Team Australia recently visited Sydney. This time, we didn’t stay in the city centre as usual but instead near the beautiful Coogee beach where the sea was literally on our doorstep. We went to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where we learned from bloodstock agents all about the sales and the horses there. We also had the pleasure of watching super mare Winx’s latest epic performance at Royal Randwick as she recorded her 16th straight win in the G1 George Ryder Stakes.
In recent weeks, Alan Delmonte from the Horseracing Betting Levy Board was invited to have a talk with us. He was given a detailed description of the DITI schedule and jokingly told us that he wished he were a young Chinese and had the chance to experience this exceptional programme.
Recently, Darley in Japan asked for name suggestions for this year’s two-year-olds from their staff as it has done for the past few years. DITI’s Team Japan also had the honour of participating in this "contest".
We have been to Goffs and Tattersalls Ireland, we have been to the Irish National Stud and various training yards. Naturally, we thought ‘oh, that’s about the size of it!’, until we went to England!
When we visited Newmarket’s Rowley Mile race course, Tori from their Marketing Department explained that we probably couldn’t imagine how important Frankel is for the British horseracing industry.
After the Christmas break, team Australia travelled to the Gold Coast to experience the Magic Millions Yearling Sale. The country’s top yearlings can be found at this sale, with some of them selling for more than a million Australian dollars.
We have visited Weatherbys, seen Ascot Racecourse and visited the training grounds of some prestigious trainers. All of these happened in the UK! Last week, we visited Ireland, a trip full of discovery.
We have attended sales before (at the Hokkaido Summer and Autumn sales), but this was from a buyer’s or student’s perspective. Our latest visit to the sales, to the JS Broodmare Sale, we were there as consignors.
After finishing our horse handling course at TAFE, we started our practical work at Woodlands Farm, the main location where foals are born and raised. We have assisted with foaling and witnessed the amazing process of a foal growing up. We also bonded with the horses through our daily work.