Cover image courtesy of Matt Vella Racing Services
The graduates to come through Matt Vella Racing Services speak for themselves. Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), Fireburn (Rebel Dane), Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon), Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}), Celestial Legend, Fireball (Snitzel), Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), Campione D'Italia (Snitzel), Providence (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and many more headline a list that includes G1 Golden Slipper winners and an Everest champion.
While the results have been remarkable, Vella believes the foundations are laid long before raceday, with a philosophy centred on understanding each individual horse.
Learning his craft
Vella's journey into racing began almost by chance, growing up near one of the sport's most famous establishments.
“I started off as a young kid, I actually lived down the road from Bart Cummings' old establishment Princess Farm. I never really knew about racing before then but as a 12-year-old they gave me a job as a stable hand and it has kind of gone from there.
Matt Vella | Image courtesy of Inglis
“From there I met a really good trainer called Scott Singleton. He took me under his wing and taught me all the ropes about track work and kicked me off in sort of the racing department there.”
Singleton played a significant role in shaping Vella's early career before his interests shifted towards breaking and educating young horses.
“He was a great person for me to learn the ropes and how track work worked etc. He was a very good horseman himself and then from there on, I just sort of decided I wanted to go down the horse breaker way of work more so than the trainer line and I then went and worked at Darley and then with Gary Fraser and learnt my craft.”
Scott Singleton | Image courtesy of Singleton Racing Stables
It was during that time Vella also drew inspiration from outside the traditional racing industry.
I actually learnt a lot from stock horsemen and have incorporated my own sort of technique with a bit of that which has served me well.”
“I actually learnt a lot from stock horsemen and have incorporated my own sort of technique with a bit of that which has served me well.” - Matt Vella
A major turning point came through businessman and owner Sir Owen Glenn, whose support helped establish the business Vella operates today.
“The biggest tipping point for me would have been, about 12 years ago I met Sir Owen Glenn and started doing all his work and he's just been a dead set blessing to me. He set me up, he funded me for a little while through Glenn Haven.
Sir Owen, as he got older, he didn't want to race as many so it was a bit pointless of him to have that whole big set up so we sold that and I went back out on my own and he just supported me through Matt Vella Racing which he still does to this day.
Sir Owen Glenn | Image courtesy of Sir Owen Glenn
"I'm on his Go Bloodstock board and he looks after me like I'm his own blood so he's been a real massive help to me. I will forever be grateful to him, through him I have got to know guys like Henry Field who has been a massive supporter of mine and the whole Coolmore team, so it has been quite a journey.”
Today, Vella still operates from Hawkesbury, where he believes the facilities play a major role in producing well-educated young horses.
“I've worked really hard to get to where I am today as Matt Vella Racing, our location is on the track here at Hawkesbury and it is a great location to educate horses from.”
Building horses, not just breakers
For Vella, breaking in is about much more than teaching a horse to carry a rider. The aim is to produce a relaxed, educated athlete that is ready to continue progressing once it reaches the trainer.
“We've broken in a lot of nice horses and a lot of nice early 2-year-olds since then and that does come from having them nice and educated throughout the year. We are able to do a fantastic job with all the facilities here, we've got bush tracks, back tracks, arenas, all of that sort of stuff,” Vella said.
“Then we get the young ones on the track and we've got a lake and a basin and they just get so much more advanced than being on the track.”
Matt Vella's stables | Image courtesy of Matt Vella Racing Services
The process generally spans three weeks, with consistency forming a key part of the program.
“Our process involves breaking in the horses for between 21 and 24 days, they can have longer if needed, but we work seven days a week, so it is a constant three weeks.”
Drawing heavily on stock horse techniques remains a defining feature of Vella's approach.
“I have learnt so much and taken a lot of my thinking of how stock horses work more so than just racing. We do the usual process of working them through, getting them in the barriers as part of a positive experience and get footage of them on the track for the owners and trainers. We have our systems and as I said, so much has been learnt from stock horsemen, which I really believe in those processes.”
First rides under saddle | Image courtesy of Matt Vella Racing Services
“We ride them very soft on the mouth, we want them to be easy to ride once they get to the stables, and being on track and using a track is a massive help in achieving this.”
Summing up his philosophy simply, Vella believes success comes from understanding the horse rather than forcing it.
“The secret is working with the horse, not against them.”
“The secret is working with the horse, not against them.” - Matt Vella
Busy all year round
Vella now breaks in around 200 horses annually and works with many of Australia's leading trainers and bloodstock operations.
“I have a great range of clients, John O'Shea, Michael Freedman, James Harron, John Camilleri, Segenhoe when they were going and Sir Owen Glenn of course.”
