The late Harry Lawton would have been over the moon to see Private Eye and Overpass hit the line together in The Shorts on Saturday. A pioneer syndicator who refused to exceed his modest budget at yearling sales, Harry took great delight in bringing hundreds of new owners into the game for realistic outlays. Saturday’s Group 2 finish would have pleased him greatly. Private Eye was a $62,500 Adelaide Magic Millions purchase in 2019 for Proven Thoroughbreds, while Darby Racing acquired Overpass from the 2020 Inglis Easter virtual sale for $75,000. Private Eye’s 11 wins and 4 placings have brought connections a $6.8 million dollar windfall. Overpass has posted 6 wins and 5 placings for a healthy $4.15 million, a sizeable chunk of which came from his WA Quokka win in April. Harry Lawton would have been especially chuffed that almost fifty people are collectively involved in the ownership of the two sprinters.
Nash Rawiller can't believe his luck! Eduardo is no sooner retired than he picks up the prized Everest ride on Private Eye - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Racehorse syndication was in its infancy when Harry explored the concept in the very early 70’s. He ensured transparency by sourcing horses at public auction only, before bringing them to the attention of prospective buyers by way of modest newspaper and radio advertising campaigns. Initially he formulated syndicates of six people before transitioning to ten sometime later. Today those numbers are all but unrestricted. It was Harry Lawton who convinced the controlling body that syndication was the way of the future. Today it’s regarded as a critical part of the racing industry Australia wide.
An affable nature, boundless integrity and unfailing professionalism saw Harry Edward Lawton enjoy thirty eight years as a leader in a burgeoning part of the racing industry. Ably assisted by his wife Pam, Harry completed 1100 syndications which yielded 700 individual winners. He was justifiably proud of the fact that eleven of his sale ring bargains would go on to win fifteen Gr 1 races between them. His delight was infectious when his $15,000 NZ purchase Kensei won the 1987 Melbourne Cup for Les Bridge and Larry Olsen.
Other elite level winners for Harry Lawton Bloodstock were Linesman (1997 Sydney Cup), Fairway (2000 Australian Derby and Canterbury Guineas and 1999 Spring Champion Stakes), Carnegie Express (2002 Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas), Balciano (1987 Metropolitan), Bureaucracy (1991 George Ryder Stakes), Cool River (1983 Epsom), Daacha (1995 Sydney Cup), Submariner (1990 Show Day Cup), Zacheline (1998 South Australian and Queensland Oaks) and Abstraction (1989 Fourex Cup). Tributes came from all sections of the racing industry when “the father of syndication” passed away in 2009.
Harry decided to retain a share in Bureacracy and had the pleasure of leading the stallion to the winner's circle after the 1991 George Ryder Stakes - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Ken Russell was flanked by Harry Lawton and Jack Denham at the George Ryder presentation -courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Harry could get himself very much on edge whenever one of his syndicated horses made it into a major race. He would have been struggling to handle the situation Jamie Walter finds himself in less than a month out from The Everest. In a massive triumph for his twenty year old company Proven Thoroughbreds, and for the concept of racehorse syndication, the affable Walter is slowly coming to terms with the fact that two of his graduates have been snapped up by slot holders for a $20 million dollar race - Private Eye by Everest veterans Max Whitby and Neil Werrett, and Think About It by the Newgate/GPI partnership.
Think About It was actually passed in at the 2020 Inglis Premier Sale in Melbourne before being secured privately by Jamie Walter for $70,000. And so, for a combined outlay of $132,500, the astute syndicator acquired two horses who’ve already banked almost $10 million dollars between them with the promise of huge gains on October 14th.
Jamie with Blake Shinn after a win with I've Got The Look 2014 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
For a few heart stopping seconds Jamie thought last year’s Everest was in his grasp when Private Eye headed Nature Strip close to home before being nabbed on the line by Giga Kick. Jamie had an interesting theory about the finish of the race. “As you saw again in The Shorts, Private Eye likes to have the last crack at them,” he said. “He wears blinkers which obviously restricts his peripheral vision to a degree. He had the big frame of Nature Strip in sight, and it’s just possible that he didn’t see Giga Kick coming. I’m probably clutching at straws but that was the feeling I had on the day.”
Jamie and Private Eye’s excited ownership group didn’t expect the gelding to top the Everest performance in upcoming assignments, but they were in for a pleasant surprise. Two weeks later he contested the $3 million dollar Nature Strip Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill and was nothing short of explosive. He turned for home five lengths off classy sprinters like Weona Smartone, Eduardo, Lost And Running and Mazu. He started to wind up at the 200m but looked like he had a struggle on his hands. In a heartbeat he’d put a length and a half on quality opposition and coasted over the line to score an arrogant win.
Unhappily he wasn’t the same horse a week later in the Kennedy Champions Mile at Flemington, but still managed to finish within 2.1 lengths of Alligator Blood in seventh place. The paddock beckoned.
Private Eye (Brenton Avdulla) was dynamic in winning the Nature Strip Stakes two weeks after last year's Everest - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Private Eye had three barrier trials before contesting the Newmarket first up on March 11th. Once again he raced well to beat all but the placegetters only 1.9 lengths from the winner In Secret. Whisked back to Sydney he contested the T.J. Smith won by I Wish I Win, but showed his distaste for a H9 track by finishing almost 16 lengths from the winner.
