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> What are the benefits of racing a horse in Macau?
Macau presents itself as a unique opportunity for Australian based owners to gain entry and access to the lucrative and growing Asian racing circuit. The Macau Jockey Club has only recently opened its membership to allow for overseas owners to be able to race horses in Macau and I feel that this opportunity should not be missed.
I also see opportunities in Macau for horses currently racing in Australia, that may have reached their top, which could be placed in similar class races in Macau worth more money. The ratings based class system used in Macau also allows horses to be fairly graded over the long term. The result is that older horses are able to drop in grade and still race for good prizemoney.
> What are your strengths as a trainer and why should Australian owners consider sending horses to you to be trained in Macau?
One of my main strengths as a trainer is that I know what it takes to make a horse from Australia or New Zealand race successfully in Macau. I have a clear understanding of the best type of horse suited to racing in Macau. I attribute my understanding to my experience as a successful jockey in Australia and Asia, along with the knowledge and skills attained in my ten year training career in Macau.
> What type of horse do you think best suits the racing conditions of Macau?
A lot of races in Macau are run between 1000m and 1600m on both turf and sand. Accordingly, good strong types with early speed can be placed to advantage. Horses by North American dirt sires have also shown great improvement on their Australian form when raced on the sand in Macau. Elegance Champion (formerly Tomakomai) is one such horse that came to Macau moderately performed, winning a Class 1 in Victoria, and then proving a champion on the sand winning 12 races and over A$900,000 in prizemoney.
> Outline some of your success stories with horses imported from Australia / New Zealand to race in Macau.
The current stable star is the evergreen Grand Stand. He is still rated one of the best horses in Macau and winning top class races at nine years of age; he is a real marvel. One of his best performances and one of my most satisfying moments as a trainer was when Grand Stand won at the Dubai International Racing Carnival in 2004. We returned this year and will look to taking him again in 2006. He has now amassed just over A$1 million from his 54 starts with 16 wins to his record.
One of my all time favourite horses was Best Brothers (formerly Trips) who won many prestigious cup races in Macau including the Macau Gold Cup and Macau Cup along with a close second in the 2000 Macau Derby. He was a great horse for me, racing over 6 seasons winning 11 races and running a further 17 placings from 68 starts and earning over A$1.25 million.
> You have successfully travelled horses to Dubai in the past, is travelling horses abroad something that you would like to do more often?
I love travelling with horses, especially to Dubai, where Macau trained horses have been successful in the Dubai International Racing Carnival. I can see great opportunities in the future for travelling horses to race within Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore and in the long-term, China and South Korea are very exciting prospects in this region.
> Finally Peter, how do you propose to communicate with Australian based owners?
I propose to keep in regular contact with my Australian based clients via fax or e-mail with weekly updates of their horse’s progress. I will make myself available for personal calls with clients and will talk directly with them prior to and after each run. I will organise videos and photos of each race and stress that no request is too big or small.
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