Peaky Blinders
Trish Dunell
The eye-catching run of Peaky Blinders to win a Rating 65 Benchmark 1400m event at Ellerslie on New Zealand Derby day ignited interest across the Tasman and the four-year-old is likely to do his future racing in Melbourne.
"He is actually under offer," part-owner and trainer Kylie Fawcett said.
"The sad thing is after winning a $50,000 race and looking through the calendar to find another race for him they are all $20,000-$22,000 races."
Fawcett admitted she would be sad to see him go, but she and fellow part-owner Eddie Wright will retain a small interest in the horse.
The gelded son of Sir Percy ensured Fawcett's training career got off to a flying start, recording two wins and three minor placings from his six start career. And while Fawcett will miss his presence around the stable he has fulfilled her aim when taking out a trainer's license.
"What happened is that while we were selling there were a few horses around us which weren't going up to the sales," she explained.
Weighing up the expense of having a number of horses in work against the possible returns, Fawcett decided that she could look at pre-training them and getting them ready to go.
"We were mostly looking at trading and this was another avenue," she said.
Armed with a Class B licence Fawcett and her small team braved early mornings at the Matamata track and the business of preparing horses for racing.
"I was completely out of my depth when I started. It took me six months to feel at home as it can be a fairly daunting place," she said.
"Lots of people full of knowledge have helped me along the way."
Fawcett said the ability to bounce thoughts off her good friend, and fellow Matamata trainer, Danica Guy has also assisted.
The training exercise is also something of a family affair with her cousin, apprentice jockey Jasmine Fawcett giving good feedback when riding work, and Jasmine's mother Tracy also lending a hand.
"Tracy, my aunty, comes to the track every morning to help out hosing or saddling horses," she said.
Fawcett's entry into racing came via a fairytale introduction to the breeding industry thanks to Jacilo, a broodmare bought for just $2600. An unplaced daughter of Entrepreneur, Jacilo boasted some fairly illustrious relations, being out of a sister to Grosvenor, National Gallery and Kyrie Eleison.
Fawcett, in partnership with Eddie Wright, bred and raced the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks winner My Keepsake, and Group Two winner Villifye, from Jacilo.
Among the horses she has waiting in the wings is a yearling daughter of Jacilo by first-season sire Shamexpress.
"I think I am going to end up with mainly fillies that we want to keep and race and breed from ourselves," she said.
"While we took a draft to the sales this year [under the Oxford Thoroughbreds banner] we are not breeding as many as previously. I can't do all of those jobs really well myself so I will probably focus on training." - NZ Racing Desk
"He is actually under offer," part-owner and trainer Kylie Fawcett said.
"The sad thing is after winning a $50,000 race and looking through the calendar to find another race for him they are all $20,000-$22,000 races."
Fawcett admitted she would be sad to see him go, but she and fellow part-owner Eddie Wright will retain a small interest in the horse.
The gelded son of Sir Percy ensured Fawcett's training career got off to a flying start, recording two wins and three minor placings from his six start career. And while Fawcett will miss his presence around the stable he has fulfilled her aim when taking out a trainer's license.
"What happened is that while we were selling there were a few horses around us which weren't going up to the sales," she explained.
Weighing up the expense of having a number of horses in work against the possible returns, Fawcett decided that she could look at pre-training them and getting them ready to go.
"We were mostly looking at trading and this was another avenue," she said.
Armed with a Class B licence Fawcett and her small team braved early mornings at the Matamata track and the business of preparing horses for racing.
"I was completely out of my depth when I started. It took me six months to feel at home as it can be a fairly daunting place," she said.
"Lots of people full of knowledge have helped me along the way."
Fawcett said the ability to bounce thoughts off her good friend, and fellow Matamata trainer, Danica Guy has also assisted.
The training exercise is also something of a family affair with her cousin, apprentice jockey Jasmine Fawcett giving good feedback when riding work, and Jasmine's mother Tracy also lending a hand.
"Tracy, my aunty, comes to the track every morning to help out hosing or saddling horses," she said.
Fawcett's entry into racing came via a fairytale introduction to the breeding industry thanks to Jacilo, a broodmare bought for just $2600. An unplaced daughter of Entrepreneur, Jacilo boasted some fairly illustrious relations, being out of a sister to Grosvenor, National Gallery and Kyrie Eleison.
Fawcett, in partnership with Eddie Wright, bred and raced the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks winner My Keepsake, and Group Two winner Villifye, from Jacilo.
Among the horses she has waiting in the wings is a yearling daughter of Jacilo by first-season sire Shamexpress.
"I think I am going to end up with mainly fillies that we want to keep and race and breed from ourselves," she said.
"While we took a draft to the sales this year [under the Oxford Thoroughbreds banner] we are not breeding as many as previously. I can't do all of those jobs really well myself so I will probably focus on training." - NZ Racing Desk
