News

So You Think's breeder Mike Moran is living a dream ahead of the Cox Plate

24th Oct 2010

Courier Mail - Nathan Exelby - Friday, 22 October 2010

EX-AUSSIE and now Kiwi-based breeder Mike Moran can't help but marvel how a mare nobody wanted has delivered racing the So You Think juggernaut.

So You Think will start the shortest priced Cox Plate favourite in more than 40 years tomorrow and is already being rated among the modern greats.

Moran describes it as a "dream" – one that started with an investment of a mere $16,000 on a mare that was perceived to be washed up.

Now he is coming to grips with being the co-breeder of Australasian racing's undisputed superstar.

"It's a massive thrill. He's just so good . . . he's incredible," Moran says.

"The big thing for me is that I worked for Bart Cummings in Adelaide and to have bred the best horse he's ever trained is just the ultimate honour. He's the greatest trainer ever and to have bred his greatest horse, it's frightening really."

So You Think may well be a multi-millionaire now – and worth many millions more as a stallion prospect – but his origins are not that of a racing aristocrat.

Not that his mum wasn't any good. On the contrary. Triassic was one of New Zealand's best fillies of 1993-94.

But in breeding, fashion is everything and as a rising 15-year-old that hadn't produced a single black-type performer, Triassic was considered over the hill and she was put on the scrapheap at the 2005 Sydney broodmare sales.

Enter New Zealand-based breeders Moran, his wife Helen and partner Cecile Smith of Piper Farm.

"She was as good a racemare of her generation," Moran said.

"Brian Jenkins named his property after her. He had trained Jezabeel to win a Melbourne Cup, yet he still named his property after Triassic. That's how good she was.

"When she came up in the Inglis Sydney sale we thought it a good opportunity to get the mare at a cheaper price because she was in foal to a (non-commercial) stallion. We picked her up for $16,000 and were thrilled to get her for that sort of money."

Triassic foaled a Nuclear Freeze filly in the spring of 2005 and as marketing manager for top stud Windsor Park (also the breeding ground of Might And Power) it was a foregone conclusion the mare would go to new arrival High Chaparral.

"We all agreed that was the way to go," Moran said. "We thought it would be a lovely mating for her. She's a very strong, well made mare and he's a beautifully athletic, scopy stallion, so it looked a really good mating on paper."

Moran described So You Think as a standout yearling, but circumstances meant he was overlooked by buyers in the sales ring. He was one of the last lots offered at the 2008 New Zealand Yearling Sale and his $110,000 purchase price was a little more than half the sale average ($199,000).

"We honestly thought he would make double that, but he was late in the sale and people had their orders, but he certainly went to the right man," Moran said. "He was a standout and Bart saw it straight away.

"People would come to the sale and say where's lot 424? He was a magnificent type. "Danny O'Brien was keen on him but had bought three High Chaparrals and thought he couldn't buy four in his first crop, Paul Moroney liked him, John McArdle was underbidder, Steve Brem loved him, Dean Hawthorne, Robbie Laing, there were numerous people."

But as always, the famous J.B. Cummings' patience won the day.

"Now everyone can see what Bart could see. He just has the Hollywood looks and the talent," Moran said.

The former Aussie is now dreaming of a Melbourne Cup, assuming he gets past his Cox Plate target tomorrow.

"You never say you're going to win for sure, but you don't see too many horses at $1.50 in the Cox Plate. He's certainly the top drawer," Moran said.

"With regards to the Melbourne Cup, he's got a lovely pedigree and he's got the best trainer to train a Cup winner. If anyone's going to help him do it, he's the right man. If he switches off and relaxes he should be hard to beat.

"But that's getting a bit ahead of ourselves, because he's not even in the field yet. He's got More Joyous, Shoot Out and a lot of other great horses to beat this Saturday."

Triassic had an Elusive City colt sell for $260,000 this year, in addition to So You Think's $110,000 price tag, but the real financial rewards may be yet to come.

The Nuclear Freeze filly, named La Souvenir, recently foaled a three-quarter-brother to So You Think and Triassic herself is due to foal a full relation to the champ later this month.

Both will be worth a fortune in the sales ring.

Moran is frank when describing the wait for So You Think's full sibling – "It's bloody nerve racking!"

But financial rewards take a back seat to having fulfilled the dream of breeding a champion racehorse.

"It was meant to be," Moran concludes. "There were so many things falling into place and then Bart liked the yearling and the whole story goes on. It's a dream.