Marky Mark a poignant win
YOU can take the boy out of Wellington, but you can’t take Wellington out of the boy.
Tawa College old boy Brendan Lindsay has been a long-time Auckland resident but his horses race in the Wellington colours.
Marky Mark became the most significant winner to race in the yellow and black checks when winning the $225,000 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes at Awapuni on Saturday.
The Makfi gelding is the first Group I winner raced by Lindsay and his wife, Jo, but unlikely to be the last.
The Lindsays, who also bred Marky Mark, have become substantial investors in the racing industry and have developed a breeding and racing property on 80ha at Karaka, south of Auckland. Most of the racing team, as well as the breeding stock, will eventually be based at the Karaka property.
“We want to enjoy the horses ourselves and be part of the whole thing,” Brendan said.
“We try to get out there [Karaka] as often as we can and to wander around, among the horses, is quite fulfilling.”
Lindsay’s racing investments have been underpinned by the success of Sistema Plastics, the company he co-founded and owns, which exports to 65 countries and has an annual turnover approaching $200 million.
The seeds for his passion for racing were sown from childhood, which was why Lindsay was delighted his first Group I win should come at a central districts meeting, and with several members of his family in the support crew.
“I can remember jumping the
Marky Mark is clear of Rocanto, Reminisce, outer, and Our Rokkii in the Manwatu Sires’ Produce. fence here [at Awapuni] as a teenager, to avoid the gate fee. We’ve come a long way from jumping the fence to winning a Group I.”
Lindsay was raised at Pukerua Bay and as a child would regularly accompany his father to race meetings.
“We used to pack up the car and head to the races as a family outing. We were very young when we started and used to collect bottles at the meetings.
“Dad had a Four Square store. He never owned a horse but was a pretty good judge and gambler.”
Lindsay’s father, Arnold, was also a Wellington rugby representative. He is now 87 but was at Awapuni on Saturday, along with Lindsay’s older brother, Darryl, and nephew Mark, after whom the Sires’ Produce winner is named.
“We had a big night back in Wellington,” Lindsay said.
“It’s such a difficult sport and when you get some success, it’s worth celebrating. We watched the race, I don’t know how many times.”
Lindsay’s first horse was Maintain who won three races as a two-year-old, in the 1990-91 season from the McKee stable.
J’Adane, a Danehill filly who cost the Lindsay $400,000 as a yearling, recorded her sole win in a Brisbane maiden but was Group Iplaced in New Zealand and Australia earned almost $600,000 in place money.
The Sportsman won a Moonee Valley Cup and Zonza, a Zabeel mare with Roger James, has been a group winner in Australia and had five wins and six seconds from 23 starts.
The Lindsays are now concentrating on buying fillies and building their broodmare band. They have 16 broodmares in foal this year and will mate about 20 mares next spring.
Barry Smith,
their
private trainer at Karaka, is working a dozen horses and half-a-dozen others are with public trainers.
The Lindsays also have a halfshare in the Melbourne mare Griante, who ran third in the Group I William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
“We have bought a lot of horses in the last three or four years and are breeding and selling a lot more now,” Brendan said.
The Lindsays bought three fillies at Karaka this year but also sold a Fastnet Rock colt for $600,000.
“We treat our racing as a sport and it doesn’t have to pay its way as a business,” Brendan said.
“It’s such a difficult sport and the wins don’t come easily. You can make plans but then the horse stands on a nail or gets a cold. As an owner, you just go along for the ride.”
Australian bloodstock consultant John Foote acts as a key adviser.
“John has been a big help and takes the emotion out of it,” Brendan said.
Marky Mark, who has been beaten only once in four starts, is the first foal from My My Maree, a group-placed Testa Rossa mare.
My My Maree was raced by the Lindsays in partnership with Waiuku trainer Moira Murdoch and her husband, Mike, and Murdoch also trains Marky Mark.
Murdoch trained the 1994 Cox Plate winner Solvit and can see much of Solvit in Marky Mark. “I think he looks like Solvit, he’s not overly big and a bit quirky.”
Marky Mark, who will now be spelled, has been ridden in all his starts by Leith Innes, who was returning to race riding on Saturday, following a three week suspension.