First buy for The Osher Group sets the scene with stunning win

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Miss Roseiano was sent out for Wednesday’s 1000-metre race - won in a time of 57.18s and faster than the Listed Blue Diamond Preview for colts and geldings (57.75s) - at the long price of $15, a price not befitting of her talent, said Burridge.

“If she was trained by anyone else, she would have been at $3,’’ Burridge said. “But Peter and Manny are not known for training 2-year-olds. That’s what is probably the most exciting thing, they haven’t pressed her at all.

“That’s the first time she’s been let off the bit and look what she did, so I think the upside is huge.’’

Miss Roseiano accounted for the Phillip Stokes-trained Written Swoosh (Written Tycoon) and the favourite from the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable, Latizia (Capitalist), holding out a challenge from both those horses and clearing out to hit the line hard.

“Everything she’s done has just been on natural ability. It’s quite exciting and good for a lot of new owners in the horse and the Gelagotis team,’’ Burridge said. “In six months' time, she’s going to be even better. Fingers crossed she holds in one piece and away we go!’’

Miss Roseiano, from Pins mare Special Lover (NZ), was purchased by The Osher Group in partnership with Team Gelagotis and James Bester at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale from the Noorilim Park draft for $300,000.

Her half-brother, Easy Single (Not A Single Doubt) is in the Maher/Eustace stable and from his first seven starts notched up three wins and three seconds, including in the Magic Millions Ballarat 3YO & 4YO Classic in November.

“Most of the good ones have a story," Burridge said. "She showed enormous quality. When Manny and I purchased her we thought she was a 3-year-old Guineas type.

“She was a little bit flighty early but Julien Welsh broke her in and she had a refresher course there. She went to Caulfield for a couple of weeks there in the early days and I think that was a bit of the making of her.

"She then went to the boys and when she was there Peter and Manny and their team have just done a huge job with her. I think it’s all natural and that’s what I love about her - that abundance of natural talent and an innate desire to gallop,’’ Burridge said, with a smile clearly articulated in the tone of his voice.

“Everything that she’s doing now is just on raw ability. I think going forward, after the race, it would have sensored her right up in terms of her mind, so you would think she’s just going to improve on that win which is probably the most exciting part.’’

A new philosophy

Miss Roseiano was the first purchased yearling for the relatively new, but full of experience, The Osher Group, which consists of Burridge, Karl Brown and Murray Tillett, although Burridge has previous has success with Team Gelagotis after buying the Group 2 winner Hvasstan (Fastnet Rock).

He says the group has been established to prioritise taking owners on an educational journey.

“I was based in Asia for 12 years and when I got back I started the company here. I was really only dealing with Hong Kong and I mainly sell to Hong Kong,’’ Burridge said. “Through demand and an appetite from people to experience owning a horse a little differently to traditional syndication, we started The Osher Group,’’ he added.

“I bought one called Fasano off David Payne, who came out and won its first two. Then we bought a horse called Facemask on a trial, who was supposed to go to Singapore but the owner got made redundant so we raced it in Australia with a group of 20 or so mates. Those two horses got us going, then I set up the group more formally so we could encourage more people to get involved and enjoy the sport we all love.’’

Brown was Danny O’Brien’s bloodstock manager and bought G1 Coolmore S. winner and now Widden Stud stallion Star Witness as well as G1-winning sprinter Shamexpress and Tillett had worked for several major breeders, including Aquis Victoria, with all three having Magic Millions working experience and a combined 70 years of experience in the bloodstock game.

“I think a lot of syndication groups are missing an opportunity,’’ Burridge said. “Yes, they get people into racing but by bringing people along for the full journey and explaining the process along the way, it could be done a lot better. Keeping people fully engaged in all facets of this dynamic industry we are in, that’s what we’re about and that's what will get them hooked for life.

