Part owner and trainer Scott Aspery had every reason to feel satisfied as stable favourite Uzziah produced a career best to win the last of ten at Randwick by a big space. “It was one of those rare days when everything went according to plan,” said the hobby trainer. “Mind you I had a few worries in the run when a couple of others put the pressure on him all the way to the turn. He was first up from a spell and I could only hope he was fit enough. Apart from Manaal who came from midfield to win the Furious Stakes, every other winner had either led or raced right on the pace. It was a thrill to see him dominate the way he did.”
Molly Bourke had Uzziah away quickly from the gates and hoped for a soft lead, but Flying Destiny and Poker Jack immediately thwarted her plans. Uzziah’s “freshness” resulted in his wanting to overdo things for a while, but by the hometurn the in form apprentice had the gelding in a lovely rhythm. Uzziah left them in his wake at the 200m where it was obvious there were no serious challenges forthcoming, and the margin was a decisive two lengths on the line. Class record time of 1.08.73 told the story.
Molly even had time for a quick pat as Uzziah blitzed his rivals in fast time - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Scott Aspery’s thoughts on the return journey to Newcastle were of the fateful day in 2020 when he arrived at the Magic Millions Adelaide yearling sale with limited funds. He left the venue with two yearlings who were destined to recoup their purchase prices many times over. $5000 purchase Uzziah (Outreach - Heavensentme) has raced 23 times for 6 wins, 7 placings and $337,000. Annulus (Your Song - Darcy’s Law) was a $3000 purchase and has had 29 starts for 4 wins, 8 placings and $159,540.
The six year old geldings have turned a combined outlay of $8000 into a healthy $496,540. Uzziah is raced jointly by Scott’s own “Endeavour Racing” partnership and the McLeod family. Corey and Kim McLeod who’ve been valued clients since the commencement of Scott’s training career, share ownership of Uzziah with their son Troy and daughter Taylor. Uzziah and Annulus comprise two thirds of Scott’s tiny team, the other member of which is maiden mare Jocund. “She’s been unplaced in two starts at Gunnedah and Kembla so far but shows enough to suggest she’ll win a race somewhere,” says the trainer.
The first of Uzziah's three city wins - a Rosehill Midway with Reece Jones on board - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Many wise people have recorded their interpretation of impulse. Albert Einstein said “all these primary impulses, not easily described in words are the springs of man’s actions.” The great American author Helen Keller said “one can never consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar.” Either quote captures in essence several impulsive actions undertaken by Scott Aspery in earlier years. Happily, his instincts have been right on the mark.
The Aspery style first surfaced in the early 90’s when he was two years into a Bachelor Of Commerce Degree at Newcastle University. For some reason best known to himself, young Scott suddenly decided to change Universities and pursue a different degree. He hastily arranged a transfer to Southern Cross Uni at Lismore and enrolled for a Bachelor Of Applied Science majoring in Agriculture and Fisheries. He gained that degree with honours, but cast it aside when a job opportunity came up twelve months later. How’s that for impulse.
Scott Aspery could be an impulsive character at times - he was proven right more often than not - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
He started his professional life as a teller with the Westpac Banking Corp at North Sydney, graduating to Executive Assistant with Westpac Private after only a year. By the early 2000’s he was working as Business Development Manager for the Austral Mortgage Company. It was around this time the long dormant “thoroughbred bug” suddenly began to bite. It should be explained that Scott had grown up on a farm at Casino and was riding ponies at an early age. His grandfather Bill had been an amateur jockey, while his father Rupert enjoyed modest success as a hobby trainer during his son’s childhood. By early teens he was riding trackwork for his dad at the Casino track. From that time on the lure of the thoroughbred occupied a place somewhere in his psyche. Another Aspery impulse was about to take flight.
He was done up to the “nines” in an impressive business suit and driving a BMW when he called on a client not far from Randwick racecourse. When that meeting concluded Scott drove around to Bowral St, and parked the BMW outside Tulloch Lodge. I quote from a previous story. “Gai Waterhouse was absent from the office and I got to talk to foreman Pat Sexton who was “hiring and firing” at the time,” said Scott. “He looked at my suit and glanced at the BMW outside before querying my motive for wanting to work in a stable. When I persisted he agreed to give me a job and asked me to start the following morning at 3am. I questioned myself all the way back to the city but the deal was done. I tendered my resignation as soon as I got back to the office and turned up at Tulloch Lodge the following morning at 3am. I was still there three and a half years later.”
