Andrew Scott joins the 1000-win club in style

Cover image courtesy of Nicole Troost

To mark the moment, The Thoroughbred Report caught up with the affable and widely respected horseman, who has been a key figure in the New Zealand racing landscape for more than 25 years.

From his early beginnings under master trainers to his long-standing and successful partnership with Lance O’Sullivan, Scott shares insights into his journey, the changing face of the industry, and what drives him to keep finding and nurturing quality racehorses.

It all began with a love for the horse

Andrew Scott has been involved in racing and horses from a very early age, so there was never much doubt that he would end up making a living from the game.

“My interest clearly came from my parents, and particularly my father (Jack Scott). He was always involved in the game, particularly with standing stallions and training later on in his life." Scott said

“Stallions he stood included Retained, who was a pretty good sire and he sired Sirtain, who won the New Zealand Cup and there was the Doomben Cup winner Waitangirua.

“He had low-level success throughout with a range of stallions, but he loved it.”

Jack Scott predominantly was involved with stallions and ran Glenmore Stud, he did though leave it until later in life to take out a trainer's licence himself. He didn't officially begin training until he was 60, and soon trained his first winner - Foxton Flyer (NZ) (Prince Echo {Ire}) at Riccarton in 1991.

While he never had a top-liner, he did train some handy horses including Bella's Delight (NZ) (Castelli {NZ}), Kohi Road (NZ) (King’s Chapel), Drovers Call (NZ) (Private Call {NZ}), Palace Gates (NZ) (His Royal Highness {NZ}), and Miss Sher Nan (NZ) (Fully Fledged {NZ}).

When asked what he loved himself about growing up around horses, Scott said it was the wide exposure that gave him the racing bug.

“I did all sorts and loved everything about horses, I had ponies and loved riding them, I learnt to ride track work.

“I was holding mares at age seven, eight and nine while Dad had the stallions serving them. I loved going to the Foxton track, and had exposure to the process of mares foaling down and getting weaned.”

When asked whether that knowledge helped him transition to training, Scott agreed.

“Dad and my surroundings gave me a good understanding of where horses come from, and the process of how horses get to be yearlings at sales and racehorses, as well as the work involved.

“It has been a huge help when looking at all the aspects needed when training horses.”

That upbringing and the love Scott developed for horses and the industry left him in no doubt about what he wanted to do with his life, he wanted to train horses. A phone call as a youngster set him on his path.

“When I worked out that I was too big to be a jockey, I thought I wanted to be a trainer, so I looked up who was the best trainer in the country at the time, and that was Mike (Moroney), so I thought I'd better give him a ring.”

Ballymore Stables – The launchpad for Scott’s career

Thankfully for Scott, Moroney answered the phone and that led to November 1997, when Scott made the move to work for Mike and Ballymore Stables as a stablehand. It was perfect timing as the stable has just had major success, Moroney had just trained Second Coming (NZ) (Oak Ridge {Fr}) to win that year’s G1 VRC Derby.

Scott was enjoying his time, learning the ropes, becoming immersed in the game, and the stable was thriving. Then a surprise opportunity came knocking.

“It was in 1999, I think, and Mike came to me and said he wanted to really focus on setting up a stable in Melbourne, and he asked if I wanted to start training in a partnership and keep things running at home.

“I was quite taken aback. I was only sort of a foreman at the time and thought, ‘wow, what an opportunity’. I had to adapt and take on responsibility quickly.”

When asked about the challenges, Scott said, “I was suddenly having to talk to really important people and tell them how their horses were going. I had to find the words and be strong and assertive with that. I found that hard initially.

“There were one or two owners that went to other stables after the news, and that was a bit of a knock to my confidence, but we always had enough success. Paul (Paul Moroney) was buying us nice horses and we were doing a job.”

Describing Moroney’s impact on him, Scott was full of praise.

“Mike was a gifted horse trainer. He was very patient and had a way of analysing and working out how horses were feeling.

“He was a very patient trainer. He was an amazing mentor, he gave me a couple of pieces of advice, and one good one that stuck with me was that trainers have good temperaments, think fast and talk slow.”

After 355 domestic wins in partnership with Moroney under the Ballymore banner, it was time for another unexpected new chapter.

Wexford comes calling

In 2006, Scott’s career changed course again when he joined the Wexford team in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan.

“It was a very busy time for Lance back then, he was juggling lots of business and had a very busy life. He asked me if I wanted to help out and join the Wexford team.

“It was a really tough decision. I can still remember crying, telling Mike, but he understood. He was like a fatherly figure to me and a great mentor, I spoke regularly with him, even just before he passed away.”

The transition into Wexford was smooth for Scott.

“Mike had learnt his trade under Dave O’Sullivan at Wexford, so Mike’s way was similar. It was amazing to see the impact Dave had, it wasn’t much different.” Scott said

“Lance has been another fantastic mentor. He’s helped me a lot with the business side of things. He’s very business-savvy and the O’Sullivan family is so tight-knit, they’ve been brilliant for me and my family.”