Joe Pride had him nice and fresh when he made a lightning trip to Brisbane for the Gr 2 Victory Stakes at the end of April. “Again, he wasn’t beaten far in 5th place behind Rothfire but he was off the bridle before the turn, and the old spark was missing,” said Jamie Walter. “It was a case of getting him straight to the paddock and hoping he could regain his form of last spring. Saturday’s gutsy win suggests he’s done just that. He was impressive enough for four slot holders to make enquiries over the weekend. It’s not yet set in stone, but it’s likely he’ll go into the Everest without another run.”
Few horses have progressed to racing’s biggest stage faster or more impressively than Think About It. His first three runs in the middle of last year produced a maiden win at Kembla, a Cl 1 win at Wyong and a third placing at Warwick Farm. He’d given Jamie and Joe Pride reason for optimism, but neither envisaged the improvement he had in store.
Think About it returned in January and politely proceeded to reel off seven consecutive wins ridden exclusively by Sam Clipperton, who’ll be his partner in The Everest. He won three BM races on metropolitan tracks before opening his stakes account in the Gr 3 Liverpool City Cup beating handy performers Gravina and Bandersnatch. With bigger races now on the horizon, Joe Pride opted for a let up before planning a Queensland campaign for the exciting prospect. Before heading north, Joe used the listed Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford as a stepping stone. Although not entirely comfortable on the tighter track, Think About It was too good for handy horses Bacchalania and Fox Fighter.
Think About It wasn't happy on the tight Gosford track but still proved too good in the Takeover Target Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
It’s now history that he went straight to Brisbane to capture a stunning Eagle Farm Gr 1 double. Think About It covered ground in the Kingsford Smith Cup before emphatically defeating Converge and Rothfire. Circumstances were similar in the Stradbroke. He raced three wide with cover most of the way before being pushed even wider on the hometurn. He was clearly superior in the closing stages to comfortably defeat Rothfire and the talented Hawaii Five Oh whose connections are also hoping for an Everest slot. Joe Pride has indicated that Think About It may run in the Gr 2 Premiere Stakes on September 30th.
Prior to entering the syndication field in the early 2000’s, Jamie Walter boasted a uniquely diversified working life. His radio career began on 2MG Mudgee and 2BS Bathurst but it wasn’t long before he was fielding offers from high profile Sydney stations. He did many different “shifts” on stations like 2UW, Triple M, and 2GB developing as he went along, an expertise in the reading of commercials. His reputation as a “voice over” talent brought him a significant amount of outside work. He stepped away from radio on a few occasions to further his experience in the handling and management of thoroughbreds. He had short stints with Hall Of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale in California and with respected horseman Mark Tompkins at historic Newmarket.
On returning to Australia Jamie spent some time assisting his late brother Guy who had set up stables at Warwick Farm and was rapidly emerging as one of Sydney’s best trainers. A little later Jamie opted for a complete change of direction when he became an independent operator on the Sydney Futures Exchange, destined to spend a decade in the industry.
Jamie with son Tom and Joe Pride after Stockman's win in the ATC St Leger.
He began his role as a racehorse syndicator specialising in tried horses which gave rise to his company name Proven Thoroughbreds. Since transitioning to the syndication of yearlings, Jamie has taken hundreds of smaller owners on a very enjoyable journey. Apart from elite level horses like Private Eye and Think About It, other winners to carry the spectacular Proven Thoroughbred colours include Lynceam Academy, Adorabeel, Candika, Got A Kiss, Red Rubi, Sir Moments, Sesar, Tremec, Reckless Choice, Tamarack, Kylease, and Brook Magic.
At $450,000 Stroll remains the second most expensive yearling Jamie has ever purchased. Trained in Brisbane by Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted, the Snitzel filly has won three races to date including two at stakes level. The Proven Thoroughbreds record yearling price of $475,000 was shelled out in January for a Deep Field filly who died suddenly just a few weeks later. Despite the glamorous exploits of Private Eye and Think About It, Jamie has a special soft spot for the genuine veteran Scallopini whose twelve wins and fourteen placings have netted him $1.15 million in prize money. Three of those wins have been in stakes races at Flemington. Right on Scallopini’s heels as a Walter favourite is dour stayer Stockman, winner of eight races with ten placings for $1.58 million dollars.
Like brother Guy, Jamie Walter has a quiet unassuming style which endears him to clients and racing participants alike. On October 14th, his trademark outward composure will mask the rush of adrenaline any syndicator would experience when two of his graduates fly from the gates in a race worth a mind boggling $20 million dollars. If Jamie happens to sense the spiritual presence of another party on the day, he can be pretty sure it’s Harry Lawton dropping in to give those syndicated horses an extra cheer or two.
Jamie Walter collects another trophy on behalf of Proven Thoroughbreds after a Randwick win by Tremec.
(Banner image - Nash Rawiller was his usual vigorous self in the closing stages of The Shorts - courtesy Bradley Photographers.