Mark Minervini’s love affair with Randwick racecourse began when he was a race mad teenager growing up in Adelaide. He knew everything there was to know about local horses, but was also a regular listener to racing in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. “With no live television coverage of racing in those days I’d carry a transistor radio around with me on Saturdays wherever I happened to be,” recalled Mark. “I was aware of Randwick’s long history but my fascination with the place increased in Kingston Town’s era. I remember listening to descriptions of his amazing wins in the AJC Derby and Sydney Cup of 1980. I think I started dreaming there and then, that I’d train a winner at Randwick one day.”
Only Mark’s wife Michelle and a handful of friends knew exactly what the trainer was feeling, as Hosier (IRE) scored an emphatic win in Saturday’s Premier’s Cup. To train his first Randwick winner was one thing. To do it in a stakes race on the famous course was something else again. Having only his fourth start for the Minervini barn, Hosier strode freely in fourth place to the turn for Jason Collett before cruising up to the leaders on top of the rise. Showing a new found turn of foot, the gelding put them away quickly and had more than a length to spare on the line from Military Mission with Bois D’Argent in third place. To further emphasise the changing face of Australian racing, thirteen of the sixteen runners in the race were European bred.
Hosier enjoyed a perfect run before putting the opposition away in the Gr. 3 Premiers Cup - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Mark Minervini has enjoyed notable success with Inglis Digital Online purchases since the low - key inception of the sale in 2017. His regular scrutiny of the bi-monthly catalogues led him to Hosier’s entry in May of this year. He utilised feedback from contacts to determine the soundness of the imported gelding, before alerting his owner base about the availability of the seven time winner. Early bids indicated that the horse wasn’t in huge demand, and the trainer felt he probably wouldn’t exceed his $100,000 reserve. With 80% of Hosier sold before closing time, it was Mark’s $100,000 bid that saw the gelding change address.
The son of Camelot was one of Lloyd Williams’ purchases from Coolmore in 2020 following only two race starts, one of which resulted in a second at Fairyhouse. In keeping with Macedon Lodge’s practice of not rushing their imports, it was a full year before Hosier appeared on an Australian race track. He probably inspired big race hopes for his new owners by reeling off four wins on the trot. He went from a Bendigo maiden to a BM78 at Flemington with relative ease before being spelled. Next preparation he won another BM78 at Sandown, and finished third in a 1600m BM84 at Caulfield after which he was transferred to Kris Lees at Newcastle. Perhaps Lloyd Williams had already formed the opinion that Hosier wasn’t the kind of horse he needed in Melbourne.
Kris got away to a good start with the son of Camelot by snaring the Coffs Harbour Cup on a Soft 6 track with Hugh Bowman in the saddle. That win qualified him for the inaugural Big Dance which was still almost three months away. Following a “freshen” he won a 1600m BM88 at Randwick with Dylan Gibbons up on a Heavy 8 surface. It was now evident the import had a liking for a forgiving surface. Unfortunately, nothing went right for Hosier in the Big Dance won by his stablemate Rustic Steel. The track was very firm, and as it turned out the riding tactics employed did him no favours. Kris Lees engaged Frankie Dettori who’d agreed to ride in Sydney when he found himself without a Melbourne Cup mount. Bustled off his feet from a wide gate, Hosier ran the worst race of his career in finishing a long last of twenty runners. Following a “freshen” and three barrier trials, he led before finishing out of a place in Commando Hunt’s Muswellbrook Cup. Just over a month later he had a lot number alongside his name in the Inglis Digital Online May catalogue.
Mark Minervini produced Hosier first up on a firm track in the listed Winter Stakes in which he finished eighth of twelve only 4 lengths behind Ucalledit. Next start, again on firm ground he beat all but Barbie’s Fox in the listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill, and followed that with a respectable fourth to Attractable in the Coffs Harbour Cup. “The track was firm at Coffs and I was just a tad disappointed when he didn’t let down in the straight,” said Mark. “I kept him nice and fresh leading up to the Premier’s Cup and he relished the Soft 7 track. He lets down better on rain affected tracks than he does on top of the ground. We’ll almost certainly go to the Wyong Cup on September 1st, followed by the Newcastle Cup two weeks later. I can assure you I’ll be doing a rain dance on both occasions.”
Mark gets Jason Collett to summarise Hosier's win for a large group of owners - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Had the recent South Australian prize money increases been in the pipeline five years ago, Mark Minervini may never have left his native state. He’d enjoyed great success with the bonny mare Vormista who won a Gr 2 and was placed in three Gr 1’s - BTC Cup, Australia Stakes and Manikato Stakes. Other horses to win multiple races from the trainer’s Adelaide stables included Go the Knuckle, Sure Bet, Linbird, Hanabananah, Red Labelle, In The Mist and General. Shortly before his departure for Newcastle Mark produced Mica Lil, a $20,000 purchase in the early days of the online sale. The former West Australian mare won a BM80 first up at Morphettville, and just a few weeks later finished third to Shoals and Secret Agenda in the Gr 1 Robert Sangster Stakes.
With one of his early Inglis Digital purchases Mica Lil. The $20,000 acquisition won at Morphettville before placing in a Gr. 1.
Despite his notable success in the Adelaide training ranks, Mark couldn’t see a viable future for his loyal owners and took the courageous step of relocating to NSW when offered boxes by the Newcastle Jockey Club. Many of his established owners and nine of his horses followed him to the famous Broadmeadow racing and training precinct. With Michelle keeping the ship steady, Mark has “chipped away” diligently on provincial and country tracks with regular success.
In the last six months he’s won races with New Republic (2 wins), Bubbles For Me (3), Soobooco, Diamond Lily, Fire And Ice, Star Impact, Super (2), Astral Thought, Media Man, Dubai Flyer, King’s Duty and Miss Violet. It should be remembered that these results have been attained with a team of under twenty horses. Until Hosier came along Quick Tempo was the horse commanding a star above his door at the Minervini stables. The son of Rubick was earmarked for sale to Hong Kong early in his career, but was discarded by Asian agents who deemed him too small. Small he may have been, but the talented sprinter won five races including a BM78 at Kembla on Gong day last year. His five placings were all recorded on Sydney metropolitan tracks.
Quick Tempo scored brilliantly in a BM78 at Kembla on Gong day 2022 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Apart from being a wizard in identifying likely prospects on the Inglis Online Sale, Mark Minervini is also a thoroughly professional trainer whose attention to detail and unshakeable patience are among his chief attributes. He’d rather wait another week or two, rather than risk wasting a complete preparation. In the area of owner communication, he and Michelle are Gr 1 performers. A horse only needs to sneeze, and its owners know about it before the day’s out. As Mark enjoys the afterglow of a maiden Randwick success, he continues to closely monitor entries for the bi-monthly Inglis Online sale. He knows another Hosier or two might be waiting in the wings.
Mark's move to Newcastle was a huge challenge. He's been winning races consistently on country and provincial tracks.
(Banner image - Relishing the soft ground Hosier charges to the line to win the Premier's Cup - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)