Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Across its 22 years of operation, OTI Racing has enjoyed incredible success across the world, with around 60 individual stakes winners, including nine individual Group 1 winners.
In just nine starts, I'm Thunderstruck has elevated himself to be among the very elite of that collection, winning a G1 Toorak H. and then collecting a huge pay cheque in Saturday's feature race at Rosehill.
Having only debuted in January, I'm Thunderstruck, who is trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, is now the winner of over $5 million and Henderson feels that his very best is still ahead of him.
"You don’t like to be glib about it, but he could be the most exciting horse that OTI have had anything to do with, from what we have seen so far," he told TDN AusNZ.
"We have had some lovely horses, like Gailo Chop, which we had from a young age, right through to win three Group 1s, but this fellow has an x-factor about him. He's strong, he's tough and he's got a real will to win.
"You don’t like to be glib about it, but he (I'm Thunderstruck) could be the most exciting horse that OTI have had anything to do with." - Terry Henderson
"Hughie Bowman rang me last night and he thinks he could be very special. We hope he is right. What we have seen so far, we couldn't ask for more."
The Golden Eagle's introduction as a rich new race for 4-year-olds in 2019 was greeted with a fair degree of scepticism, but on results alone, it can already lay claim to being a race won by only elite horses.
All three winners, Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), Colette (Hallowed Crown) and now I'm Thunderstruck were Group 1 winners before their Golden Eagle success and the first two have gone on to claim subsequent Group 1 glory, with Colette winning Saturday's G1 Empire Rose S. at Flemington.
"It's the best race for 4-year-olds in the country, but outside of that, for OTI, it’s terrific for our owners," Henderson said.
"Our guys put good money into these horses and this gives them a fantastic payday. We don't have a stallion here with his horse, he's just a very high-class horse, and for our owners to get the return they did yesterday was just great for them.
"Our guys put good money into these horses and this gives them a fantastic payday." - Terry Henderson
"He's had less than 10 runs for that $5 million. It just shows what a great state the Australian thoroughbred industry is in, financially."
The Kiwi connection
OTI Racing may have built its reputation for racing and sourcing successful horses out of Europe, but it's from across the Tasman Sea where a lot of its biggest successes in Australia have come from.
Six of its nine Group 1 winners, including I'm Thunderstruck, have been sourced out of New Zealand, with respected bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo playing a major role.
Terry Henderson
"We have had five Derby winners and Phill has been involved in purchasing three of them as well as Aloisia who won the Thousand Guineas," Henderson said.
"We were always buying horses that were showing some promise as young horses in New Zealand. Invariably they come out of these trials over there and I'm Thunderstruck was typical of one of those.
"We spotted him in a trial and he was very impressive. We made an offer, young Michael Kent knocked me off, and he said, 'Why don’t we race him together?' "
"We spotted him (I'm Thunderstruck) in a trial and he was very impressive. We made an offer, young Michael Kent knocked me off, and he said, 'Why don’t we race him together?' " - Terry Henderson
Henderson has been working on sourcing top prospects out of New Zealand to race in Australia for many years, even before OTI was set up in 1999.
"I know we are known for buying horses in Europe, but 60 per cent of horses we race are out of New Zealand and it’s been the way for me for 30 years, going back to Doriemus, who won both Cups in 1995. He was exactly the same sort of process. Those sorts of horses have been the foundation of OTI over the years," he said.
A market of opportunity
I'm Thunderstruck is one of a host of current elite horses which have been sourced out of New Zealand either through the trials or early in their racing career. Having shopped in this market for such a long time, Henderson has seen the ebbs and flows and says that there are still opportunities to be found.
"When you look at horses like Verry Elleegant and the like there are some really serious horses coming via that path. I think in terms of profile, New Zealand is undervalued," he said.
"We buy a lot out of France and England and in terms of value, New Zealand is clearly better. You couldn't walk out of a Tatts sale at Newmarket with anything decent for under $300,000. You can still buy a pretty nice horse in New Zealand in that price bracket."
"We buy a lot out of France and England and in terms of value, New Zealand is clearly better." - Terry Henderson
What is often evident with that profile of horse is that while they may not always boast the most fashionable of pedigrees, they have the grounding to ensure that they can continue to improve. Henderson thinks one of the biggest assets they have is the early education they receive.
"The New Zealand training culture is still such that these horses that require a bit of time are given it," he said.
"You take a guy like Shaun Clotworthy over there. He and his wife Emma are good young trainers, they are developing some beautiful horses to come across here. They had one that won at Flemington yesterday (Justacanta) and they have one that they race with us that will be in the Queen Elizabeth next Saturday. They are terrific horse people to get horses to develop a career."
Cup dream still burns
OTI Racing's colours have featured regularly in the G1 Melbourne Cup and Henderson's outfit went within a whisker of victory 13 years ago when the Luca Cumani-trained Bauer (Ire) (Halling {USA}) was beaten by Viewed (Scenic {Ire}).
On Tuesday, it will be represented in the ownership of two horses in the famous $8 million handicap, Future Score (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), trained by Cumani's son Matt, and Selino (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who will carry the colours of co-owner Qatar Racing.
Future Score (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
"Selino, who won the Sydney Cup, he's got the outside gate, so he will have a challenge. He’ll be up against it, but at least we know he can run two miles. He might have to run two and a half from that barrier," Henderson said.
"Future Score, with Matty Cumani, he's a lesser level, and he's the sort of horse that will give his owners a great experience by having a horse in the Cup. You'd hope he finishes in the top 10."
Winning the great race is not as much of a focus for OTI as it once was, but there is still a desire to find horses which might fit the profile.
"The desire does still burn brightly and we have the reputation of chasing Melbourne Cup horses but that was moreso the case 10 years ago. The business is far more rounded these days," he said.
"We are more focussed on middle-distance horses, but the Cup is the Cup, so it’s always an aim. However when you look at these big money races like The Everest or the Golden Eagle, or for me, some of the classic European races, like the Arc and the English Derby and so on, we are very keen to give our owners the experience of racing in those as well."
