Big horse, bright future

5 min read

By Bren O'Brien

A decision taken to buy a big horse, who they were subsequently told had high-risk x-rays, is paying dividends for Grand Syndicates with $6000 purchase Behemoth (All Too Hard) headed to stakes company next campaign after his impressive win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

The $120,000 weanling purchase was picked up for just 5 per cent of that price 12 months later when selector and trainer John Price took a punt on a colt at the 2017 National Yearling Sale.

Price immediately offered the colt to Grand Syndicates, which is headed by owner Peter Morley, who is assisted by racing manager Sam Lyons.

"John helps us with a lot of our yearling purchases. He's quite good at finding a diamond amongst the rough at that sort of value," Lyons told TDN AusNZ.

"We were up at the National Yearling Sale, that horse had been withdrawn from the Melbourne Premier Sale, we didn’t know why. We don’t do x-rays on those sort of cheaper horses, because it gives you a reason not to buy a horse you might like."

"We don’t do x-rays on those sort of cheaper horses, because it gives you a reason not to buy a horse you might like." - Sam Lyons

"He was a really big unit and quite a heavy yearling, but he was nice and strong and well put together and John could see something in him and put his hand up when he went through the ring for $6000."

"He turned to us and said 'do you guys want him?' We felt he fitted our mould. We weren't going to bid on him originally, because we didn’t think he'd go so cheap and he wouldn’t fit our budget as we normally only buy horses under $20,000."

Bargain-buy Behemoth

X-ray insight

While several people told Lyons after the sale that they hadn't bid on the horse because Behemoth had high-risk x-rays, they were happy to have stuck to their policy, which was founded on the experience witt the very first horse they bought, the filly Khutulun (Soldier's Tale) at the 2012 Melbourne Premier Sale.

"Khutulun has won $500,000 for us, we paid $16,000 for her. After the fact, I was told she had poor x-rays and we shouldn’t have bought her," Lyons said.

"I'm careful about letting x-rays talk you out of a horse you like, simply because you are resting on someone's opinion." - Sam Lyons

"On the odd occasion we have used x-rays, I've had two different vets give me two different opinions as to where they sat on the spectrum of high risk or low risk."

"I'm careful about letting x-rays talk you out of a horse you like, simply because you are resting on someone's opinion."

In Behemoth's case, Lyons believes the combination of those high-risk x-rays and his size had clearly scared people away from a horse who had a strong pedigree, being out of a Listed winner, Penny Banger (Zedrich), who was half to another stakes winner in Master Minx (Surtee).

Behemoth pictured as a yearling

"The bigger the yearling, the more concern the x-rays would be. Higher risk x-rays with a bigger horse tend to concern people more than a lighter horse because of that extra weight he has to carry," Lyons said.

"He is a really big horse. He's not exactly a giant, but he's very big. He'd be a touch on 17 hands, and he is more athletic than when we bought him. He might have even been heavier as a yearling."

"But he's never had a sore day in his life, He's absolutely sound as a bell. We haven’t had one problem."

Making a 'big unit' into a racehorse

While Price had sourced Behemoth, the colt was sent to David Jolly in South Australia to train, as Price's quota of horses from Grand Syndicates was already full.

"Behemoth hit that profile that while John bought him, we were looking for that last horse to go into South Australia," he said. "I wanted something very sellable to go to SA."

Jolly set about crafting the 'big unit' into a racehorse and while he knew it would take time, always felt he had the right ingredients for a quality horse.

"From Day 1, David always felt he could gallop. He had a big wrap on him early." - Sam Lyons

"From Day 1, David always felt he could gallop. He had a big wrap on him early. He was a slow learner, but he always had a big motor and he always had big talent," Lyons said.

After a couple of starts as a late 2-year-old he was turned out and given more time to develop, returning an impressive maiden winner at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.

He then put on a powerful display at Moonee Valley last Saturday, sweeping to the front around the turn in a BM70 race and charging clear to win by 3.5l.

Big horse, big future

Jolly will send him back to the paddock now with a view to stakes races in Adelaide and Brisbane in the late autumn and early winter.

"We'll spell him now, bring him back to Adelaide through the (G2) Euclase S. and head to Brisbane with him," Lyons said.

Longer-term, the aims could be even higher, with Lyons hoping that the horse's ability, combined with the big stature and humble origins, might make him a popular candidate for the second running of the $5 million All-Star Mile in 2020.