Rapid Round with Stephen Heath

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

In today's installment of 2022 Rapid Round, we feature a quick-fire round with Stephen Heath, the bloodstock and marketing manager at James Harron Bloodstock.

TDN AusNZ: What is your first memory related to horses?

Stephen Heath: My aunt was working at a local point-to-point yard and had a few videos, one of which was 150 years of the Grand National. Every Sunday when we would visit I would watch it and was hooked from there.

TDN AusNZ: What was your first job in the thoroughbred industry?

SH: I started out at Timeform in the UK straight out of University. It was a great grounding in terms of understanding form, while I also used to write the pedigrees and the Bloodstock Sires' Review, which was great for learning about bloodlines and forming opinions about stallions based on statistics. Writing a few essays for the 'Racehorses of' annuals was another highlight, though perhaps not the task of proofreading the same (enormous) book several times!

TDN AusNZ: What pathways led you to become the bloodstock and marketing manager at James Harron Bloodstock?

SH: From Timeform I wanted to learn and develop in a more hands-on manner, so I first undertook the English National Stud Diploma course, which was a fantastic start - going from a pure office job and not being able to put a headcollar on, to helping to foal down mares was a really great way to become more immersed in the industry and get a better understanding of everything that goes on behind the scenes. Following that I did a season of yearling preparation with Ted Voute, which was another super learning experience amongst a great team. I had set my eyes on trying out for the Darley Flying Start course, and I though it would be a great idea to do some travelling and get experience of another country, so with that in mind I went on to do a year at Lane's End in Kentucky. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so much, doing a breeding season with the broodmares, before going to all of the major yearling sales later in the year (along with Fernrigg Farm's Rae-Louise Kelly who was always a tough taskmaster!).

After Lane's End I returned to the UK and did a season on the foaling unit at Newsells Park, which was another incredible operation. Like Lane's End, we were working with top-quality bloodstock. During my time at Newsells Park I was successful in gaining a place on the Darley Flying Start course, and I am sure I wouldn't be the first person to sing the praises of what this course can do for your development and career. Travelling to all of the key locations around the world in the thoroughbred industry and meeting all of the key players is the chance of a lifetime, and I was delighted to accept a job with James while we were in the Australian phase of the course.

TDN AusNZ: Who is your pick of the first-season sires this season?

SH: I will be a bit of a fence sitter and pick the two obvious choices - Stay Inside and Home Affairs. They're the obvious picks for good reasons, both have demonstrated the kind of racing prowess that just works in Australia, precocity and speed. I saw Stay Inside at Newgate recently and thought he was a great model for an Australian 2-year-old and Home Affairs I saw before he won the Newmarket in the mounting yard and he's a really impressive specimen.

TDN AusNZ: What is your most memorable purchase working at James Harron Bloodstock?

SH: King's Legacy for sure. It was memorable because quite a few of the owners had come out to the sales for the day, Belinda Bateman with her grandsons, Fergus Doyle and Donna and Rob Love. He was a horse we were very anxious to secure and had inspected him multiple times during the week - it's always nerve-wrecking with those ones, wondering how everyone else had valued him, and we were delighted to get him.

One of Belinda's grandson's suggested on the spot that he should be called bacon and eggs as he is out of Breakfast In Bed, which certainly would have made for an interesting racing career, though I think everyone was thrilled with King's Legacy as his ultimate moniker, and, of course that he lived up to such a billing in great style.

TDN AusNZ: What was the most impressive racing performance of the season to date for you?

SH: I thought Nature Strip was outstanding in the King's Stand, and it was a great thrill to be lucky enough to be there. I think it's important that the Australian horses go out and perform on the world stage, and he couldn't have been more impressive as a flag-bearer.

TDN AusNZ: When inspecting yearlings with James, what are your top three must-haves?

SH: A good hind leg, from the side and from behind, good purpose to their movement and a willing attitude.

TDN AusNZ: What advice would you give to an aspiring person wanting to work in the industry?

SH: Don't try and run before you can walk, do your time working on the farms or in the stables, it's invaluable later on, and take the time to travel and see how things are done in other countries, you always end up taking little bits from each and learning every day.

TDN AusNZ: If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

SH: James McDonald - being at the top of the tree as a jockey and (deservedly) having the pick of the top horses in the country would be a great thrill, and I'm sure that nothing can match that adrenaline rush of winning a huge race in front of a packed crowd.

TDN AusNZ: What positive change would you like to see in the industry in 2022?

SH: I think it's important to realise that we are in a great country for horse racing and Australia really is leading the way in so many facets, notably prizemoney and welfare. The main thing that I am looking forward to as we get deeper into 2022 is the return of business as usual at the racetracks, with owners able to again properly enjoy the sport with normal mounting yard and post-race jockey access - it's a vital part of the raceday experience for owners.