The Blueprint 2012

IRT Blueprint 2012 1

July 2012

inside this issue> IRISH FIND LUCK IN USA > GA-GA FoR IGUGU > IRT JUveNILe STAKeS > IRT AND eqUeSTRIAN AUSTRALIA

FoRm pARTNeRSHIp > poLo poNIeS To CHINA> KeNTUCKy DeRby wINNeR

SUpeR SAveR boARDS THe SHUTTLe> IRT GoeS RACING


CHAIRmAN’S RepoRT

In may this year IRT will celebrate its 40th birthday. From a small business begun in 1972 (specialising in transferring horses by air from Australia to the USA), the company has developed into an organization moving horses worldwide and employing nearly 40 staff, operating from seven offices in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and UK. Along the way IRT pioneered the shipment of horses by air from the northern hemisphere to Australia and NZ, established the stallion shuttle, combined with Racing Authorities to assist in the internationalisation of racing and collaborated with the Sydney olympic Games organising Committee to make possible the staging of the 2000 olympic equestrian events in Sydney. (Some will remember when the 1956 olympic Games were held in melbourne, equestrian events took place in Stockholm!)

meantime, the tools with which we manage our business have changed dramatically. From telexes, land based phones and word processing technology, to a time when every IRT staff member can access details of all our global operations, databases and archives from wherever they are, so long as they have a link to the Internet. This technology, together with smart phones and tablets, has not only changed the way IRT does business, but has revolutionised the way the horse business manages itself. virtually all records are now kept electronically, sales catalogues can be accessed on-line, bidding can take place remotely, magazines are distributed electronically and racing and sales results dispersed instantly. equally, developments in the horse gaming industry allow patrons to place wagers from anywhere linked to the net.

but perhaps most important to IRT is the integration of technology and how it can further focus and improve customer service. IRT believes our worldwide software allows all our staff – wherever they may be – to better collaborate and concentrate on servicing our clients’ needs, in delivering exceptional, precise service, whilst maintaining our signature personal approach.

This change is particularly noticeable with the new, younger generation of stud owners, managers, trainers, riders, etc – who have only ever known today’s internet-based tools of the trade. whilst the senior citizens amongst us, like myself, admittedly often experience ‘information overload’, the internet has provided us with a resource and ability to disseminate information that we could never have imagined possible when IRT started its journey 40 years ago. Thanks for taking the ride with us. I can only wonder what changes are in store for our 50th Anniversary?

Irish-bred bLACK JACK bLUeS was flown to the US in late September by IRT and its first start in the US came on october 1, just one day after being released from import quarantine.bloodstock agent and IRT client Nick Carter purchased bLACK JACK bLUeS for fellow long-time IRT client Irv Naylor and before Irv could even get to know his new purchase, it was off and running in the Dot Smithwick memorial Stakes. The travel and unfamiliar surroundings didn’t seem to faze him though, as he went on to win the race. A terrific effort.

bLACK JACK bLUeS’ only other US start last year was for steeplechasing’s richest purse, the $250,000 Grand National at the Far Hills Races in New Jersey on oct. 21. yes, he won that too.

The $171,000 he earned from those two races made him the leading money-earner for the year, for which he collected the National Steeplechase Association’s Lonesome Glory Champions Award. on January 16th, he added the 2011 eclipse Award to his trophy case at the annual eclipse Awards ceremony in beverly Hills, California. Seems like the move was a pretty good choice.

bLACK JACK-IN-A-box

Cover photo by Tod Marks Photography Left photo by Tod Marks Photography


bLACK JACK-IN-A-box

Photo by Tod Marks Photography

One of their winning horses, CAPE BLANCO, was flown to and from the States three times in 2011 by IRT, for a Group 1 win on each occasion. The eventual Eclipse Award winner for Champion Turf Male won the July 9th Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont, the August 13th Arlington Million and finally back at Belmont in October for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic where he sustained a career ending injury.

That injury meant that the 2010 Irish Derby winner’s last flight with IRT was back to the States, not to race, but instead to stand stud at Ashford.

Other notable IRT flyers from Ballydoyle in 2011 were MASTER OF HOUNDS, which put in a good showing in the Kentucky Derby and in the Belmont, and TOGETHER and ZOFFANY. That pair took on a whole swag of races, with TOGETHER finding fortune in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

All-in-all Ballydoyle fielded an impressive 11 runners in the Breeder’s Cup, with WROTE winning the Juvenile Turf and ST NICHOLAS ABBEY the Emirate’s Breeders Cup Turf.

