Written by Paul Vettise
Mick Preston’s professional involvement in racing stretches back nearly seven decades and in that time he’s successfully worn a variety of hats, among them as a breeder, owner, bloodstock agent and trainer.
For many years based at Levin and now resident in Taupo, Preston is in no doubt that his latest homebred True Enough (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu {NZ}) is the best he has been associated with.
And that’s quite a statement, given he trained Imaprince (NZ) (Heir Apparent {USA}) to win the Wellington Cup and the New Zealand St Leger, both then Group 1 races, and for a runner-up finish in the G1 Sydney Cup.
True Enough (NZ)
“I started racing horses nearly 70 years ago, I’m 86 now, and I don’t think there were any years I didn’t race a horse,” Preston said. “This is the best one I’ve ever owned, without a doubt.
“They don’t come along very often and when you get a good horse you’ve got to look after it. To me, it’s like a kid, one of your own, and it’s your responsibility to make sure they have the best of everything.”
“They don’t come along very often and when you get a good horse you’ve got to look after it.” – Mick Preston
True Enough crowned his rise to the top at his last appearance when he won the G1 Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day and on Saturday will attempt to double his top-flight tally when he runs in the G1 Herbie Dyke S. at Te Rapa.
Preston and his wife Valda bred True Enough and race him with friends Warren and Delwyn Outtrim, but the story took an unusual, but ultimately beneficial, twist when the dam Valda’s Dream was sent to Fairdale Stud.
“You talk about the science of breeding and you send a mare to one horse and then you get a horse like this. I sent the mare in the first place and got Victory Drive, who was by Nom De Jeu, and sent her back to him again and she missed,” Preston said.
“I thought oh well, I’ll try a change and send her to Fully Fledged. Duncan Fell had a blank and when I got the bill it was to Nom De Jeu.
“I even thought of calling the horse Dunc’s Mistake or something like that, but thought I’d better not. I’ve sent a few messages to Duncan’s father Gerald and said don’t you forget to thank him again for me.
“I even thought of calling the horse Dunc’s Mistake or something like that, but thought I’d better not.” – Mick Preston
“This horse keeps taking the next step, without a doubt. It was quite fortunate we’ve got him and it all started many years ago when a good friend of mine, Kerry O’Brien, passed away and he had bred this horse’s grandmother.
“I rang a mate of mine to go to the sales and buy her for me and we called her Kerry’s Dream and that’s how we bred Valda’s Dream. It’s been a lot of fun along the way.”
Nom De Jeu (NZ), sire of True Enough
When Preston scaled back his breeding interests, he gifted Valda’s Dream to Wanganui breeder Wayne Keenan who was launching the stallion career at the time of Dial A Prayer (NZ).
“I’ve since bought back a half-brother to True Enough by Dial A Prayer off Wayne and he’s just turned three and is in light work at the moment,” Preston said. “He’s with John Malcolm, who broke True Enough in, and I haven’t made any plans where he may go.”
There was never any doubt though that True Enough would end up in Murray Baker’s stable
There was never any doubt though that True Enough would end up in Murray Baker’s stable.
“The reason I sent Victory Drive, who won four, to Murray was that he trained Nom De Jeu and I know when I was training myself that it was great fun when you’d trained their mothers or fathers,” Preston said.
“I’ve known Murray since the 1980s. I’d met him first in Australia when I was there with Imaprince and that’s a fair while ago now.”
“I’ve known Murray since the 1980s. I’d met him first in Australia when I was there with Imaprince and that’s a fair while ago now.” – Mick Preston
True Enough has won nine of his 20 starts, including the G2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile at Riccarton and ironically, Preston was against sending the gelding to the South Island.
“To be perfectly honest, if I’d have had my way he’d have never gone to Christchurch,” he said. “When the horse came up from Palmerston North to Cambridge as a baby he got travel sickness and all but died.
“The people that saved him were from Maara Grange and John Malcolm. The vets wanted to put him down and if I remember rightly the bill was around NZ$8000 or NZ$9000.
True Enough (NZ)
“Because of that I never wanted him to travel down there, but it was a long way different because he flew and didn’t have to stand in a float swaying around.”
Preston doesn’t go racing these days, content to watch from home and is looking forward to True Enough in action at Ellerslie on Saturday.
“Good horses don’t come along very often. It’s just such good fun sitting back and enjoying it,” Preston said. “Everything is going well and we certainly can’t complain.”
