Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Joe Molinaro has spent the past few months hearing the same assessment: he must be the luckiest racehorse owner in Australia.
It is difficult to argue. His second horse was Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), now a 10-time Group 1 winner with more than $18.8 million in earnings. Earlier this year, Guest House (Home Affairs) won the G1 Golden Slipper at just his fourth start before Coolmore secured the colt in a $30 million deal.
Now both horses are preparing to return for the spring.
“About six years ago, I bought into a horse who hadn't even been sent to Australia. He was Mr Brightside. He was my second ever horse. I had cancer and a friend took me for a coffee and he said, you should buy into this horse,” Molinaro said.
“I’d just got out of hospital, and he said, ‘He’s called Mr Brightside.’ I said, ‘I’m feeling shit at the moment and I love that name, so I’m going to buy into him.’
“To be honest, I didn't go in it for the money. I wanted to meet people. I’m not a big gambler.”
Joe Molinaro (Right) with Carlo Taranto and Rob Norton | Image supplied
Mr Brightside was merely the beginning
Sold by Phoenix Park for NZ$22,000 to Phil Cataldo at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, Mr Brightside won a trial in New Zealand for trainer Ralph Manning at Cambridge. He had one start, running fifth, before he was transferred to Lindsay Park in Victoria.
Second on debut for Lindsay Park, Mr Brightside then put six wins together in a row, and it was apparent he was something special. The 2022 G1 Doncaster Handicap was his first Group 1 victory, and since then he’s added nine more. His earnings top $18.8 million.
Mr Brightside missed the autumn this season after having chip surgery on a fetlock with co-trainer JD Hayes telling racing.com in May that the extended break might have been a good thing.
Mr Brightside (black cap) winning the G1 Doncaster Handicap | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He hasn’t missed any dances for the last four years, so he’s enjoyed a bit of time off. Although he’s rising nine, he didn’t really start racing until he was four, so we think he’s still got a fair bit of life left in him,” Hayes said.
“He (Mr Brightside) didn’t really start racing until he was four, so we think he’s still got a fair bit of life left in him.” - JD Hayes
The fan favourite is being set for the G1 Memsie Stakes in the early spring.
“Everyone knows him. He’s back now. He had a long spell, the longest in his life. He's going to win another group race. He's come back amazing. He's tough and he runs in the wet, runs in the dry. He deserves a bit of an accolade himself as a horse,” Molinaro said.
JD Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
It’s the friends you meet
Mr Brightside is owned by 15 individuals and four syndicates, and for Molinaro, the journey is extra special because it’s a shared journey.
“I've met some amazing people through the industry and I say to everybody, ‘the industry should be portrayed as a meeting of people industry, not a gambling industry.’ I don’t think that’s pushed enough,” Molinaro said.
“I've met some amazing people through the industry and I say to everybody, ‘the industry should be portrayed as a meeting of people industry, not a gambling industry.” - Joe Molinaro
“We've met some amazing people through the journey and with my family and friends. We've gone to most of his races. Meeting people has been the highlight, plus the winning. We've made some beautiful friendships.”
And it’s friendship that led Molinaro, eventually, to G1 Golden Slipper winner Guest House (Home Affairs).
“A friend of mine, Tyson Hunter, introduced me to Rob (Norton) from Roll The Dice. And I brought a share in a horse through Rob, and while she didn't perform, it led me to Guest House.”
Guest House | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"I said, ‘I love the Home Affairs’, so I bought into him too." Molinaro has shares in “many more” horses now including Gin Twist (Home Affairs) and Wolf Gap (Palace Pier {GB}).
Gin Twist | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“A lot of people say I'm lucky, because I know people haven't even won city races and I don't take it for granted. I really don't. I just wish everyone could experience a win at least.
“A lot of people say I'm lucky, because I know people haven't even won city races and I don't take it for granted... I just wish everyone could experience a win at least.” - Joe Molinaro
“I've been reading a lot of negativity about syndication companies (on social media). People are complaining because they’re not winning or they’re not getting communication or they think they're getting overcharged. But I say to people, there's bad in every industry, there's always someone that's going to be tarnishing that industry. So it doesn't matter whether it's horse racing or plumbers or anything.
