Sheamus Mills Bloodstock

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

SM: Born and bred in Melbourne, I was taken to the races almost every Saturday by my Dad even though we had nothing to do with horses.

He loved a bet and I loved the whole thing, the horses, the competition and the energy. The betting ring was my favourite place even though I was only having 50c each-way per race.

My earliest memory as far as the animals themselves go, was patting Sky Chase (NZ) (Star Way {GB}) on the nose one day. I was hooked from the start.

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

SM: I'm a bloodstock agent.

I advise a pool of clients on how to best manage their portfolios. I'm very lucky to have a really good group of what I would call professional owners, that have the full range of bloodstock which allows us to be involved in most areas.

We manage a lot of mares which leads to decisions on matings, what sales to target, when is best to sell and then onwards throughout their race careers, which trainers to engage etc.

The diversity is probably what I love most about my job. There is plenty of travel and a nice mix of office work combined with hands on opportunities.

This is a results based game no matter what area you work in, the pressure is there to succeed and get results. We put in countless hours trying to achieve that for clients. There is nothing sweeter than a big win on the racetrack or in the sale ring.

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

SM: Super Impose (NZ) (Imposing) by a mile (pardon the pun).

His ability to defy the pattern by coming from last so often, and the sectionals he could run was legendary.

He carried the grandstand on more than one occasion. To win four big Randwick miles, is a record that will probably never be eclipsed. In my opinion he won the greatest Cox Plate ever assembled in 1992, beating the likes of Better Loosen Up (Loosen Up {USA}) and Let's Elope (NZ) (Nassipour {USA}).

That was the cherry on top of a career that exemplified what a racehorse should be!

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

SM: I loved Redoute's Choice (Danehill {USA}) as a type.

I was given a tip for him in the Blue Diamond which he contested at just his second start, so I went and had a good look at him in the mounting yard.

I thought he looked like a man among boys, so masculine yet with a calmness and presence about him.

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

SM: I think they were a pretty even bunch this year.

I was impressed with a couple of stallions that stood at cheaper fees, Super One and Rich Enuff.

If I Am Invincible is going to be a proper sire of sires, then Super One was every bit good enough a racehorse to be successful, and Rich Enuff was probably the most talented non-Group 1 winner I can remember in a while.

Written Tycoon too might prove to be a son of a successful sire of sires with Capitalist, Winning Rupert, Written By etc. coming through.

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

SM: History will be the best judge of that answer.

But at this stage I would say the Redoute's Choice x Angel Of Mercy (filly) from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale was a favourite along with the Written Tycoon x Movie (filly) from the same sale.

They are partnered up together through their early stages of training and will both go to Mick Price. Both beautifully related, great types - from proven producing farms - a start anyway.

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

SM: Not that many of them these days in my opinion, which is a shame.

Choisir and Testa Rossa were two stallions that stood at great fees for breeders for a large part of their careers. Of the current group Star Witness and Nicconi fill that void to an extent, and of the emerging stallions I think Shooting To Win and Epaulette are horses with a bit in front of them.

Shooting To Win has come through with what I believe is the best crop of first season sires I can remember, so it's been easy to get lost. Epaulette has really got a roll on the last part of the season to be right up there with Zoustar and Dundeel on numbers, but just hasn't had that headline act that they have had as yet.

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

SM: Kingman (GB).

Just an outstanding individual in every sense of the word. The closest thing I have seen to perfection as far as my criteria goes.

It's early days but it looks like he might make a decent fist of his new career as well.

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

SM: Terrible answer, but I think there are a stack of them.

One of the great things about this industry is the rewards given to young participants who put in the hard yards. Your opportunities for advancement in this industry come so much sooner than in other vocations, if you show an aptitude for what you are doing.

I mix with a bunch of young people in the industry, which I think hold us in great stead for the future to meet the changing expectations of society - Sebastian Hutch (Inglis), Matt Comerford (Widden), Michael Kent Jnr (trainer), Bruce Slade and Troy Stephens (Newgate), and I'm lucky to have the very dedicated Rochelle Adams work with me.

Hopefully the halls of Racing Victoria and Racing NSW are similarly blessed.

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

SM: Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega {Ire}) narrowly from Arcadia Queen (Pierro).

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

SM: Plenty.

But it's a dead heat between two as I feel there are really only two things holding this industry back from being all it can.

We are on the road to establishing good welfare protocols, but I don't feel you can ever do enough. Internally, I think everyone knows plenty is being done but that message needs to reach the general public and that is where I feel we are getting beaten by groups far less funded than we are.

The other would be cohesion between the states. We all need to realise that other sporting codes and leisure options are the "enemy" not each other. We need a national approach to rules and preferably one tote to bet into.

I know that each state has different legislation etc, but VIC and NSW in particular have governments that are doing plenty of racing, and judging by comments made about each other in the media I'm not convinced that we are doing everything we can to push what's right for the entire industry rather than smaller interest groups.

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

SM: No idea! I couldn't ever see myself doing anything else.

I was going to be a Physical Education teacher very briefly before I got into racing, but I will say I'd be a garbage man. Up early and all your work is done in time to spend the day watching the races and looking at pedigrees etc.