A life lived humbly for all its success: Vale Alan Osburg

Cover image courtesy of Ron Quinton Racing

Every so often, the industry is gifted with characters of the most genuine manner, and this was recalled on Friday afternoon as the sad news trickled through that Alan Osburg, a noted Sydney racing man, had died.

Osburg was 75 years old and his health had been troubling him for some time, but he’d bounced in and out of hospital in the last few months with good cheer, ever hopeful that he’d kick his latest issue.

Across racing, Osburg could have hung his hat on just one of his achievements.

Through 2003 and 2004, he raced Exceed And Excel alongside the big personality that was Nick Moraitis, and the pair sold the horse to Darley for many millions of dollars. It was a huge story in the world of bloodstock at the time and, if Osburg hadn’t done anything else ever again, Exceed And Excel would have been enough.

However, the Darley stallion was only one chapter in Osburg’s rich portfolio of thoroughbreds.

In 2012, he bred his Star Way (GB) mare Whistle Dixie (NZ) to the shuttler Street Sense (USA), and the result of that union was the glorious bay filly Dixie Blossoms, whose five Group wins included the G1 Coolmore Classic in March 2019.

“I’ve got no doubt that I’ve had more pleasure out of Dixie by far and away,” Osburg said, speaking to TDN AusNZ in the aftermath of that win three years ago.

“Exceed And Excel was a great racehorse, but it’s difficult when you have a horse, a stud proposition, that is worth a lot of money. The pleasure from the wins is still there, but there’s a lot of stress attached to it.”

For Osburg, Dixie Blossoms didn't come with the same levels of expectation. She was pleasure itself.

From a handful of mares that Osburg owned, rarely any more than six at a time, the filly climbed to the highest shelf of Australian racing and, for most that watched on, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer fellow.

Dixie Blossoms, named by Osburg’s long-time partner Lisa Miall, raced through 21 wins or places, wrapping things up in 2019 with a second to Kenedna (Not A Single Doubt) in the G1 Queen of the Turf S. in 2019.

“I don’t race many horses at all,” Osburg had said. “I usually do it all on my own, rarely syndicating or going into partnerships. It’s expensive to race a horse and I’m able to do one at a time, pretty much.”

Max Whitby remembers

Osburg’s years with Exceed And Excel were a great chapter in his life. He recounted visiting Dubai and eventually selling the horse, calling it “a saga in itself that I’ll remember for the rest of my life”.

Only weeks ago, it would have given him a degree of pride that Exceed And Excel became the first Australian-bred stallion to sire 200 worldwide stakes winners, but even that wouldn’t have given him the humble brag.

“Alan wasn’t a braggard or excessive,” said Max Whitby, chatting about his old friend with TDN AusNZ. “He was a modest man, but he was also a man’s man. You knew exactly where you stood with him.”

For five years, Osburg was a director of the Australian Jockey Club (AJC), and those were important times for the Club.

They coincided with the merger of the AJC and the Sydney Turf Club (STC) to become the Australian Turf Club (ATC). Joining him on the directors’ board at that time was Whitby, Torryburn’s John Cornish, Michael Crismale and Wilf Mula, among others.

“He was very effective,” Whitby said. “The merger was probably one of our biggest conflicts because he wasn’t sold on it right away. He was reluctant in its early days, but he got on board when he saw that it would be one of the most important business transactions ever.”

Whitby, a big identity in Sydney racing and a “hard-headed fellow” by his own admission, was emotional about the death of Osburg last week.

“I couldn’t be prouder to have called Alan a dear friend,” he said. “He suffered in silence. He had a bad bout of brain cancer a number of years ago and he got through that with great dignity. He will be sorely missed, that’s for sure.”

Friends at Torryburn

Looking back at Osburg’s racing life, he kept very good company, which is usually a good measure of character.

He counted Ron Quinton among his friends, and the Randwick trainer got many of Osburg’s horses, including Dixie Blossoms. Osburg was also a very close friend of John Cornish, the studmaster of Torryburn Stud, and this alliance meant that most of Osburg’s horses were bred, born and retired to Torryburn pastures.

“Alan was a very close friend of my father, John,” said Brett Cornish. “They were very, very close, and Dad would consider him to be his closest friend, I think. He’s absolutely shattered right now, very upset. They had done a lot together and Alan was just an absolute gentleman.”

Cornish recalls the many visits by Osburg to Torryburn Stud over the years. He says Osburg was incredibly likeable, a normal man that liked a bet, a glass of wine and talking horses.

“He was one of nature’s gentlemen and you couldn’t help liking him,” Cornish said. “Dad and Alan have been friends for close to 40 years, at first through mutual business interests. Of course, later on it became much more than that.”

By profession, Osburg was a partner for 30 years at the law firm Hicksons Lawyers. In 2004 he stepped back in semi-retirement, taking on a consulting role that kept him involved and reasonably busy.

“He was an exceptional lawyer,” Cornish said. “Back in the day, he used to do work for big banks. When we were doing development funding, he was on the other side of the desk acting for banks and financiers. Dad and himself became friends through that, and eventually through racing and breeding horses.”

John Cornish visited Osburg in hospital only last week. As ever, Osburg was positive in the face of his significant health troubles, and his loss has been a deep sadness at Torryburn this week.

Mel Copelin, the farm’s stud manager, said it was beyond sad news that he was gone.

“I will always have fond memories of Alan,” she said. “He came to the farm many times each year, and the majority of his bloodstock is here. It was always a great time getting around the horses and debriefing over a few bottles of French.

“I’ve learned so much from Alan over the years, often by accident when a quick update over the phone about his girls would result in an hour-long conversation. I think that’s what I will miss most.”

Osburg’s bloodstock portfolio includes Dixie Blossoms and two fillies by Exceed And Excel on the ground from her. The Group 1-winning mare is expecting a foal by Exceed And Excel this spring, and she has a booking to The Autumn Sun.

Additional mares include Aliberani (Redoute’s Choice) and Chicquita, the latter a daughter of Commands whose 2022 Inglis Classic Sale yearling sold to Roughwood Park for $460,000.

There’s also Axiomatic (O’Reilly {NZ}), co-owned wth Torryburn Stud, whose Inglis Easter yearling, a colt by The Autumn Sun, made $750,000 when selling to John O’Shea.

“Ironically, Alan probably had his best year in the sale ring ever,” Brett Cornish said. “He was really thankful for those results, but he knew what he was doing. He was a good breeder and he wasn’t afraid to take a risk on a sire he liked.”

Cornish said it was a great shame that Osburg wouldn’t see the Exceed And Excel progeny from Dixie Blossoms make it to the track. One is with Ron Quinton as a newly turned 2-year-old, and the other has just turned one.

“His great race mare and his great sire,” Cornish said. “It’s a real shame Alan didn’t live to see these horses race.”

In the wake of Osburg’s passing, there is his partner, the firecracker and warm-hearted Lisa Miall, and their son, Mathew Osburg, who will turn 14 next month. Osburg has older children in Canada, a daughter Karen and son Michael.

It’s expected that his funeral will be next week and, in hand with the passing of significant and well-loved characters across this industry, it will be a large affair.