$8,000 Investment Continues to Reap Rewards

Media Release - Monday January 22

An $8,000 purchase in 2003 has continued to pay dividends for Gareth Downey over two decades later, when the filly’s son won the inaugural $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham last Saturday.

Downey, a former General Manager of Valachi Downs Stud, relocated to take up the same role at Lindsay Park Racing in 2022, and was near speechless after watching The Odyssey charge to the post from his Australian base.

Gareth Downey was delighted to take out the inaugural $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) with The Odyssey on Saturday.   Photo: Trish Dunell

“The only trouble we’re having is coming back down to earth after all our yelling and screaming,” he said.

“It’s a genuine honour to win the first running of it, it’s such a wonderful innovation for New Zealand racing to have these races and we were just happy to have a runner, so to win was an honour.”

Downey possessed an extensive interest in the breeding and pedigree analysis throughout his life, and his first investment proved life changing when purchasing The Odyssey’s dam Macavelli Miss for $8,000 at a Sydney yearling sale in 2003.

Under the care of Cambridge conditioner Roger James, Macavalli Miss won six races and $177,000 in stakes, highlighted by a sensational victory as the $121 outsider in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in 2006.

Following her racing career, the daughter of Vettori produced five foals for Downey and wife Mel Gamble, including seven-race winner Gauguin, and Fleetwood Maca, who was runner-up behind Oaks-winning mare Amarelihna in the 2020 Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m).

Macavalli Miss’ final foal was born in 2019, a son of Zacinto that emulated her triumph on the champagne turf on Cup Day.

“She was an incredibly special mare to us, it was a life changing experience to have her in our lives and to share her journey,” Downey said.

“She has been a very successful broodmare, she actually died very soon after foaling The Odyssey, so we’ve always had a special attachment to him because of that.

“We’ve been close to him all the way through his life, he’s a gorgeous horse, and to have him running in the Remutaka Classic on Thorndon Mile day after his mother won that felt like a real omen.

Advertisement

“To be cheering him down that straight, and for him to be tough and talented enough to win was indescribable really.”

The Odyssey’s late sire Zacinto has been to the fore in high-profile races already this season, particularly with the success of Crocetti, a top-line three-year-old unbeaten in six starts, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

“I was working at Valachi at the time and Zacinto stood there, so that was the immediate appeal for Macavalli Miss,” Downey said.

“We do a lot of pedigree analysis to find the right match, we loved this stallion and the mating paired really well, so it all just felt like the right thing to do.

“I think it’s a combination of the natural resources of the country in New Zealand, that makes it one of, if not the best places in the world to raise young horses. The quality of horsemanship involved in the country adds to this as well, they get the best start in life.”

Downey shared his appreciation to Ben and Ryan Foote, the father-and-son training partnership preparing The Odyssey to his four career victories from eight starts, and now more than $233,000 in stakes. Also credited with the victory was jockey Courtney Barnes, the Northern-based hoop guiding the four-year-old to all of his successes to date.

“The Foote’s are wonderful people, they are extremely good to us and to our horses. We love the association, we’ve got four with them now, all of our racehorses have been trained by them for the past two or three years,” he said.

“Courtney really deserves this as well, she has been riding this horse for all of his career and they have a special partnership.

“She may not be one of the most high-profile jockeys in the country, but she couldn’t possibly have ridden him any better and we were delighted to have her on board.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Deserving Stakes Success For Splash Back (Fr)
Unlucky not to already has a stakes victory on her resume, the Grahame Begg trained French-bred Le Havre mare Splash Back (Fr) broke through on Friday night at Moonee Valley, winning the $300,000 Group 2 MVRC Stock Stakes (1500m).
Manhattan Rain Gold Rush in WA
Geisel Park won’t be the only WA breeder on board when the first locally-conceived 2yo crop of its Group 1 sire Manhattan Rain get mobile this season.
Pride of Jenni Too Good for Treasurethe Moment in G2 Feehan
Pride of Jenni might be an eight year-old mare that is drawing ever closer to the end of her glorious career, but there was a sparkle in her eye before the Group II MVRC Feehan Stakes (1600m) and it was the Jenni of old that ran her rivals ragged at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Sires With Winners - Friday September 26
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Wootton Bassett Colt Wins G2 Stutt Stakes
The racing and breeding world was shocked earlier this week by the passing of champion sire Wootton Bassett (GB), whose talented son West of Swindon picked the right race in which to break his maiden when scoring a bold front running victory in the $300,000 Group II MVRC Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Better Than Ready's The Odyssey Leads Home a 1-2-3 for the Locals in the Last On Magic Millions Race
The locals went 1-2-3 in the $1m Racing Qld Magic Millions (1300m) to bring the curtain down on Magic Millions raceday at the Gold Coast.
€1.9million Sale-Topping Colt Wins G3 Somerville Stakes
The Group III Somerville Stakes (7f) was run at Newmarket overnight with the Godolphin blue carried by exciting Night of Thunder colt Distant Storm, who they purchased for a sale-topping €1.9million at the Arqana May Breeze Up Sale earlier this year.
Ardrossan Filly Wins First Kiwi Juvenile Race of New Season
Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece.
Expensive I Am Invincible Mare Wins G1 Manikato
The highest priced filly at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale when selling for $1.55million, I Am Invincible filly Charm Stone has been a star from day one and is now a two time Group I winner after landing her second victory at the top level with a dominant win in the $2million MVRC Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
30 Runners in Goffs Million!
The stage is set for Europe’s richest two-year-old race, the Goffs Million (7f), which has attracted a maximum field of 30 runners at the Curragh this Saturday and the €1 million contest, with prize money down to 10th, is only open to graduates of last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.