News

Stephen Theodore just enjoying the ride

22nd Feb 2013

Herald Sun - Eliza Sewell - Friday, 22 February 2013

STEPHEN Theodore loves a road trip. And he's fairly keen on a sip.

When he secured a yearling he thought could be a star last year, he had a ready-made name - Crack A Roadie.

He had Road Trippin, a full brother, already so why not combine two of the Cranbourne trainer's favourite pastimes?

"Everyone puts s--- on me for loading the car up and going to Broken Hill and those sort of racing meetings," Theodore said.

"I'd say, who wants to go for a road trip, I've got a runner at Wagga?

"And we'd crack a roadie on the way home. If you're up at three in the morning and you've got to go to the races and you're getting home at seven at night ... it's bloody long hours not to get any fun out of it."

Tomorrow's $1 million Blue Diamond hope Crack A Roadie has provided Theodore with more than just fun.

The two-year-old colt represents a significant change of modus operandi for the 31-year-old son of legendary Riverina trainer Les.

While he still has a few castoffs on his 77-acre property at Cannons Creek near Cranbourne, he's no longer just the guy who can improve a tried, or tired, horse.

"That's Hayes, Hayes, Price, Moody, Darren Weir," he said, pointing out his recycled charges.

"You've got to get your start somewhere. I'd rather have a horse in there than have it empty.

"But two years ago I decided I wanted to try and transform a little bit.

"I went and bought four yearlings and lucky enough Road Trippin. I bought him for $20,000 and he's now earned $170,000 and placed behind All Too Hard ... it gave me a little bit more confidence to buy more.

"I bought six the next year (Crack a Roadie was one) and so far I've bought eight this year."I say the apprenticeship's over."

Theodore had to be sneaky to snare Crack A Roadie for $40,000 last March.

"I was trying not to race Road Trippin too much before the next one ... I didn't want him to go up too much," he said.

"Ninety per cent of the owners in Road Trippin are in this bloke, so they were all playing along ... if it was above $60,000, I knew we'd miss out.

"There's no point hiding now. The half brother is lot 28 this year in Melbourne, by Manhattan Rain. It'll start at $200,000 and I'm sure it'll find a lovely home - probably not here though."

Les, who part-owned and trained champions Campaign King and Better Loosen Up before selling them on to Bart Cummings and David Hayes respectively, is Theodore's right-hand man.

It was Les who introduced Theodore to the road trip.

"He had two of the best horses Australia's ever seen but it's the other ones, where he'd take me for the weekend to the Mildura Cup or something when I was 10, I remember them," he said.

"It was me and him, on a road trip. We'd get to stay at a pub and I'd have a Twistie and a raspberry cordial. That was fun times."

Crack A Roadie raced twice last spring for a win and second and will be trying to win the Blue Diamond first-up, after being scratched from the Inglis Premier at Mornington last week when the colt knocked his leg.

He admitted he was being cautious, but there's a lot at stake.

"This is the best horse I've ever had and I love him to bits," Theodore said.

"Every owner that's involved with him has some way in the last eight, nine years played a big part in helping me get to where I am.

"To love the horse then love the owners and now have him going into Melbourne's richest two-year-old race being a Melbourne trainer, s---, it doesn't get much better than that."

Theodore got his full trainer's licence at 23 and not long after he stumbled upon Count Ricardo, which he purchased for $880, including GST.

By the end of 2004 he had trained Count Ricardo to a win in the Sandown Cup and a third place in the Victoria Derby.

Theodore is a plunge trainer. He takes his horses where they can win and encourages his owners to bet up when the time is right.

"It's a bit of an art form that Les taught me," he explained.

"A lot of trainers are happy to send their horses three-quarters fit and do a bit more exercise on race day.

"I would rather make sure that we've ticked every box. We've been known to pull off some big stings over the years."

Theodore knows offers will come for the horse if he can win tomorrow, and the father's son will know what to do.

"If he wins on Saturday he's worth $5 million, just at stud, let alone the rest of his racing career," Theodore said.

"I would recommend strongly when those type of offers come in that they are animals and anything can happen and that's a lot of money for a horse that we paid $40,000 for."