Bruce Slade has announced that Round Table Racing will be the main syndicator for the Gai Waterhouse stable following the ending of the business relationship between Waterhouse and Star Thoroughbreds.
A number of Round Table Racing-owned horses will join Tres Blue in the Gai Waterhouse stable following this weeks Magic Millions Yearling Sale. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Star Thoroughbreds owner Denise Martin shocked the Australian racing industry with the decision to send all her yearlings purchased in 2014 and beyond to Chris Waller, ending her successful 20 year partnership with Waterhouse.
Round Table Racing looks to be the major winner out of the decision and Slade, the managing director of Round Table Racing, told Racing Ahead this morning that he is delighted to have been given the opportunity.
“I suppose that we will be filling in where Star Thoroughbreds was previously,” Slade said.
“We will be buying sharp-running two-year-old types to get up and run and we will be involving a whole bunch of people.
“Only when Denise made the business decision to walk away, I was then presented with the opportunity there yesterday afternoon.
“It is an absolute privilege to be presented with the opportunity and I took it with both hands.
“I am very excited going forward.”
Slade and Round Table Racing will not have much time to celebrate the new agreement and the new partnership will commence at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale that will take place, starting Wednesday, this week.
Round Table Racing has generally raced imported stayers with Waterhouse in their brief history, purchasing French stayer Tres Blue who finished 22nd in the2013 Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), but Slade said that his previous working relationship with Waterhouse, working as her Bloodstock Director from 2010 to 2013, means that he should have little trouble adjusting to new role with younger horses.
“I suppose having worked with Gai for the last three and a half years, I know the process pretty well and obviously Gai comes here to buy the Magic Millions winners and Golden Slipper winners; horses like Pierro and Sebring who can go onto to bigger and better things,” Slade said.
“You have a greater cross-section of horses at all different prices and I think that is terrific.
“That gives everybody an opportunity to be involved right across the board.”
The vast majority of the leading trainers, bloodstock agents, syndicators and owners in Australia have been closing analyzing the 1008 yearlings that will enter the ring at the Magic Millions Sale this week and Roundtable Racing is no exception.
Slade said that he has personally looked at almost every horse that will be involved in the sale and believes that his team is leaving no stone unturned as they search for a potential champion.
“We have been here for four days now and I have seen 900 horses I think,” Slade said.
“We have seen some horses two or three times and most horses will be seen six or eight times between all of us.
“We have a pretty good handle on it and there are some absolute rippers here.
“It is just a matter of securing them now and hoping that we have a bit of luck on our side when they go into the ring.”
