Sliding doors and Google Maps – an unlikely route to the South Australian Derby

A racing novice of less than a decade ago, Matt Sellick’s unconventional venture into thoroughbred syndication is getting serious with Statuario one of the favourites to win the South Australian Derby.

One moment of curiosity. That’s all it took for Matt Sellick to discover racing and ultimately find the favourite for the South Australian Derby.

As inconsequential as it might have seemed at the time, navigating Melbourne’s suburban streets on his way to work one evening as a refrigeration mechanic has been life-changing.

From Brisbane, Sellick shifted to Melbourne with an opportunity to further his career and “get off the tools”. With his wife Cynden, they made Pascoe Vale their home and nearby Moonee Valley their introduction to the world of thoroughbred racing.

Sellick is the syndicator behind the emergence of Statuario, the grey three-year-old who has worked his way to Derby favouritism through an autumn program that has been building with each start.

Less than a decade ago, he unashamedly reveals, he knew nothing about racing except for the importance of the Melbourne Cup.

Having a favourite for the Derby is just part of a whirlwind initiation.

Since 2018, Sellick’s interest has snowballed into ownership, establishing a syndication business, turning a $15,000 weanling into a $1 million Hong Kong sale result and watching Statuario race through the ranks.

He runs Toward Reward Thoroughbreds while still working full-time – now as a project manager – wondering if any of this would have happened if his interest wasn’t piqued by the light towers that bring life to Moonee Valley.

“I was doing a night shift in the city and on the way in I noticed all the lights lit up but had no idea what was going on,” Sellick told The Straight.

“I looked up Google Maps in the car and saw it was Moonee Valley so we decided to head there one night because it was just on our doorstep.”

It was the night Chautauqua convinced even his most ardent followers that he no longer wanted to be a racehorse.

Chautauqua might have been bowing out, but Sellick had found his tribe.

In the same way Moonee Valley’s bright lights had captured his attention, the atmosphere also captivated his imagination.

“There was a massive crowd, there were live bands, everyone was having a great time and we just thought ‘this is awesome’,” he said.

“It was just dumb luck, really. We went along a few more times and you see the owners and the elation on their faces so that’s when I thought I would tinker with ownership.”

Finding success as an owner turned out to be more difficult than stumbling across Moonee Valley but the experience fuelled syndication ambitions of his own.

Through the days of COVID-19, Sellick crunched the numbers on spreadsheets, bided his time waiting for a licence to be approved and struck up a business relationship with Lenny Russo, an unsung bloodstock agent with an eye for value.

They hit paydirt with a Tosen Stardom weanling who raced as Shuriken and won two of his first three starts and finished fourth in the 2022 Sandown Guineas before Hong Kong came calling.

Russo was also the agent behind the purchase of Statuario for $18,000 at the 2023 VOBIS Gold Sale in Melbourne.

It’s an Inglis auction that is now defunct and its demise is lamented by people like Russo who have a knack for seeing something in young horses that others overlook.

Russo sourced the two-time Group 1 hero Malaguerra as well as last week’s Morphettville winner Regal Azmon from the auction and Statuario is the latest graduate to satisfy his eye.

“The sale is no longer around which is unfortunate but it’s been one that I’ve had a bit of luck from,” Russo said.

“It was a sale I loved going to. I would basically look at everything.”

Statuario hails from the first crop of D’Argento, the 2018 Rosehill Guineas winner who Russo says is a commercial proposition despite his progeny generally needing extra time and further ground to be at their best.

“I really liked D’Argento as a racehorse and Statuario had a real presence and athleticism about him.

“He was a really good moving horse … he was actually my highest-rated horse out of that sale.

“We valued him at probably double or even triple what we paid so we were ecstatic to get him for the 18 grand … it just worked out in our favour.”

In concert with Statuario’s progression that annexes a last-start win at Listed level over 2400m at Caulfield has been the 2025 momentum created by his trainers Emma-Lee and David Browne.

It is stable that can do no wrong at the moment, winning the $1 million Showdown with McGaw, a $14,000 I Am Immortal colt, in April.

The husband-and-wife team also have a collection of Victorian country Cups for their efforts but a South Australian Derby victory would be a crowning moment for the yard and Sellick.

“If you buy a horse for $18,000, I suppose you do tend to set your expectations a little bit lower,” Sellick said.

“So we really do have to pinch ourselves to be honest.”