“We go into every horse investment with an exit plan in mind. Of course, the best laid plans often go awry, but we’re trying to educate our owners to not just get involved in a racehorse but to experience the journey whilst considering all trading options and a thought-out strategy. You obviously need the product to make it work, but we’ve got the plan foremost in mind and I'm confident we can execute it better than most.’’

That experience is aimed at ensuring owners in The Osher Group are aware of what options they have when they do have a nice horse on their hands, or if they’re not a Group 1 horse, a transparent and early decision to place the horse for its best outcome, said Burridge.

The model includes events featuring sporting and business celebrities to provide owners with a fun, entertaining and informative experience.

Osher Group very active

Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale was a happy hunting ground for The Osher Group where they purchased seven yearlings to spread their placements far and wide.

The Osher Group horses from Magic Millions have landed with Robert Heathcote and Tony Gollan in Brisbane, the Sydney stables of Bjorn Baker, Richard and Michael Freedman and Waterhouse/Bott, and one at the Caulfield stable of Mick Price and Michel Kent Jnr.

“I dare say at the (Inglis) Classic Sale we’ll get one for Manny and the (Inglis) Premier Sale one for Nick Ryan and we’ll have another couple with Peter Moody,’’ Burridge said. “We’ll spread it around so there are opportunities for people to get involved with top trainers all over Australia.

“We want them to experience all different trainers and what they have to offer, giving them a unique insight to see how different operations work.’’

The Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale highlight buys for The Osher Group included a Snitzel colt out of Our Crown Mistress (Star Witness) for $800,000 in partnership with Mick Wallace for Freedman Brothers Racing; a $100,000 Extreme Choice filly, and a Deep Field colt at $220,000 which was around half what they thought it might go for.

“We thought the Snitzel colt was the best colt in the Sale,’’ Burridge said. “We bought an Extreme Choice filly for $100,000 which we thought was bloody good value and we bought a Deep Field colt that we thought was going to make double what it made so we think that’s a pretty good buy too.’’

The Deep Field colt, from Silk Slippers (Lonhro), was out of the Fernrigg Farm draft.

“(Fernrigg) do a great job and they’re a really good team, Rae-Louise and Padraig (Kelly),’’ Burridge said. “They present their horses beautifully. They’ve got great results already on the track. They’re the farms you want to buy off, where it works,’’ he said.

Gallery: Some of The Osher Group's yearling purchases from the Magic Millions Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions

“We all worked at Magic Millions once, so we all know the back end of how the Sales are done and we have a good feel for those who do the job right - bringing a racehorse to sell, not just a sale yearling to sell. So we like buying off those farms.’’

The Osher Group also bought two yearlings from Brian Nutt’s Attunga Farm draft, Burridge saying that’s another farm that 'just gets winners after winners'.

Those buys were a So You Think (NZ) colt with Gai Waterhouse and a Capitalist colt which the Osher trio assessed as the best Capitalist on the grounds.

“We purchased them by the right sires and obviously we're now looking to fill them up with people who want to get involved in racing and become involved with a group that just wants the best experience possible,’’ Burridge said.

“If we get a horse that isn’t quite up to that Group level, we’ve got to place it accordingly. We sold 31 horses to Hong Kong last year so we have excellent relationships in that market and we believe the product we sell there is working really well,’’ he said.

“If we can reach a high figure for a sale, we want to look after the owner. We don’t just want them to pay management fees; we want the owner getting a result and investing again. That’s what it’s about for us.’’

Classic and Premier targets

Burridge said The Osher Group would be active at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

“I’ve always found that Classic Sale is a great value sale. And Premier we’re probably trying to find that really nice Derby and Oaks-style colt or filly,’’ he said.

“I think that's an opportunity to buy value. You don’t have to pay enormous money and if we get one that can run a mile and above, well the world’s your oyster and we can have a lot of fun.

"We’ll look for those types and if something stands out that we think is value then we’re going to attack it. We’ve got the right people on board so now it’s about finding the right horses. I think Miss Roseiano has us off on the right leg!"