In 2009, Lance stepped back to focus on his business ventures and family life, leaving Scott as sole trainer at Wexford.

“Things didn’t change much. Lance had a lot going on, so I continued training the horses and had a good run. I got a really good grasp of the business.”

By the 2013/14 season, Lance was back.

“Lance came back in, he had his business things all under control and I think he missed it. Lance does love it, he loves seeing the horses progress and has a genuine love of horses.

"He has a saying I like: ‘we win together and we lose together’. There’s nothing in racing the O’Sullivan team hasn’t seen.”

Wexford has always produced good horses, but in recent years, the results have gone to another level domestically.

“It was spelled out to me early on that a lot of our good horses would be sold or sent to Hong Kong to Paul (O’Sullivan). That was made very clear when I decided to join Wexford. Financially, it was very successful, but tough seeing those horses do well elsewhere.

“It was hard to build a brand. Since Paul returned to New Zealand in 2022 and with the Entain takeover and prizemoney returning in New Zealand, we’ve been able to focus on racing, and the results speak for themselves.”

Wexford currently sits third on the New Zealand Premiership with 70 wins, more than NZ$4 million in prizemoney and nine stakes wins, headlined by Grail Seeker’s two Group 1 victories.

“We’ve built up a great client base, have good numbers in the stable, and are buying nice yearlings. We’re having our best ever year. Everything is going really well and hopefully we can keep building.”

Tomodachi brings up the milestone in style

It was fitting that Andrew Scott’s 1000th domestic winner came in Group 3 company with a mare who looks capable of going to another level in Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}).

The Pencarrow Stud homebred has been a revelation, winning six of her nine starts and close to $180,000 in prizemoney. Her latest success came in the G3 Rotorua Stakes under Joe Doyle.

The daughter of Tarzino (NZ) burst onto the scene last autumn with three straight wins, and has returned an improved 4-year-old. She notched up consecutive wins at Tauranga and Ellerslie, before flashing home for third in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint at Trentham.

Scott said: “She is a super talented racehorse. She’s built a strong sequence of form and the times she’s been beaten, she’s had excuses.

“To get the big black type and a Group Three win today is so valuable for the team at Pencarrow. We still think it’s all in front of her. Next season, a big win is there for her, I have loads of time for her.”

Tomodachi is bred to be smart—her second dam is Uberalles (NZ) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}), and she placed in the G1 New Zealand Derby and G2 Great Northern Guineas, while her third dam is the champion stayer Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}), winner of the G1 Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, BMW Stakes and Queensland Oaks.

Going by her female line and also being by a Derby winner, out of a mare by the powerful staying influence in High Chaparral (Ire) and having a double cross of the great Sadler's Wells (USA), it naturally would be expected that she would stay all day. But Tomodachi has an electric turn of foot and is proving very capable over sprinting trips, so her versatility may open up a lot of prospects for her next season.

Big moments, Big horses

With 103 black-type wins from 1000 career victories, roughly one in every 10 wins for Andrew Scott has been at stakes level. It’s a remarkable ratio that speaks to the calibre of horses he has worked with—and the consistency of his results.

Xcellent (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) is one that stands out. Trained in partnership with Moroney, he won the G1 New Zealand Derby at just his third start, and also claimed the G1 Kelt Capital Stakes, G1 New Zealand Stakes and G1 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes. He famously ran third behind Makybe Diva (GB) in her third Melbourne Cup.

“To get a horse like Xcellent so early in my career, to feel how he used to quicken, it was a real yardstick of ability,” Scott said. “He really was a champion.”

“Clean Sweep was an outstanding filly, she ran fourth in the 1000 Guineas, and we backed her up from the Saturday to the Wednesday which you had to do back then, and she beat the boys in the 2000 Guineas which is very hard to do, she was a very good filly.

“Summer Passage was a very good New Zealand 2-year-old and he won the Group 1 at Ellerslie, and even though we didn't win, to take on the best as a New Zealand-trained 2-year-old in Australia and run second in the G1 Sires at Randwick was massive, and something we were very proud of.

“My Keepsake winning the G1 Queensland Oaks was great, they are so hard to win, and even running seventh in the G1 Melbourne Cup with Sir Charles Road was great, seeing his name in the Melbourne Cup with my name next to him as a trainer was like a childhood dream.

“In more recent times, winning the G1 Telegraph with Grail Seeker was very satisfying, as was winning the Tarzino. Taking a horse fresh into those big races, and getting the job done was very special and satisfying as a trainer.”

“Those good horses, they make up some great memories,” Scott summarised.

It has been a wonderful career so far that Scott has experienced, but when questioned on what else he wants to achieve or what gets him up in the morning, Scott didn’t hesitate.

“We certainly do it to try and find a very, very good horse. That’s why we buy yearlings and bring new horses into the stable, you just never know where the next star might come from.”

“We’re all hunting for that elite athlete or champion.”

Scott summed it up well, it’s clear he loves what he does.

“We’re all very fortunate to be playing the sport we love. It’s not real work!”