A great year for the prestigious Ballydoyle and hearty congratulations to the connections and trainer Aiden O’Brien and all of their colleagues.

IRISH FIND LUCK IN USA Coolmore’s ballydoyle farm may be located in Ireland, but it was a big 2011 for many of its runners in the US. Aiden o’brien’s expertly prepared runners took out a total of 7 Group 1 races in the year.


It was one of many horses the company has moved for longtime client Clive palmer and this particular trotter was put in care of young trainer murray Sullivan.

In January 2011 Sullivan’s farm was one of the many properties engulfed in queensland’s epic floodwaters. At 4.30pm on the tenth of January, with waters rapidly rising, murray scrambled onto the stables roof with two friends and a dog, to escape the flood line. The rain pelted down all night and he remembers the sick feeling of helplessness as he listened to his 30 horses “roar and make strange noises” as they fought for their lives.

After 24 hours of chaos the toll could be taken, only 14 horses had survived. CoLD NATIve was one of them, he had to tread water all day and night, his head resting on a metal bar to stay above the water.

CoLD NATIve was in critical condition and took a three-month spell to recover. Then last January, exactly one year after that horrific day, he was lining up to race at Sydney’s menangle park. The significance of the turn-around in fortunes over exactly 12 months was not lost on the young Sullivan, nor seemingly was it lost on CoLD NATIve, which went on to win the race.

“He’s a remarkable horse,” observed Sullivan, “he’s one hundred percent now and he’s happy doing his thing.” we’re happy he is too.

IN FRom THe CoLD

GA-GA FoR IGUGU The late brian Roux always had a great eye for bloodstock and over the years asked IRT to transport many winners for him. So it was just another routine shipment from the Inglis melbourne premier Sale a few years back, that had brian calling upon IRT to move a young AUD$65,000 purchase, later named IGUGU, over to South Africa, on behalf of new buyer mick Goss (from Summerhill Stud).

brian had indeed transported another champion and at the 2011 South African equus Awards, IGUGU was named Champion 3yo Filly, Champion middle Distance Horse and South African Horse of the year.

by this time she had been sold to HH Sheikh mohammed bin Khalifa Al maktoum, and put under the care of trainer mike de Kock she won a staggering eight of her ten starts in the 2010/2011 season, capped by an unbeaten five run stretch including the Triple Tiara and Durban July. Some of South Africa’s most sought after racing silverware. She was in fact the first filly to win all three legs of the Triple Tiara.

In early 2012 IGUGU perhaps cemented her status as a true champion of the track and genuine crowd favorite, winning the Group 1 J&b met over 2000m against the odds. Drawn wide, missing the start, caught wide and then the victim of a mid-race collision, the already under-prepared IGUGU surprised almost everyone to storm home and win by half a length.

“I am humbled by her performance,” said de Kock. “It just shows you the guts, heart and courage that she has.”

In 2008 IRT transported a horse named CoLD NATIve from USA to New Zealand and finally queensland, Australia.

Photo by lett Photography

Photo by Aushorse


GA-GA FoR IGUGU IRT AND eqUeSTRIAN AUSTRALIA FoRm pARTNeRSHIp

For the first time in our 40 year history, IRT was the name sponsor of a thoroughbred race last year. The IRT Juvenile Stakes were held for the first time at the Singapore Turf Club and perhaps fittingly, an Australian-bred colt, DARK MATTER, was first past the IRT logo covered post.

DARK MATTER was a AuD$140,000 Magic Millions purchase for the Hippocrates Stable. Trained by Steven Burridge and ridden by Saimee Jumaat, who pulled out all the stops late to score a half-length victory.

IRT JUveNILe STAKeS

IRT Australia operations manager Chris burke recently announced an exciting new partnership:After 40 years of unofficial affiliation, IRT are pleased to become the first and only official Transporter to equestrian Australia.

IRT has moved horses for equestrian Australia to every olympics since we were established in 1972 and have been proud to assist in countless other logistics assignments in between. we see this new, formalised partnership as a great way to provide even better and more wide-reaching support to the Australian equestrian industry as a whole. An industry that has always supported IRT in equal measure.

This is the first such commitment that IRT has made in Australia and we are delighted that it is with equestrian Australia. we look forward to continuing and strengthening that bond, for the three years that this agreement covers and beyond.


IRT – and the equine industry as a whole – lost a couple of long-time supporters and friends within the past year.major James “Slip” mitchell, patriarch of the family that developed yarraman park Stud in Scone NSw, was a great loss to the famous Hunter valley and beyond. “Slip” and IRT Director quentin wallace were first acquainted before the founding of IRT, when quentin was at Lep bloodstock and assisted with the first horses imported by the family to Australia. It was 1967-68 and “Slip”, recently relocated from the UK, via western Australia, was hard at work on his bold new venture, yarraman park, just purchased from champion jockey George moore.

