Rowe On Monday – Chester weaves his Magic in Mongolia, Journalism’s Coolmore future, catalogue clue to Japanese winner and Lights out?

In this week’s Rowe On Monday, Tim Rowe catches up with David Chester after his latest recruiting drive for Magic Millions, ponders whether a Preakness winner could end up shuttling, looks at Satomi Oka’s latest success in Japan, and reveals plans for a well-bred and in-form mare.

Chester chalks up frequent flyer points

It’s an itinerary that would make a 20-something backpacker shudder.

Even if David Chester’s accommodation was a little more salubrious than a backpackers’ hostel, visiting nine countries in less than four weeks is arduous at best.

All auction houses have representatives who rack up the frequent flyer points canvassing buyers, new and old, but Chester has been doing it longer than anyone else in the game.

Chester, in his tour of Asia promoting the upcoming Magic Millions National Sale, loves his regular trips to the continent as much as ever, describing it as the best one he’s ever had.

On his latest venture, Chester visited Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Mongolia and South Korea.

Mainland China has been a regular destination for almost 25 years, but Chester also experienced a new country on his trip: Mongolia.

But first back to China, where Chester has forged longstanding ties with the country’s owners, with his ongoing commitment recognised during his latest visit.

The China Horse Owners Alliance honoured Chester with a Lifetime Friendship Award. 

“It’s the first time that’s ever been awarded, so I was very humbled by it,” Chester says.

“It was really a lovely gesture.”

Chester also set about establishing new relationships, which saw him visit Mongolia for the first time, prompting the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Magic Millions and the Federation of Mongolian Horse Racing Sport and Trainers.

The organisation’s president Dagvadorj Dashzegve was a buyer at last November’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, with Victorian trainer Danny O’Brien preparing five to six horses for him, while he was also active at the Inglis Premier sale earlier this year.

And that’s just the start of the investment in the Australasian racing industry from Mongolia.

“What they want to do is set up their own training establishment in Australia where they can train the horses their own way and they can’t do that at a registered racetrack,” Chester revealed.

“So, I’m looking around now, I can’t say where, but there’s a couple of places that have got their own private racetracks where they could prepare the horses under an Australian trainer … to get the horses up to speed.”

The MOU will see Magic Millions and the Mongolians cooperate in the acquisition of horses, horse placement, training and preparation, race participation, the exchange of expertise and implement joint initiatives aimed at promoting and growing the advancement of equestrian sports.

“It’s to help them set up, to get visas, to get their people here (for sales and to work) because that’s the biggest problem. It’s easier if you’re from Gaza to get a visa to Australia, but if you want to work in the horse industry, it’s nearly impossible,” Chester says.

“You can quote me. It’s bloody true.” 

The MOU will be in place for a minimum of four years. 

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Will Journalism add to US-bred shuttlers Down Under?

Journalism produced one of the most startling wins you’ll see when the Curlin colt won the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes on Sunday.

As The Straight colleague Bren O’Brien remarked on Sunday, Journalism’s win was reminiscent of Lonhro’s off-the-canvas Australian Cup win in 2004 when jockey Darren Beadman was forced to get into a bumping duel to extricate the champion from a pocket.

The performance will make for great marketing videos and posters when the three-year-old is retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud when his racing career is over.

Coolmore’s John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith bought into the Michael McCarthy-trained Journalism after his first-up Grade 2 victory at Santa Anita on March 1, the venue of his Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby win soon after the colt’s new owners joined the syndicate.

But will Journalism, runner-up to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby, also make it onto the Coolmore Australia stallion roster? 

It’s an intriguing question and perhaps it hinges on whether he can add the Belmont Stakes to his record next month when he clashes again with Sovereignty, an absentee from the Preakness, the second leg of the US Triple Crown.

Widden is shuttling powerful US sprinter Cogburn this year while Yulong will stand Breeders’ Cup winner More Than Looks, a son of Vinery’s late champion US shuttler More Than Ready.

The US-bred, European champion two- and three-year-old City Of Troy, a son of Justify, will shuttle to Coolmore Australia this year, while Darley’s stalwart Street Boss permanently resides Down Under these days.

Journalism’s dam sire Uncle Mo shuttled to the Hunter Valley for four seasons between 2012 and 2015 but was underwhelming, siring two stakes winners.

Curlin’s son Vino Rosso shuttled to Australia for two seasons when Spendthrift Australia was in operation in Victoria. From his two crops of racing age, he has sired 11 winners from 37 runners so far.

Aquis Farm’s US-bred son of Blame, Officiating, served 111 mares in his maiden season in Queensland, while in Western Australia another US-bred sire permanently based in Australia, Tapit’s son A Lot.

In NSW, Kooringal Stud’s The Brothers War, a son of War Front, has been in Australia for the past decade.

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Clues in the catalogue

Yearling sale results do provide clues to the racetrack if you look hard enough.

And February’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale is a case in point.

Sydney-based Japanese agent Satomi Oka paid $140,000 on behalf of a Japanese client for an Exceedance colt from Vinery Stud 11 months after she signed for the older sibling at the Inglis Premier Sale.

At the weekend, that colt now named Bellagio World won at Tokyo in a 1400m maiden despite giving away an age disadvantage to his northern hemisphere-bred rivals.

Trained by Daishi Ito for owner Shorai Hayashida, Bellagio World was ridden by Kiwi jockey Michael Dee who is riding in Japan on a two-month JRA contract.

Bellagio World’s dam Beechal also has a weanling brother to Bellagio World and the Inglis Premier graduate who was exported to Japan in April.

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Time almost up for City Of Lights

Closer to home, prominent breeder John Camilleri indicated that Sunshine In Paris was likely to race on next season as a six-year-old after her victory in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000.

Purchased after her three-year-old season for $3.9 million by agent James Harron for Camilleri, Sunshine In Paris has been one of Australia’s most consistent sprinters for the past two years and will be aimed at the 2025 Everest.

She ran fifth in last year’s edition for trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald on her way to winning the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic.

While Sunshine In Paris will likely stay in training, Camilleri’s last-start Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown winner City Of Lights, a half-sister to champion mare Winx, will almost certainly retire to stud after her winter campaign.

The Joe Pride-trained City Of Lights is being set for the Queensland carnival in a probable career swansong.

“The latest is she’ll be aiming for the Dane Ripper at Eagle Farm, I think about mid-June sometime and then if she’s up to it, depending on how she goes there, that Tatts Tiara. But that race may be a little strong for her,” Camilleri told Sky Sports Radio.

“If she won a Tatts Tiara, you’d be crazy to keep going (racing on), given her broodmare value at stud.

“If he (Pride) is confident there’ll be more stakes wins next year, we might go again. But she’s rising six, so I think enough’s enough.”