He was flattered one morning at Randwick trackwork when John O’Shea came along with a generous proposal. He accepted but was in the job only four months when Graeme Rogerson came along with a better one. After a year with Rogerson he returned to the O’Shea yard for another eighteen month stint. Thoughts of taking out his own licence were already bubbling under the surface, but there was one more thing he wanted to do before going solo. He was fortunate to gain a start at Leilani Lodge where James Cummings was already working under the wing of his legendary grandfather. “Bart was in his twilight as a trainer but still spending plenty of time at the stables,” recalled Scott. “I spent a lot of time in his company and asked plenty of questions. The job lasted ten months by which time I was more than ready to fly solo.”
Scott opened his account as a trainer when Robyn Freeman landed Dictatorship a narrow winner of a Newcastle maiden 05/02/2011 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
He was fortunate to secure boxes at Warwick Farm where he made a low key start to his training career. His eye for a horse was quickly evident when he came away from an Inglis Dispersal Sale with a $3000 tried horse called Dictatorship whose form was uninspiring. He quickly dispensed with several items of gear the horse had been using and started from scratch. Soon after he won a 900m maiden at Newcastle with Robyn Freeman on board - not a spectacular entry into the training ranks but good enough to attract the attention of Glen Spratt who ran the Lustre Lodge Breeding and Agistment Farm near Wyong. “Glen gave me a Fusaichi Pegasus yearling to train who was later named Flight of Pegasus,” said Scott. He wasn’t top grade but went on to win at Wyong and Newcastle before finishing third in a Skyline Stakes and fifth in a Golden Rose. It was pretty heady stuff at the time.”
Scott’s first city win was provided by Just A Girl who won at Canterbury in March 2013 with Blake Shinn in the saddle. She was destined to win another two metropolitan races. Estonian Princess was the filly to take Scott to the exciting world of stakes racing. The Snitzel filly was placed three times before winning a maiden with Kathy O’Hara followed soon after by a cracking second in the $1m Magic Millions Guineas. On another occasion she got connections on their feet when she charged home from last to win the Gr 3 J.H.B. Carr Stakes at Randwick for Brenton Avdulla.
First taste of black type success - Estonian Princess stormed home from last to win the Gr.3 J.H.B. Carr Stakes of 2014. Winning jockey Brenton Avdulla - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Scott later prepared a small team at Gosford for a short time before taking a break from training. He opted for a complete change of lifestyle when offered the “dream job” by former client Tim Hughes who’d developed his Yarramalong Valley property “Carinya Lodge” into an imposing spelling and pre-training farm. He would spend the next two years managing an operation patronised by several high profile Sydney trainers. “Perhaps the most valuable horse to spell there in my time was Trapeze Artist who’d just been valued at $40 million as a stud proposition.”
On resuming training Scott based himself on Newcastle racecourse where he’s been ever since. The last time we spoke he was training only two or three horses at one time and working several hours a day for the Newcastle based Etch Couriers. He’s still working only a handful of horses, but another Aspery impulse recently motivated him to change his “day job”.
His upbringing on the Casino farm had left him with a good understanding of machinery and the best way to operate it. “I was driving the tractor at a very early age and learned how to operate many and varied pieces of machinery,” recalled Scott. “I made the sudden decision one day to buy myself a new 1.7 tonne Cat Mini Excavator and do a crash course on how to operate it. I had three days of instruction on the machine and in occupational health and safety protocols, and I was good to go. I had a stroke of luck when the Newcastle Jockey Club offered me regular work around the racecourse, and it wasn’t long before I was out and about doing drainage work and preparing sites for garden beds and footpaths. The old impulse factor worked out again.”
With Uzziah after a Midway win in June 2023 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Scott has vivid recollections of the day in 2009 when John O’Shea left him with the task of interviewing applicants for a stablehand’s position. “A lovely English girl called Julia came in for an interview, and I’d be telling fibs if I didn’t admit she had the job in an instant,” said the trainer. “She’d been working in Human Resources but was looking for a change. Her credentials included experience with showjumpers in the UK and extensive riding experience on a Northern Territory cattle station. Fifteen years on Scott and Julia are the proud parents of two delightful daughters, Sasha (10) and Madison (8). Sasha enjoys giving dad a regular helping hand at the stables, while Madison is spending more and more time on her pony.
In more recent times Julia has expanded her interest in photography and is actually in the process of launching a small commercial business in the Hunter region. Only last weekend she was busily engaged in photographing the sights of a nearby lavender farm. Her well documented equine background has led to assignments on stud farms and various horse activities. In the meantime, Scott is juggling his role as a hobby horse trainer with his new adventure on the nippy little excavator. He’s pretty darn good at both jobs.
(Banner image - Molly Bourke's smile said it all as she unsaddled Uzziah. Scott doubled as strapper - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)