The over 100-year-old stud, now operated by sons Arthur and Harry mitchell (son bill is a bloodstock agent), has broken many records in the past few years of sales and carries on as a fitting tribute to the popular horseman.

Tony oliver-watkins (or “Twatty” as he was sometimes known) also had a long-history with IRT. one of the show horse world’s most loved characters, Tony first worked with IRT to import welsh mountain ponies to Australia in the 1970s and ‘80s, then later as an owner and agent of many more horses. He passed-away in December and one Australian newspaper remembered him as “irreverent, outspoken, outrageous, intelligent and charming” – a description that IRT Director quentin wallace fondly concurred with.

All at IRT’s thoughts are with both families of the two men, they will be missed by many.

RIp major James mitchell and Tony oliver-watkins

CowGIRLS AND INDIANS oN THe wARpATH

Major James Mitchell

Tony Oliver-Watkins

IRT’s own Ross Johnson and Janene Cole have found a champion of their own to transport, with pacer CowGIRLS AND INDIANS making a big name for herself on both sides of the Tasman. It’s been 11 starts for 7 wins so far, including two

Group 1 races – the Harness Jewels and Australian breeders Crown in race and track record time.

It’s a great result and everyone at IRT couldn’t be happier for them.

Tony Oliver-Watkins photo by Di Gatehouse Major James Mitchell photo by The Mitchell Family

left photo by Race Images NZ Top right photo by Race Images NZ Bottom photo by Stuart McCormick


when DUNADeN led the field past the post in the 2011 emirates melbourne Cup, it also lead another six foreign horses into the top seven places. In total, the field of 23 was made up of a staggering 17 northern hemisphere horses (and just six locals). All were flown by IRT.

IRT has long been involved in bringing foreign runners to Australia’s biggest races, as far back as the 1970s, when Australia’s most trusted carrier of all breeds began operations. Success came relatively quickly for an IRT flyer, in 1980, with beLLDALe bALL owned by Robert Sangster, and soon followed in 1986 with AT TALAq owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al maktoum. both these horses arrived in Australia well before the event and were trained by the legendary Colin Hayes (Am) (obe).

Since then, with the relative ease of air transport and lure of Australia’s most famous races (particularly the melbourne Cup), local racing has seen a new era of international competitors making short stays, with specific races in mind - they even earned a nickname, “Raiders”.

This modern era of horses trained in the northern hemisphere making short “raids” commenced in or around 1993, the year Irish trainer Dermot weld brought vINTAGe CRop down under to take the trophy home. Since then the number of

annual raiders has increased each year with victories by meDIA pUZZLe (2002), DeLTA bLUeS (2006), AmeRICAIN (2010) & finally DUNADeN (2011) – all flown by IRT.

These recent successes led to a record-setting raid from the northern hemisphere this year, as 17 horses flew with IRT to melbourne for the 2011 emirates melbourne Cup, of which 13 joined four previously imported horses.

IRT is proud to be a part of this exciting period in Australian racing history and congratulates all participants in 2011 emirates melbourne Cup, particularly the connections of winner DUNADeN.

In June 2011 IRT New Zealand oversaw the shipment of an unprecedented number of polo ponies to China. 75 horses were loaded onto a specially-chartered Cathay pacific 747 freighter, for the long trip to Goldin metropolitan polo Club, in Tianjin, just outside beijing.

poLo poNIeS To CHINA

Photos by Martin King via AusHorse

First seven horses across the line in the 2011 emirates melbourne Cup all flown by IRT


HARRy THe HIReR Re-ARRANGeS THe FURNITUReTo most Australians, Rick Jamieson is best known by the name of his company, Harry The Hirer, a very successful party and event rental business. In the racing world however, he is a serious player and long-time client of IRT.

In Australian racing circles Rick owns Gilgai Farm most notable for being the breeder of star sprinter bLACK CAvIAR, the present unbeaten winner of 21 races, who IRT expect to fly to the United Kingdom in may to run in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Last November saw Rick rearranging his stable in the USA when he sold, as Hip 36, at the 2011 Keeneland November breeding sales a big-bodied bay half sister to the famous ZeNyATTA who raced 20 times for 19 wins at the highest level in the USA. She didn’t disappoint, becoming the equal-sixth-highest-selling weanling filly in Keeneland history.

