NSW country trainer Darrell Burnet’s first thoughts were with his daughter as emotions boiled over following his $70,000 into $420,000 pinhook result at Inglis Ready2Race Sale.
In his second year consigning two-year-olds, the burgeoning Wagga Wagga-based trainer bought the Written Tycoon colt overlooked by his rival trainers and agents at the Inglis Premier sale in Melbourne earlier this year.
He would have accepted a break-even result for the colt - and for his other three being offered at the one-day auction under his DSB Thoroughbreds banner - but he admitted the anticipation grew as the horse’s education progressed.
“I've broken in a lot of horses and I've had a fair few go to Hong Kong,” 28-year-old Burnet said.
“Straightaway, he just had a bit of class and he was quiet. The whole way along the countdown was on. It was from a few months ago, then it was only 10 more weeks and nine more weeks.
“Even the past few days, it was only three more days, two more days.”
Burnet’s wife Brittany, a casual teacher and the daughter of former trainer Chris Heywood, arrived at Inglis’ Riverside Stables complex at Warwick Farm on Monday having spent the weekend overseeing her husband’s Wagga stables.
Their 11-month-old daughter Pippa spent the night with relatives in Harden and was blissfully unaware of what her parents had achieved and what it meant for the family.
“I don't get to spend a whole lot of time with her, and a lot of the work goes into the horses, so when you get a reward like this, that's sort of why it means so much,” Burnet said.
“I'm a trainer. I don't have a big owner base and I want to get nice horses in the stable.”
In Burnet’s first foray into the breeze-up market he sold three horses for a total of $440,000 including a $25,000 son of Brutal who was on-sold for $140,000 that he owned outright.
Trading those horses gave him the confidence to reinvest again in 2024 in what some pundits consider the segment of the bloodstock sales industry with the highest volatility involved.
“But this is a way I can generate a bit of revenue. You are putting your head on the line, but as a trainer, we do all the time,” said Burnet, who has trained 22 winners from just 131 runners since taking out his licence in 2020.
“We take a gamble on yearlings and on horses. If it pays off like this, it goes a long way to starting my business, my training setup.
“The money's just going to go back into the stable after we pay a little bit off the mortgage. It's just unbelievable. It's the equivalent of winning two Kosciuszkos as a trainer.
“As I said, a big, big thanks to Inglis (for supporting me).”
Hong Kong buyers went head to head for the Yulong-bred colt out of Shamardal mare Ghadaayer, with Caspar Fownes outlasting Magus Equine bloodstock agent Willie Leung.
Tim Rowe
He had been passed in at the Oaklands Junction sale but the Burnets took a liking to him after following him back to the box.
Since then his sire Written Tycoon has enjoyed a stellar run of success with his progeny winning four Group 1 races, including the Manikato with Southport Tycoon and the Caulfield Guineas with Private Life.
“Written Tycoon just couldn't be going any better. This horse, he couldn't develop any better. When his X-rays were clean and his breeze was good,” Burnet said.
“He's good height, good weight. The mare's had one already to sell for $400,000, so he has a good pedigree.
“It was a bit of a perfect storm, but the team at home, my wife, it's just a lot of reward for a lot of work.”
