ANGELA’S CHINA BID
MANDARIN-speaking Gold Coast trainer Angela Plumb will feel right at home at the colourful Chinese New Year race meeting on Saturday.
As the biggest celebration on the Chinese calendar looms, she hopes the Year of the Dog ushers in new opportunities for herself.
Plumb, 25, is keen to capitalise on her bilingual talents and attract more Chinese owners to her stable.
“I think I’m probably the only Mandarin-speaking horse trainer in Australia so I would really like to target that market for my business,” she said.
MANDARIN-speaking Gold Coast trainer Angela Plumb will feel right at home at the colourful Chinese New Year race meeting on Saturday.
Plumb spent four years at university in China and fluently speaks and writes the Chinese language.
And as the biggest celebration on the Chinese calendar looms, she hopes the Year of the Dog ushers in new opportunities for herself in the racing industry.
Plumb, who turns 26 on Monday, is keen to capitalise on her bilingual talents and attract more Chinese owners to her stable.
“I think I’m probably the only Mandarin-speaking horse trainer in Australia so I would really like to target that market for my business and get some Chinese people involved in horse ownership,” she said.
Plumb loves the concept of the free Chinese New Year race meeting and has been helping the Gold Coast Turf Club with the language in its promotion of the event.
“I think it’s great for the local Chinese people here,” Plumb said.
“A lot of local Chinese aren’t that involved with horse racing, with things like ownership, and you don’t see many at the races.
“I think it’s because of language barriers that they don’t understand what’s going on.
“They don’t understand the different types of races, barriers and jockeys and that sort of thing.
“It would be good if a lot of the local Chinese people come and get involved in it.
“Chinese New Year was always a lot of fun to celebrate over there.
“It’s their biggest holiday and it goes for about a month.”
Plumb, a fourth-generation participant in the racing industry, studied business and Mandarin at a university in Qingdao, China, from the age of 17 to 21.
That followed her final two years at high school in Singapore, where her father, former jockey and trainer Lyle Plumb Jr, worked as a bloodstock agent.
Despite her tertiary education, it was inevitable Plumb would enter the racing industry.
Besides her father, her grandfather Lyle Sr was also a jockey and trainer, her older brother Ryan is the leading Gold Coast jockey this season and her uncle Myles is a former jockey and now trainer based on the Sunshine Coast.
Her great-grandfather was also involved in the industry.
“I’m really happy training and the business side of my university studies does help because I am still running a business,” said Plumb, who has stepped up her campaign to get more Chinese clients.
“I have advertised a bit online and at the Magic Millions sales I gave out flyers with Chinese writing on them.”
She already trains a horse for Aquis, the business run by the Hong Kong-based Fung family.
That filly, Sugar Sizzle, qualified for the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast in January but, as fourth emergency, did not gain a run.
“That was a really exciting start to the year to have a horse qualify for the Magic Millions,” Plumb said.
“A lot of horses go through that sale and only a small number get to that race.”
Plumb was not going to miss the chance to have a runner at the Chinese New Year meeting on Saturday and will start Barraaj, who has won three races for her, in an 1800m race.
“If we get a wet track on Saturday he will go great,” Plumb said.