A consensus: mum’s horse stays
TOO MUCH sentiment surrounds Molloy family horse Consensus for her to be sold now.
It’s a pretty good bet the phone will start ringing after the Postponed filly won her second race from only two starts yesterday at Ruakaka.
But recent events have virtually ensured she will be kept in the family, says trainer and part-owner Leo Molloy.
After years of trying to persuade their 79-year-old mum Maureen to join the family in racing a horse together, they finally succeeded.
But, sadly, Maureen Molloy died a month ago.
‘‘Mum was brought up tough, an Irish Catholic, and she used to say that if she ever raced a horse people would look side- ways at her in the street.
‘‘But my sister Julie twisted her arm and she finally agreed, providing she could name the horse.
‘‘Mum was very opinionated, dogmatic and difficult so when we heard she’d picked the name Consensus we all fell over laughing.’’
Consensus did mum and the rest of the family proud when she made a winning debut at Avondale in March and was giving the family matriarch a lot of fun, Molloy said.
In the happy bunch are Leo and wife Ingrid; his sister Julie Christie, one of the country’s top television producers; Leo’s brother Michael and wife Lane; another brother Brian and wife Diane and long- time friend Mike Lum and dad Jack.
‘‘We had her sold at one stage but the Aussie buyer defaulted and Julie, who’s matriarch of the family now, is adamant she wants to keep her. And not many people argue with Julie.’’
John Morell might have been slightly peeved when Ryan Mark failed a vet test last September and his $180,000 sale fell through.
But the owner-trainer is set to now reap the benefits big time, the offers stratospheric after the horse scored his third win on end yesterday.
Morell hit the headlines in April when he scored a career highlight win in the $100,000 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa with Lauren Tate but the horse who is giving him the adrenalin buzz now is boom Thorn Park threeyear-old Ryan Mark.
And after he dispatched his rivals in yesterday’s rating 75 without getting a sweat up, Morell revealed that the bloodstock agents were circling again, trying to tempt him with even bigger numbers.
‘‘I had him sold for $180,000 last year after he won a trial at Te Awamutu but he failed the vet test when they found a small bone chip in his knee.
‘‘But the offers I was getting last week were a lot higher – twice as much, and after today’s win they should go even higher.’’
Morell said since the bone chip was removed from Ryan Mark he had been twice the horse.
‘‘Opie [Bosson] said he loafed after he got to the front today but what he really liked was his gears.
‘‘ I’ve had gutsy and hard horses before but never one who’s had gears and that’s quite exciting.’’