Collett Clan Move to Sydney

Media Release - Tuesday July 19

Trainer Richard Collett’s move to Sydney is well under way, with his Pukekohe stables on the market and a number of horses booked to fly out at the end of the month.

Collett is returning to Warwick Farm, where he had boxes in the middle of last decade, only this time it will become his only base. He has obtained 22 boxes, most of which had been used by Clare Cunningham, whose partner is Collett’s son Jason, a leading Sydney Jockey.

Richard Collett is looking forward to moving to Sydney with his family. Photo: Trish Dunell

Cunningham is spending less time training now she and Jason have a young child.

In preparation for his move, he has put his 4.4 hectare property in Buckland, near Pukekohe, on the market. It is due to be auctioned on August 10.

“I took seven or eight horses over there and they raced well; we won races on each of the four city tracks in Sydney, and provincial tracks. I enjoyed the racing there, there’s no question about that,” Collett said.

“I was keen to get back but it’s taken a while to sort out our affairs here. We’ve subdivided our property and you can’t do things like that overnight, we had to release as much value out of the property as we could, and also tidy up a lot of other bits and pieces. Covid also put things back a bit.”

Also heading over with Richard and his wife Judy are their daughter Natasha and her husband, jockey Andrew Calder, along with their three children.

“With Jason there with a child and with Alysha there as well, and with Natasha and Andrew and their three children going there as well, it was a family decision,” Collett said.

“Andrew and Tasha have sold their property, but I’ve got two properties to sell here.”

Along with the obvious draw of the higher prizemoney and the family reasons, Collett said the difficulties of surviving while Auckland was locked down due to COVID-19 was also a factor.

“I found it personally very hard, the restrictions we were put under in the Auckland area, and I know Andrew and others felt the same thing,” he said.

“It also makes you worry what could happen again.”

Collett will be taking 11 horses over to Sydney, which are due to fly out on July 31.

“The horses we are taking over are either up in the ratings a bit or are untried young horses,” he said.

Advertisement

“Clare’s going to keep a couple of her horses going, but eventually we’d like to operate with around 20 horses there.”

Collett has trained 688 winners in his career in New Zealand, including 27 black type races. He said the horse he had the fondest memories of in recent times was Cog Hill, a multiple group winner of 11 races and more than $640,000.

Cog Hill eventually returned to Collett’s property, where he died about three months ago aged 21.

“He was a great horse. He spent a bit of time doing dressage in the Central Districts after he finished racing but he came back to us. He was 21 and just died in his sleep,” he said.

Collett said he had enjoyed his time in New Zealand and was able to make a good living from his thoroughbred business.

Though he was pleased at the improvements made in the Auckland region to get bigger prizemoney for horses, he said his biggest concern about the situation he was leaving behind was with how difficult it was for young horse trainers to get started.

Property prices in the Auckland area, and the relatively low prizemoney, was a challenge, and he felt the best way forward was for the industry to move to an Australian-style model where more horses were boxed in rented on-course stables rather than having to be prepared from a separate property.

“New Zealand racing clubs have been slow to grasp that no young trainer can afford to set up on their own properties now for the cost in the northern region. It’s too dear,” he said.

“Byerley Park has had stabling on course and has had good numbers, but property in the Pukekohe area is just too expensive. That’s probably had a bearing on the number of trainers we have up here.

“If a young trainer knows he just has to rent stables and pay the rent once a month, and they’ve only just got to have a house initially, then they can get going, whereas in the situation I have, you have to have a float, you have to get a property, and there’s a lot up front before you start off. It makes it hard for young people to keep going.”

Given that problem, Collett said he was particularly pleased to hear that Matamata Racing Club had bought the former Wexford Stables property which had been used recently by Valachi Racing.

“That’s great foresight for Matamata Racing Club – they’re thinking about retention of numbers, of trainers, and helping them out, having stables within walking distance of the track.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
MM Gold Coast Horses In Training Sale Links
Tuesday saw the final breeze ups at the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions Horses In Training Sale which starts on Thursday so here’s our links to useful data including the pinhook report, with most lots having been sold previously.
Briasa Boost as More Youngsters Impress on HIT Sale Eve
The timing couldn’t be better for a sale page's pedigree boost, with Briasa announcing himself as one of Australia’s most exciting sprinters following his dominant victory in Saturday’s $1 million Group Two Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Everest Runner/New G1 Horse for Hellbent as Invincible Legacy Surges
Hellbent has made a solid start to the new season with 25 winners racking up over $2million in earnings and he will have a runner in the $20million The Everest in two weeks time with Magic Time confirmed for the Inglis slot, while at Randwick last Saturday he added another G1 performer to his tally.
One to Watch - Warwick Farm
Tassort produced an impressive winner at Warwick Farm on Monday carrying the Trilogy Racing colours that looks well up to a far better grade than this public holiday Monday meeting.
National Thoroughbred Week invites support through GoFundMe campaign
National Thoroughbred Week (NTW) is calling on the thoroughbred community and broader public to be part of history, with the launch of a GoFundMe campaign to help bring this inaugural celebration to life.
Wrote SW on Comeback Trail
Robbie Patterson had high Classic hopes for Read About It last season before his rising young star’s progress was halted by illness.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Sword of State 2YO Ready for Debut
A pair of promising youngsters are set to make their debut for Cambridge trainer Chad Ormsby at Avondale on Wednesday, but track conditions may scupper plans for one of them.
Shamus Award Mare Chasing Another G1
Adverse weather has forced multiple Group One winner Quintessa to take an unorthodox route to next Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), with the mare appearing at the Awapuni trials on Monday afternoon.
2025 G1 Caulfield Guineas Field and Barrier Draw
A full field plus emergencies have accepted for the $3million Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on Saturday with Golden Rose runners Wodeton, Autumn Boy, Nepotism and Rivellino all engaged.