Carmel Size: Backing The Greys To The Top Of The Everest
The legend goes….
Carmel Size discovered an extraordinary yearling at the Inglis Classic Sale (2017). Bred by Tyreel Stud, the Not A Single Doubt x Pinnochio colt (Lot 73) was knocked down to Size, (who was acting on behalf of Mr. Bon Ho), for A$400,000 during the sale's first Gold Ribband session.The colt was the sale toppersold by Tyreelat that sale. In a subsequent interview with Linda Monds, the co-owner of Tyreel, she remembered Carmel Size saying to her, after the sale, that she ‘just had to have him.'The yearling was Classique Legend, and today, he is one of the favorites in the third installment of the A$14 million Everest race. The lightly raced 4YO has thus far, earned A$867,500 in his career with three wins from 5 starts to his name.
We spoke to Carmel Size about their Everest slot, their extraordinary horse and her Everest plans:
Q) What attracted you to Classique Legend in the first place?
A)As a yearling he was well balanced and walked with ‘attitude' like he owned the place, he was a bit of a character too, and I bonded with him before I'd even purchased him.Pre-auction I knew for sure he was only ever going to come home with me, whatever the price. I choose and purchased the horse for Mr. Bon Ho and knew there was a risk; I may have had to go well over budget to secure him when it came to bidding on Classique Legend.But I just knew I had to trust my instincts and secure him and everything else would sort itself out
Q)Given your lifetime association with Thoroughbred horses at the highest level, what was it about him, which made you decide that THIS was the horse who could win 2019 The Everest?
A)At this stage of Classique Legend's preparation, I wouldn't be prepared to say he can win the Everest ,as the horse still has to continue to make the quantum leap from his explosive first racing preparation and step up to another levelagain, however Classique Legend’s return to racing as a 4YO in the Group 2 Shorts, has given me confidence that he can be more than competitive.Mr. Ho and I purchased the Slot in the hope that Classique Legend could make that natural improvement and I believe that we are on track to have a chance to be among the prize-money earners in what has become, one of the most exciting races in the world. To be honest the 2019 Everestmay be too soon for Classique Legend at this stage of his development,but I know that as a seasoned 5YO in 2020 Everest, he’d be right up to the mark.The opportunity we were presented with, to try him this year is one of those once in a life-time moment and rather than wonder what if, we decided to ‘roll-the-dice’ and not die wondering!
Q) What are the plans for Classique Legend after The Everest?
A)Providing that Classique Legend comes through The Everest, sound and happy, the plan is to progress to the A$7.5 Million Golden Eagle over 1500m, which is a race in his own age group to be run at Rosehill on 2nd November 2019. I believe that Classique Legend will be ideally suited by the 1500m journey.
Q) You have decided to take on the role of a co-slot-holder. What were your reasons to go for it?
A)In order to convince Mr Ho that purchasing a Slot some 5 months out from the race and certainly well before we knew if Classique Legend had progressed to the next level.I felt that if I demonstrated to him, I was prepared to back my ‘wild, random' idea, of having a ‘shot' at the race, that he'd come on board and agree to proceed. Needless to say, that line of thinking worked!!
Q) What advantages do you hope The Everest will provide over the next few years?
A)The Everest puts racing in New South Wales on the World Stage, the race transcends racing purists, in only its third year, it's rivalling the Melbourne Cup in recognition, drawing huge crowds, many of who, may have never been racing before, amongst the newcomers I hope that the Everest ignites their imaginations and we see a new generation of future owners, participants, and loyal fans.
Q) When you prepare to visit the sales with serious intent to buy, what is your process?
A) I usually start with the commercially successful stallions but place great emphasis on the dams that have visited those stallions. I'm a fan of duplicated bloodline nicking that some pedigree crosses can toss-up. The first five days of inspections are crazy for me it's like sorting out a jigsaw puzzle, and I have to remind myself of that every sale I attend, but, to be honest the horses I normally buy, find me and the ones I purchase off radar are horses I find crisscrossing the sale yards during inspections.
Q) Could you tell us how you got involved with horses? If was not for horses, what would have been the next best career for you?
A)My father is the Hall of Fame Trainer, Neville Begg. From a very young age, whenever I visited his stable I was absolutely fascinated with these majestic animals, at the age of about 5, I was clueless about racing, however, whenever the opportunity arose, I just wanted to follow dad around the stables. My parents wonderfully took us to the races from a young age, and my earliest memories are watching races opposite the winning post always cheering the ‘grey' horses on whoever's stable they were from (how ironic is that now, Classique Legend, is a ‘grey'). I've been horse obsessed for 50 years, continuing to learn new things every day and never had any other thoughts about anything but a career that didn't involve horses
Q) The decade is almost over. In addition to winning The Everest, what is on your bucket list of things to do before 2030?
A) I'm not a bucket list person, I look forward to each day and the challenges it can toss-up with horses no two days are the same. I desire to continue to be involved with horses until the day I drop, and if I can mentor or encourage anyone along the way to be the best they can, then that will satisfy me.
Published In Everest Diaries Platinum Souvenir 2019
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