Tigers back on big stage
THERE’S Dusty, a Caddy and is it Dion?
You can forgive trainer Trent Busuttin for still getting his head around just who these people are.
A New Zealander, he’s been in Australia only since August last year and when his stable’s business manager Dan Moylan had the bright idea to get some Richmond AFL players involved in Victoria Derby chance Main Stage, he seriously had no idea what it all meant.
Then Dustin Martin took centre stage, Richmond won the AFL premiership and Busuttin’s new Cranbourne home and stables were brimming with yellow and black.
“In New Zealand AFL is a non-event, basically,” Busuttin said, immediately aware he shouldn’t have said it.
“My son Ben, he’s six and just at school. Now he doesn’t know who the All Blacks are. All he knows is Dustin.
“I was talking to some guys in New Zealand the other day and I said Dusty’s basically the equivalent of Dan Carter or Richie McCaw.
“There’s no one bigger in Australian sport at the moment. It’s been a good time to get on the Richmond bandwagon.”
There are about 30 owners in Main Stage but the headline maker is Martin.
The all-conquering Tiger was tipped into the horse by Richmond assistant coach Andrew McQualter.
Former Gold Coast Suns players Josh Caddy and Dion Prestia and their Richmond teammates Toby Nankervis and Anthony Miles also have a share.
When Martin came faceto-face with the imposing colt Main Stage for the first time about six months ago, he was a bit apprehensive. He hadn’t been around horses much.
Busuttin’s office manager Melinda Hyland has been a mad Richmond fan all her life. So when she found out Dusty and his boys would be at the stables, all hell broke loose.
“She pulled her three girls out of school and they were all here getting photographs and signatures,” he said.
Busuttin is still getting his head around this AFL thing.
But he does have some football analogies down pat.
“The horses are like footy players – some are good trainers, some need to be pushed and some need to be cuddled,” he said.
Martin missed Main Stage’s breakthrough win in a Listed event over 1800m at Flemington on Turnbull Stakes day but he’s expected to be trackside tomorrow for the $1.5 million Derby.
Besides Main Stage ($7), Busuttin has two other runners in the 2500m Derby – Sully ($7) and Johnny Vinko ($31) – and said he wasn’t feeling any extra pressure to get the win for his son’s new hero.
“To be honest, I don’t care which one wins, as long as one of them does,” he said.
“They’re all good owners.”