horse. I started this because I could not find this information online and now, I have researched and started a Facebook page where I put out information the week prior to each race. I have spent hours at the State Library and on Trove and old newspaper websites. I love doing this research and finding out who has been the most successful jockey and trainer in each race.

 

 

I love going to the races attending my first Derby in 1998 and when I shifted to Melbourne in 1999, I attended each of the six Saturdays from Turnbull to Stakes Day and I went to my first Melbourne Cup that year. While I loved the event, the crowds started to become too big and annoying for racing lovers like me and my last Derby was in 2006 when there was 120,000 there. I have though been fortunate to also attend Camperdown, Warrnambool and Ballarat Cups, Golden Slipper, Hong Kong champions day at Shatin in December, Singapore Gold Cup, and am an auction prize owner at Randwick on Chipping Norton Day. Prior to this year we went once or twice a year to quieter meetings like the Makybe Diva Stakes or Australian Cup. While watching on TV is easier and you see more, I love attending to see all the horses in the stall and maybe getting pat from guest appearances like Makybe Diva or other Living Legends. I love the sound of the clip clop of the horses as they walk past in the stalls and mounting yard and when you’re standing on the fence and the hooves of thunder go past. Prior to online betting I also got into the vibe of the betting ring where money was exchanged and horses changed odds, the sounds of tips and bookies runners going around to lay off.

 

 

 

 

So, Tuesday I am going to the Melbourne Cup for the first time since 1999 and Jacki is going for her first time. While the crowd will be big, we are extremely excited for our horse. Something I had never dreamt would happen. When we got Just Fine, we realised it is unlikely we will get our money back in prize money, but we were hoping for a start, to see it race live and to win a race. On September 2, 2023, we were in Adelaide at a pub in Modbury for lunch when Just Fine debuted in 1,600m Benchmark 94 race. He had an emphatic win off 2.5 lengths at $11. It was truly exciting and that night it was surreal just to see his name in future markets for the Melbourne Cup. Next start we were at Flemington at Makybe Diva day to see the great mare live in the flesh when he won the Group 3 Kingston Town stakes at $3.50. Then the Group 1 2,400m Metropolitan held at ¾ time of 2024 AFL Grand Final. He was short favourite priced favourite at $1.75 and won by 0.16 of a length with Rachel King in the saddle. I now owned a Group 1 horse after three starts. When he ran at weight for age in the 2,000m Caulfield Stakes, he was completely outclassed by Alligator Blood, finished last and went for a spell. Just Fine struggled in the Autumn and was sent for another spell after two average runs. He returned for the weight for age Spring Stakes and was okay over 1,400m in what was probably an unsuitable race and followed with a fifth out of 10 at a 1,600m weight for age in Chelmsford. Just Fine then came to Melbourne. We have seen him run in each of his starts here; he finished 10^th in the Naturalism Stakes which was a shade disappointing. On Turnbull Stakes Day with Jordan Childs in the saddle Just Fine started in the ‘win and you’re in the Melbourne Cup’ Bart Cummings stakes at 2,520m. He was paying $21 and had an unusual preparation making it behind the barriers before lightning delayed the race by 30 minutes. Just Fine was not affected by the elements and held on for a win by 0.2 of a length. This win was amazing and on a personal level, just as exciting as the 2017 AFL Grand Final. Last start was the Moonee Valley Cup where he finished last unfortunately. The stable wanted him to have a run and build more in the legs, but the result was not great. Like many there is thought he didn’t quite handle the tight Moonee Valley track or the lights as he played up in the mounting yard before the race. I think he may be a homebody and just likes Flemington and Randwick where he is based…if only they could talk and tell us.

 

 

 

 

My racehorse syndicate and Gai Waterhouse’s stable have been magnificent. I like the concept of short outlay you have experience the thrill of owning a horse and experience hopefully a win. We are not into to win a profit and the loss of money is marginal its all about the raceday experience. They have held functions to see your horse and hear from the trainers mid-week in September and had a trophy function for the Kingstown town and Metropolitan which unfortunately we missed but we did go to the Bart Cummings trophy. We also have a function cup eve night with Adrian Bott and another on cup night. The stable staff have been great with the strapper and foreman telling us before and after the race how the horse is doing and also after the Bart Cummings, Jacki and I were the only ones at the stable an hour after; the strapper brought him to us for a photo and the foreman took it for us. Gai also was at the stable before the race and asked if we had any questions.

 

Just Fine as I write is paying $41; I cannot back against it. I am unsure if it can get the 3,200m but almost half the field have that same query. We would love to win the Cup, but we are just excited that we are a part of it. We hope he has a safe journey, and we know he will do us proud.

 

 

 

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