Spring is the most exciting time of the year for a horse trainer, but for me as a dad the past couple of years have been quite lonely when I’ve come to Melbourne.
Leaving my family – wife Steph and kids Tyler and Nikita – behind in Sydney has been tough.
There is nothing like the call of "daddy" to bring you back to earth. It can be frustrating, when you're working, but there is never a better frustration.
On track: With Winx, strapper Umut Odemislioglu and jockey Hugh Bowman at Flemington trackwork.Credit:David Crosling
It sounds exciting to be in Melbourne the first few times you do it. But once you have done it a few times, it becomes a lonely place.
It’s not just the fact you are away from your family but also the pressure you are under.
There is only work and I felt by myself.
You miss things. They grow up quicker while your away. Phone calls and video calls don’t make it any easier.
There is nothing better than having your family around you to help you switch off at the end of the day.
Fortunately this year, Steph and the kids joined me for most of this week, it being school holidays. It was great to have them here with me and with the horses at Flemington.
It is different to home, where Tyler and Nikita don’t come to the stables that much, and it has settled me into a very important week. They have gone home now, but Steph will be back for Saturday and Winx.
The show goes on back at home as we prepare horses for the Spring Champion Stakes meeting, a group 1 race where Dealmaker should like the wet conditions and run well at Randwick.
And, of course, we also have Winx in Melbourne for the Turnbull Stakes. She has prepared well for this race again.
She did win it last year and looked very comfortable at Flemington. The nice big track and straight gives horses time settle and go through their gears. She did that impressively last year.
I can’t fault her at moment.
Interestingly, we take photos of all our horses every Monday morning and keep them on record. It’s kind of like watching your kids grow up.
We pulled the picture of Winx out from last year at the same time at start of the week to compared her to right now.
Her coat looks slightly more advanced than last year. Her condition is great. We have a horse in great form and still at the peak of her powers.
If I needed any reminder about how incredible Winx is, last Saturday was it. You just don’t win all the time.
It was a great day for the stable at Randwick, winning the Metropolitan with Patrick Erin, but we also had three group 1 seconds, two of them by a nose, and I can’t begin to tell you the frustration that brings.
Group 1 wins for owners, punters and breeders mean so much, so to go down by that barest of margins on three occasions was like having all but one number in the lotto.
It was great to see Patrick Erin salute, beating his stablemate Brimham Rocks, and I have no doubt these horses will be head to Melbourne for the cups. We hope they can get a run.
As soon as Saturday had past it was full attention to Winx running at Flemington this weekend. I flew to Melbourne on Sunday.
It's obviously another important race in her career. The excitement is building from a Cox Plate point of view, but that doesn’t effect us.
This time she is being prepared for one race at a time. Usually you are building a preparation to target races, especially with your best horses.
But with Winx there is an expectation of winning, so we try to have her at her best every time she goes to a race.
I found it allows me to prepare her properly for every race. It focuses me. Fortunately I have a horse that is good enough to be prepared this way. I can’t think of another horse I would be able to do this with.
So we are fully focused for Saturday's race and then we will start to worry about the next run. By doing this, it keeps it all in perspective and helps me deal with the pressure and makes sure she is perfect for her next assignment.
We know she has become everyone’s horse. The people's horse. It's like having a big family and you never want to let down your family.
They are special.
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