EI robs Vic of a crack at racing’s ‘big three’
The equine influenza outbreak has robbed Ballina man Vic Gwynne of the chance to see a horse he part-owns contest the ‘big three’ of the Melbourne spring racing carnival.
Vic, along with his brothers Errol, of Sydney, and Peter, of the Gold Coast, are members of a 14-person syndicate which races Empires Choice, winner of this year’s Queensland Derby over 2400m.
Empires Choice was not just going to be a starter in this Saturday’s Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup – the four-year-old was considered a major threat in all three multi-million-dollar races.
The horse is trained by the Cups king, Bart Cummings, and most likely would have been ridden by another star of the turf, jockey Damien Oliver, who rode the Empires Choice to two wins, including the Derby, in Brisbane this year.
But the spring carnival plans ended when Randwick racetrack fell victim to the EI outbreak. Empires Choice had been taken there to prepare for the Melbourne spring events after being spelled following the Queensland Derby win, but fell victim to the flu.
Then came the ban on interstate horses travelling to EI-free Victoria, meaning that Vic’s hopes of having a starter in the three major races were gone.
“I was on a high when he won those two races in Brisbane,” said Vic, who is a full-time carer for his brother Wayne and also is the ‘lollipop man’ on stop-go duty near Southern Cross K12 School.
“Now everything’s gone. It’s like having your stomach ripped out.”
Vic, however, hasn’t given up hope of bigger things to come for Empires Choice.
Empires Choice will be a five-year-old when next year’s Melbourne spring carnival comes around – five-year-old horses have won the Melbourne Cup 42 times, more than any other age group.
And Vic says the horse will come back bigger and stronger after the enforced lengthy spell.
Vic’s association with Empires Choice began when brothers Errol and Peter went to horse sales in New Zealand. They met up with Bart Cummings, who had bought five horses.
Cummings rated Empires Choice as the best of them, and the Gwynnes bought in on the $210,000 purchase.
As it has turned out, Empires Choice was a bargain-buy. He already has won $830,000 in prizemoney, but his breeding makes him a valuable stud prospect.
Empires Choice is by Redouts Choice (which is by super sire Danehill) out of a Starway mare, Rosie’s Star.
Although Rosie’s Star was not much of a performer on the track, she, too, had good bloodlines: The grand-dam of Empires Choice is Empire Rose, winner of the 1988 Melbourne Cup.
Ironically, Bart Cummings trained Empire Rose until the year before she won the Cup.
Empires Choice, although bred to stay, signalled early that he was something special. As a two-year-old he finished fifth to the champion mare, Miss Finland, in the Golden Slipper. But the jockey ‘went 20-wide’ instead of staying closer to the fence, and Empires Choice should have finished much closer, Vic said.
Empires Choice’s record now stands at 15 starts for three wins, seven seconds and a third.
One of those wins, of course, was the Queensland Derby, a win typified by Empires Choice’s habit of dropping back to the rear of the field and storming home in true stayer fashion.
Empires Choice paid $5.40 for the Derby win, and Vic reckons just about every punter in Ballina backed him. “I didn’t know I had so many friends,” he said with a big laugh.
Racing is in Vic’s blood.
His father, Vic, was a trainer who had seven horses in work at Grafton.
Vic’s grandfather, John, also was a trainer.
And Vic, now 52, can remember the first winner he backed: The Goondiwindi grey, Gynsynd.
The plan for Empires Choice is to set him for the Australian Cup early next year.
Then the 2008 Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup will be back on the agenda.
When Empires Choice’s racing days are over, the syndicate will consider moving into the breeding business. The plan is to buy a filly good enough to win an Oaks, and then put her to Empires Choice.
Whatever the outcome, and despite’s this recent setback, Vic will always be a racing man.
“I love racing,” he said.
“I like to watch good horses.
“I’ve had other horses, but this one’s the best.”
Indeed!
PICTURES: Vic Gwynne with a photo of Empires Choice, and Damien Oliver returning to scale after a win at Doomben this year.
