Five minutes with... Dave Mee

7 min read

Dave Mee - Pinhook Bloodstock International

TDN AusNZ: Where are you from and what is your earliest racing memory?

DM: I’m from a farming community called Becks, in Central Otago, NZ.

My first racing memory is of Omakau races.

Back in the day it used to be a two-day meeting in early January. Both my Grandfather and Father were involved in the Jockey Club and breeding and racing horses. The Omakau races were a real family and community affair and were nearly always held in beautiful sunny weather.

They were great childhood memories.

Dave Mee

TDN AusNZ: Can you tell us a bit about the work you do, and what you love most about your job?

DM: I’m a Bloodstock Agent and provide five primary services; auction representation, private brokerage, valuations, portfolio management and pinhooking. The pinhooking is in three markets - weanling to yearling, yearling to 2-year-old and mare trading.

TDN AusNZ: What do you love most about your job?

DM: I love when horses you’ve purchased exceed expectations either on the track or in the sales ring and the joy that brings to your owners.

They are all champions, until proven otherwise of course, but I think at the point of purchase, depending on what your owners goals are (and buying budget) you forecast in your own mind the level (or price) they realistically might reach at the other end.

When a horse exceeds those expectations it's obviously very satisfying for all concerned.

Happy owner = happy agent! And I’m a bit of a sales junkie to be fair. It’s a never-ending treasure hunt trying to unearth a diamond, so I enjoy that aspect of finding the next champion very much.

TDN AusNZ: Which is your favourite racehorse of all time? Why?

DM: Bonecrusher (Pag Asa {NZ}).

I loved that horse!

It was partly because of his name, and partly because he was a Kiwi and the way he dominated New Zealand then Australian races during a period of the 80's and of course the epic battle with Our Waverly Star (NZ) (Star Way {GB}) in the 1986 Cox Plate will forever be legendary. It still sends tingles down your spine.

TDN AusNZ: Which racehorse, ever, do you think was the best type?

DM: Secretariat (Bold Ruler {USA}). He was obviously before my time but when you look at photos, vision and talk to the leading horseman of the older generation (in the USA) and delve a bit deeper into racing history he was by all accounts as near to equine perfection as there has been.

TDN AusNZ: Was there a first season sire that jumped out at you at the sales this year?

DM: In terms of first-season yearling sires there were a number I liked.

For classic 3-year-old types Kermadec (NZ) really stood out. For my smokey I'd say Bull Point – I saw some quality individuals by him and he’s from a strong, high class maternal family so I believe he’s a chance.

No Nay Never (Ire) is also worth a mention as based on what I saw on the sales grounds this year and what he's doing up in the Northern Hemisphere, with his genetic makeup and being such a good sprinter and type himself, I believe he might just be submitting the wow factor to his progeny.

Bullpoint is Dave Mee's 'smokey' for first-season yearlings | Standing at Kingstar Farm

TDN AusNZ: What was your favourite weanling, yearling or mare purchase this year?

DM: That’s a tough one... that’s like asking me who my favourite child is!

Weanling: Probably the Shalaa (Ire) colt from Magic Millions. He is a lovely colt that should develop into a wonderful yearling and racehorse. As he was lot 3 I truly felt we got him for unders so that makes me like him that little bit more.

Yearling: I bought a ripping Shamexpress (NZ) colt at NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. He had natural class and poise about him and is by a sire who’s probably a touch under-rated, but his winner/runner statistic are right up with Dundeel (NZ), Zoustar and Spirit Of Boom.

TDN AusNZ: What stallion do you consider to be ‘under the radar’ and why?

DM: Shooting To Win. His stock look like athletes, are well balanced and light on their feet. Based on his record to date, my own observations and the thoughts of people whose opinions I value, I believe most of them are fundamentally 3-year-old's... so watch out for him in the Spring.

Dave Mee believes Shooting To Win is 'under the radar' and expects his progeny to make a mark this Spring

TDN AusNZ: Which stallion, ever, do you think was the best type?

DM: Another tough one!

The one physical that I’ve seen in recent times in Australia that I thought was an absolute specimen was No Nay Never. He’s very masculine, has power in all the right places. Has beautiful colouring and skin, muscle on muscle but accompanied by good overall balance.

His Northern Hemisphere statistics are right up there for a young stallion and he is producing high quality racehorses. Based on his stock that I’ve seen I'll be absolutely shocked if they don’t measure up down here.

TDN AusNZ: Who do you think is a rising star within the industry? (person not horse).

DM: If I was to pick one person, in my opinion, a person who is really starting to make his mark is Ryan Arnel at Stonehouse Thoroughbreds.

He’s very grounded, hard-working, ambitious, reads the commercial marketplace really well and is ably supported by a very good network of people, most notably his partner Grace Teece. As a result, he is starting to get some very real results in the sale ring and on the track.

Ryan Arnel from Stonehouse Thoroughbreds is Dave Mee's rising star of the industry

TDN AusNZ: If you were an Everest slotholder, who would you pick?

DM: Based on his most recent form it’s hard to go past Santa Ana Lane but a 3-year-old sprinter turning 4 that gets a touch lighter weight at WFA such as Sunlight could pay dividends.

TDN AusNZ: What positive change would you like to see in the industry?

DM: I’ll make mention of the positive changes actually taking place now initiated by Racing NSW, specifically the country NSW prizemoney increases.

You’ll never please all the people all the time but you can't knock the job Peter V’Landys and his team are doing, especially the money being channelled towards grass roots level racing where it’s needed the most.

I believe the total annual prizemoney soon to be available for country racing in NSW will be $81 million, which is an increase of $48 million or 145% since 2012.

TDN AusNZ: If you weren’t in this industry what would you do?

DM: There’s nothing I'd rather be doing. I love it!

It can be an unrelenting, brutal game at times with plenty of challenges and frustrations but it’s also a very rewarding pursuit on many levels.

The love of the horses themselves is obviously the strong thread that links everything together, but when it comes down to it, it’s essentially a people game.

It can be like a constantly evolving game of chess and I enjoy the challenges that can bring and the interaction with people (most days) from all walks of life that you meet and engage with.

I read a lovely piece once, that a racetrack or sales ground is probably the only place in the world where you can freely rub shoulders with Princes, Paupers, Con-men and Gentleman. I think that’s very true – this game offers great diversity, characters, colour and fun. Very rarely is there a dull moment.