Racing elite to set up shop in region

By Hamish Heard
An overseas racing syndicate and one of Australia’s leading trainers have their sights on the Bellarine Peninsula, according to a councillor.
And an industry insider, who did not want to be identified, said celebrated Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse was also eyeing land on the peninsula to set up as a training facility.
Cr Tom O’Connor confirmed he had been in talks with a “high profile” female racehorse trainer from Sydney but refused to confirm whether it was Ms Waterhouse.
“I have spoken to her and she was certainly interested in what the area has to offer but that’s about all I can really say,” Cr O’Connor said.
Ms Waterhouse did not return the Independent’s calls for comment.
Cr O’Connor said an Arab racing syndicate also was keen to set up shop on the peninsula.
“It would be terrific to see some Arab money being spent in the region,” he said.
Danny O’Brien, recognised as one of Victoria’s top three trainers, is spending $6 million setting up a racing stable at Barwon Heads near 13th Beach.
Torquay developer Mark Casey has developed a $2 million dollar stable near Lake Connewarre.
The stable, called Surf Coast Racing, employs well-known Flem-ington trainer Nigel Sutcliffe. Mr Sutcliffe was training horses bred from some of the world’s best sires.
The stable also runs pre-training for Mike Moroney, the Melbourne racing identity who, along with Mr Sutcliffe, trained 2000 Melbourne Cup winner Brew.
“People have looked overseas to what they’re doing and it turns out that horses get the best results from slow work on a low rise in sandy, loamy soil and that’s precisely what makes this area an attractive proposition for trainers,” Mr Casey said.
An abundance of wide, accessible beaches with shallow water provided perfect conditions for low-impact resistance training, he said.
Other racing identities to have invested heavily on the Bellarine Peninsula include Kelvin Bourke and Peter Wilson.
Mr Wilson has set up a stallion stable with four thoroughbreds ranging in price from $800,000 to $1.8 million and sired by champions including Danehill and Stormcat.