“At the end of the day, it's about being with the right people and trusting them.”
Guest House was a whirlwind ride
There’s something electric about having a precocious horse. Guest House was bought by Roll The Dice Racing and Mick Price Racing for $270,000 from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft in January 2025.
He trialled less than 12 months later in early December, then won on debut at Moonee Valley the day after Boxing Day. Placed in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) and the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, he came to Sydney and won the G1 Golden Slipper at start number four.
“Every time everyone (in Guest House) rings each other up, the first thing they say is ‘we won the f’ing Slipper.’ But the funny thing about it, this happened a few months ago and we are still pinching ourselves,” Molinaro said.
Guest House as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We go to all the events. We went to the Golden Slipper barrier draw. My brother-in-law drew the barrier. It's just all these special moments in life that need to be cherished.
“All of Mr Brightside’s wins were exciting, but to have a 2-year-old winner. Just to get a 2-year-old to the races is difficult, but to win a Slipper…” Molinaro trails off as if the feeling is impossible to put into words.
But when asked, he gives just one word.
“Instant.
“The journey with him has definitely been more exciting (than Mr Brightside), just a different excitement. This might sound strange, but as soon as he won, we get a phone call to sell him. I thought, we just won the Golden Slipper and you want to sell him? And everyone’s saying, you can’t knock it back.
“He won on the Saturday, and by Tuesday there was a couple of offers. That's how quick it was, and they gave us 24 hours to make up our mind.” Most of the syndicate voted to sell, and the $30 million deal was done.
“Coolmore have been amazing. They said we can race him in our names, keep all the prizemoney until he retires, we pay the bills (while he’s racing) but it felt like selling your child!
“Coolmore have been amazing. They said we can race him (Guest House) in our names, keep all the prizemoney until he retires, we pay the bills (while he’s racing) but it felt like selling your child!” - Joe Molinaro
“Your emotions are high. You've got this beautiful animal. He's an amazing looking animal. But at the end of the day, we still feel like we own him because he's still in our names. It's really a hard feeling to explain.
“I have this gnome on my patio and it sits in the garden and every time I look at it, I smile. I want everyone to experience a horse winning a race. It's good for the soul too.”
Joe Molinaro's gnome commemorating Guest House's win | Image supplied
An ever-expanding journey
From Mr Brightside to Guest House, Molinaro’s horse interests continue to grow, and he reiterates that it’s always about the people you meet on the way.
“The whole team gets along, we do dinners and that’s the best part about racing. You continue relationships. We went to Coolmore to see Home Affairs. I've got a filly in foal to Home Affairs now. She's due next month.
“And if you were to ask me two years ago, if I was going to have a horse in foal, I’d have told you that you were dreaming. That’s not my field!
“But racing takes you down these paths that you'd never think you'd experience in life. And at the end of the day, it’s what you make of it. Yes, it’s a risk but so is walking in the city.”
Home Affairs | Standing at Coolmore
Molinaro speaks fondly about the team at Roll The Dice Racing, and is hosting a dinner at the pub on Monday with them for a group of new owners.
“The Roll The Dice team deserve so many accolades, the way they handle the owners, the way they handle all their horses individually. They'll move a horse on if the horse is not suitable for the trainer. They don’t wait too long, so the owners are not spending too much money on training fees unnecessarily.”
Roll The Dice Racing's directors Leigh Saville, Steve Travaglia and Rob Norton | Image courtesy of Roll The Dice Racing
Is he the luckiest owner in Australia? Maybe.
“I've had slow horses too. But you take the good with the bad. You can have a slow horse and still have fun with the people that you meet. I always say if we run top five, then I’m rapt. Top five pays the bills.
“You have more excitement when you win, especially the big races but it's not always about winning.”
With Guest House and Mr Brightside about to resume for the spring, and horses like Wolf Gap and Gin Twist in the wings, Molinaro is set to have a busy social schedule over the next few months.
