Coolmore Australia principal Tom Magnier is the son of John Magnier Irish business magnate and leading thoroughbred owner and breeder. With parents like John & Susan Magnier and a grandfather like the legendary Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien, he was always meant to have a horseman’s heart. Magnier has the responsibility of managing an expansive portfolio of expensive bloodstock and racehorses in Australia. He has also taken on the responsibility of managing Coolmore’s Everest slot.
The Everest Diaries talks to the man who is incredibly hard to get a hold of, and one has achieved something no-one else has, to have an Multi-Group One winning international horse owned Coolmore racing in the Coolmore slot.
Q: Which race would you consider his best till date?
A: He is a triple Gr.1 winner with plenty of high-class form to his name, but I think his most recent outing, when winning the Gr.1 July Cup, was his most significant performance yet. It is always a huge challenge for a three-year-old to take on older sprinters at weight for age, but to win in the manner he did, defeating 6 individual Gr.1 winners, was a great illustration of his class.
A: As I speak he is in quarantine preparing for his trip to Australia and is scheduled to arrive at Canterbury on September 21st. His preparation is going well and Aidan seems very happy with him. His programe after The Everest will depend on how things work out at Randwick. He has already proven himself an outstanding horse, but given his last start was arguably a career best, he still seems to be improving.
Q: US Navy Flag has never raced in Australia. Do you think he can be affected by the slightly uphill track at Randwick and the weather conditions on the day? What are the steps planned to acclimatise him?
A: He is a very versatile horse that has raced with distinction in a number of different countries already, so we are hopeful that he will readily adjust to Australian conditions, just as he those in the other countries that he has raced. 6 furlongs around a bend is something that he has not faced before, although he is a horse with tremendous tactical speed and it shouldn’t worry him. He is a dual Gr.1 winner at Newmarket, one of the most undulating tracks in the world, so the track at Randwick is one that we expect him to be able to adapt to.
Q: Now that most of the field is known, are there any concerns about any of the other contenders?
A: It is a hugely competitive race and all the runners are there on merit, so all are major contenders.
Q: Which would be the greatest sprint race you have witnessed and why?
A: Two races that spring most readily to mind are Starspangledbanner’s win in the Gr.1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2010 and Merchant Navy’s win in the Gr.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, also at Royal Ascot, earlier this year. The former’s performance to make-all and beat 23 rivals was incredible. From memory, over half of the field had won at least 1 Gr.1. In the case of Merchant Navy, he went to Royal Ascot as a very young horse and to beat a great field in the brilliant fashion that he did marked him down as a special horse.
Q: Given the options available to
Coolmore as such a large racing and breeding operation what were the qualities which put sprinter US Navy Flag at the top of the list for your Everest slot?
A: On form, he is one of the best sprinters in the world. We had some other options from our team in Ireland as well as the team in Australia, but it was hard to look past
U S Navy Flag, especially after his dominant win in the July Cup. That was one of the best performances by a sprinter anywhere in the world this year.
Q: With Merchant Navy proving himself as a dual hemisphere race horse and stallion, somewhere is there an expectation that US Navy Flag could shape up in the same way?
A: We currently have a very strong stallion roster at Coolmore Australia, but we are always considering ways to enhance it further. I think it’s fair to say that given he was a dual Gr.1 winning champion two-year-old, a Gr.1 winning sprinter at weight-for-age as a three-year-old and is by one of the best stallions in the world, he would be a welcome addition to any stallion roster in the world.
Q: Given the fact that The Everest concept has caught on like wild fire, what does Mr. Magnier make of the modernism, innovation and change at the heart of racing in Australia?
A: Australia is a hugely progressive racing jurisdiction and the respective racing authorities here deserve huge credit for the way in which they are continually looking to promote the sport. In the case of
Racing NSW and the ATC,
The Everest looks to have captured the imagination of the general public, which is a hugely positive result. It is in the best long-term interests of the sport to continue to see the participant base grow and if concepts like The Everest can help this happen, then they are fantastic initiatives.
Q: How would you predict the southern hemisphere will shape up in the next couple of decades as a center for racing? Where is investment expected to come from?
A: Racing in Australia looks to have a very bright future. The best Australian horses can compete with the best anywhere in the world, as has been shown over the last decade in particular. Prize money is very strong and the spectacle of the best racing in Australia is as captivating a sporting spectacle as one will find. I think these factors are important in continuing to attract investment in the Australian thoroughbred industry.
Q: And finally, what were the deciding factors which tipped your decision in favour of supporting The Everest by taking a slot. What are your expectations from this partnership? How do you expect to see this event and your partnership evolve over the next decade?
A: It is a very exciting concept and as soon as Coolmore was approached about it, we were keen to be involved. As we saw with the inaugural running in 2017, it is a race with the capacity to really captivate the sporting public and that is great for racing. The more people that are drawn into our wonderful sport, the better. Hopefully it can continue to grow as a concept and continue to have a positive effect on the sport. We certainly believe that it will.
Credit: Pallavi Shevade pallavi.shevade@secretariatsworld.com