Irish-based bloodstock agents (and IRT clients) Dermot Farrington and mick Flanagan advise Jamieson and were on hand when Hip 36 fell under the hammer.

They indicated that the sale was a part of a re-organisation, to take more of a shot at US races (where a Jamieson horse has only won once prior). As part of this re-organisation Rick kept the as yet unnamed elder sister of Hip 36, which is currently being broken at winStar Farm in Kentucky. “She’ll race in the USA, and then possibly later on go to Australia and race,” said Farrington. He added that eventually all Jamieson’s buys “seep back into Australia.”

THINK GLobALSo yoU THINK made a big name for himself in Australia and in late 2010 IRT flew him off to take on the greats of europe and the US.

Aiden o’brien took charge of the new arrival, replete with high-expectations and in 2011 he delivered.

So yoU THINK ran 8 times in the Northern Hemisphere in 2011 for 3 Group 1 wins.

He won the Irish Gold Cup (Group 1) in may, the Coral-eclipse (Group 1) in July, Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1) at Leopardstown in September, beating SNow FAIRy (who won the queen

elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (Grade 1) in Japan. He also went down fighting for second place to RewILDING in the prince of wales’s Stakes (Group 1) in June.

The expectations for So yoU THINK couldn’t have been higher when he left Australia, and he has now proven himself a class finisher on the world stage too.


In fact Chris (a native New Zealander) and his team were one of the first to spot this sale as a potential source of lightly-raced (by Aussie standards) and under-rated distance horses - exactly the type of horse that was proving so hard to find in Australia, due to their increased preference for breeding sprinters.

Almost immediately Chris was rewarded for his adventurousness with the sweet taste of success and in the last couple of years particularly, his british purchases have provided him a steady stream of winners.

when first granted stables at Rosehill, Sydney, Chris started training with a small team of just four horses. He now boasts 100 thoroughbreds in full work and won the Sydney trainers’ premiership for the first time last season.

It has been a meteoric rise for the trainer from Foxton, New Zealand and one that IRT has been thrilled to be a part of. His first Group 1 winner came in the autumn of 2008, when TRIpLe HoNoUR rocketed to victory in the Doncaster Handicap.

Since then Chris has experienced many more Group 1 wins, including some from

his UK imports including my KINGDom oF FIFe winning the 2011 queen elizabeth Stakes and STAND To GAIN victorious in the 2011 Sydney Cup. on top of that, other UK import’s have added considerably to Chris waller’s big race haul by taking Group and Listed races with eGo, FoReTeLLeR, wAZN, plus STRIKe oNe, which has won over $425,000 - making his proud owners around 10 times their initial outlay. Sure beats working!

IRT is proud to have assisted Team waller move their october sales purchases safely to Australia over the past 5 years and wish them continued success in 2012.

IRT’s shuttle service for the world’s top breeding horses continues to be busy, with the latest classic winner making his first trip “down under” for the breeding season being the 2010 Kentucky Derby winner SUpeR SAveR. The big American, destined for eliza park in victoria, joined the ranks of some famous names, who both won the Kentucky Derby and shuttled with IRT: THUNDeR GULCH, ReAL qUIeT and the great FUSAICHI peGASUS, which at the time had recently been sold to Coolmore for a whopping USD$65million. (Former Derby winner SpeND A bUCK also flew with IRT to brazil.)

Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver boards the shuttle

british bargainsFor the past five years, leading Sydney trainer Chris waller and his team of Dr Tim Roberts and Guy mulcaster, have been quietly making their annual shopping trip to the october horses-in-training sale, in Newmarket, england.

Photo by Eliza Park

Photo by Aushorse


Last year’s IRT Annual General Meeting took place in Auckland, New Zealand (home to IRT New Zealand’s office). On one of the nights off, members of IRT offices from around the world competed in some recreational harness racing. Although familiar with flying “trotters”, piloting them was a whole new challenge for most of the crew.

The official results of the races are still hotly debated, but as these photographs show, everyone had a great time out on the track.

At Last I’m on a good thing !

The “A” team.Letting the “Boss” win.

Having the last word.

Good loser. Three happy musketeers. “ Is that ALL the ticket paid!”

“I was letting you win”.

IRT GOes RAcING


Staff ProfilesROSS JOHNSON Director IRT NZIRT New Zealand Director Ross Johnson has harness racing in his blood. His parents were successful owners and breeders, but as a young man, Ross didn’t see himself following in their footsteps. In fact, he was looking far from horseflesh for his business inspiration, Ross was determined to make a go of it farming blueberries. Around the time he finished high school “New Zealand had just recently started exporting blueberries to the USA,” as Ross remembers it, and he was “intent on doing Horticulture at Lincoln University in Canterbury.”