He credits much of that success to the people around him.
“I have a great team, I have employed the right staff, it is a hard thing to get right, but I have a great team of riders and ground staff, who are very good horsemen.”
“I have a great team, I have employed the right staff, it is a hard thing to get right, but I have a great team of riders and ground staff, who are very good horsemen.” - Matt Vella
While he still trains a handful himself, breaking and pre-training are now the clear focus.
“To train one or two it is easy enough to incorporate with the everyday happenings at the property. I have cut back on the training, I don't enjoy training lots, I probably wasn't that good at going to the races and getting beat!”
“It served its purpose when I was at Glenn Haven, as I would get a few of Sir Owen's that didn't make the grade with the trainers, so my aim was to get wins for their pedigree page, and that worked particularly well. But it is something I have cut right back on.
“I do still train a few for him though, I have Twinkling Star who has won three of her five starts from the stable, so the system still works and she may run again this Saturday.”
Twinkling Star | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
The workload remains substantial.
“Most of the work done is breaking in and pre-training and give or take we would break in roughly 200 horses a year, so we are pretty busy all year round. We actually just finished the last of them and that was a lovely colt, a full brother to Switzerland that cost James Harron and the Coolmore team a fair bit of money, but he is a lovely colt, so that is this year's breakers done.”
Lady Of Camelot - An emotional sale ahead
Among the many horses to come through the system, the G1 Golden Slipper winner, Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) holds special significance.
“She has been a very good horse. Just recently we made the decision between Steve O'Connor and Sir Owen Glenn that we would sell her through a private tender because there is only a select few people that can afford her. I'm always sitting in on these meetings with the Go Bloodstock team and that was the decision that has been made, which is exciting.”
Lady Of Camelot | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The connection extends through generations of the family.
“She is out of the Miss Debutante line, who has also left Queen Of The Ball and Platinum Jubilee, I have been involved with all of them with breaking in and pre-training and it is just a very very good family.”
“I had Miss Debutante when I first started working for Sir Owen, so that makes her very special. It's actually a bit emotional to see her go up for sale for myself and Steve and everyone involved.”
Miss Debutante | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Despite her later achievements, Lady Of Camelot wasn't an obvious standout early on, which shows the nature of picking good ones from an early age is not always that simple.
“Lady Of Camelot herself was very plain early on, but she was a pocket rocket, had a big girth, very strong but very straight forward mentally.”
Another recent graduate to catch Vella's eye is Steel Will (I Am Invincible), who resumed with an impressive victory at Wyong after placing behind The Next Episode (Snitzel) on debut earlier in the year.
“Sometimes you can get a feel for a really nice horse and I got that from Steel Will after I broke him in, I actually sent out a video message to Sir Owen after his breaking in where I gave him a good wrap.
“He won really nicely the other day and I just loved him as a colt after breaking in.”
“He (Steel Will) won really nicely the other day and I just loved him as a colt after breaking in.” - Matt Vella
“You could say he was disappointing in his first prep, but he was very great on Sunday. He wasn't doing things right, he's the type of horse you can definitely get a feel for.”
However, Vella says identifying elite talent isn't always straightforward.
“Some horses you just know, I loved Dame Giselle after breaking, Classique Legend simply had no idea on what he was doing, even in pre-training Stay Inside always felt like a gun, but Marhoona kind of slipped through the cracks a bit and was very plain and look what she has achieved.”
“It can be a really mixed bag and you can very much get one very wrong from early on.”
“It can be a really mixed bag and you can very much get one very wrong from early on.” - Matt Vella
In The Congo impresses
Working with hundreds of young horses each year also provides Vella with an early indication of which stallions are producing stock that impress. With Newgate Farm's In The Congo one that has particularly caught the eye.
“I love In The Congo, I really love what I have seen from them. I also love the Anamoes. They are really nice horses and I think Artorius is going to be alright, hopefully he keeps getting the support as they are nice horses.”
“Even though they are second-season sires, I can't get enough of the Stay Insides, they are lovely sharp horses and I love the Home Affairs, he has massive potential.”
In The Congo | Standing at Newgate Farm
Looking back on the journey, Vella remains appreciative of those who have supported the business while continuing to focus on producing well-educated young horses.
“I have built a great business, I work very hard and our results speak for themselves, but I must say I am so grateful for the support of people like Sir Owen Glenn who has been a big supporter since day one, Steve O'Connor, and Henry Field.
“I am very grateful, and with all of my clients and trainers that I pre-train for such as John O'Shea and Tom Charlton and Michael Freedman, I will always be grateful for the quality of horses that come through my operation.”