So off he went to Lincoln, where a love of playing rugby soon brought him back round to the harness racing crowd. Ross played for the university rugby team all through his studies and as his horticulture course was ending, it was over a beer with some of the “trotting boys” that’s his plans changed a little. They talked him into staying in Canterbury to play for the local west melton team and to help him stay on, bob mcArdle gave Ross a house at the Nevele R Stud to live in, if he’d do a little work for the trainers (including Robert Dunn).

Saturdays were given off so the boys at the stable could play rugby, but with the blueberries a distant memory, it was the horses after all that started to really grow on Ross. After being asked to accompany a shipment of horses to NyC, he decided he really wanted to make a career in the equine industry.

A nine month stint with Lep’s bloodstock division inspired Ross to give it a go on his own and in 1986 he set up bloodstock Airfreight Services (bAS). bAS grew steadily and earned a strong client base, largely in the Standardbred and sporting horse industries.

In 1999 David Cole (IRT New Zealand Director) and quentin wallace approached Ross about merging bAS with IRT NZ. “I always had a lot of respect for the way IRT ran their business,” remembers Ross, “their professionalism was the benchmark for bAS.” So the decision to join forces with IRT was easy and neither party has looked back.

Ross has two lovely daughters, madison (12) and Tannah (8). His partner of 20 years, Janene, is also in the industry, having grown up amongst horses and working for some time as the Alexandra park race night interviewer. Now days Janene teaches yoga, but also shares Ross’s passion for horses – they breed from three mares and have been lucky enough to count many group one race winners amongst their stable over the years.

ANNIE AZZOPARDI IRT Melbourne Operations – Trans TasmanAnnie admits to a life-long love of all things horses and has spent most of her life working with them in some form or another.

As a teenager she talked her parents into letting her buy a horse and spent many happy hours riding with girlfriends. Riding soon got in the way of classes (more often than her parents might have known) and Annie eventually left school to work in a stable. However her mother insisted she get a “proper” job, at the State Savings bank in town. within twelve months she was taken on by harness racing trainer C H “Cyd” mcLean in Kilmore and never took a “proper” job away from horses again.

After a string of jobs with renowned trainers and stables, at the suggestion of an old school friend, Annie applied for a job at wright Stephenson’s. murray Achilles, who worked as a bloodstock and airfreight agent for wrightson bloodstock, worked out of the same building, and when time allowed she helped him out. He subsequently offered her a full time job, which was her dream work - combining administration, with handling of the horses at the airport.

This is also the time when Annie became acquainted with IRT and after a long stint with wrightson’s (now known as NZ bloodstock), Annie started employment full time with IRT in September 2010. As Lyn Dressing puts it, “we feel fortunate that she agreed to join our team - she knows shipping across the Tasman like the back of her hand!”


Staff Profiles

IRT International Offices

Australia melbourne T +61 (0)3 9643 3000 F +61 (0)3 9643 3030 e [email protected]

uK & europe Newmarket T +44 (0)1638 668 003 F +44 (0)1638 665 534 e [email protected]

new Zealand Auckland T +64 (0)9 297 2022 F +64 (0)9 298 6066 e [email protected]

usA Chicago T +1 630 513 0312 F +1 630 513 0412 e [email protected]

Los Angeles T +1 310 306 0262 F +1 310 306 2003 e [email protected]

miami T +1 305 444 8184 F +1 305 441 8177 e [email protected]

Design by Atticus Designwww.atticusdesign.com.au

MARTy CRAZE Flying Groomwhen IRT Flying Groom marty Craze started riding as a young lad in New Zealand, working with horses during air travel was the furthest thing from his mind. In fact, the young equine enthusiast was show jumping and riding track work in his late teens, when he came to the attention of IRT New Zealand’s David Cole. “I didn’t even know such a job existed,” says marty now, as he recalls “Coley” asking if he’d be interested in some work with IRT, when he was just 17 years old.

The track work and training jobs were soon behind marty, as he became a regular on IRT flights from New Zealand to the US.

Now days marty’s main interests when not flying are his involvement with his local rugby club and spending time with his son (whom marty coaches at the club) and daughter. but marty’s riding days are well and truly over, “I have no involvement with horses outside of flying with them,” he says and that’s just fine - we’re all thankful for the great work he does in the air.

lACHIE FORD IRT Melbourne, Operations – Asian RegionGiven how quickly Lachie Ford became an important member of IRT melbourne’s operations team, it’s hard to imagine that he followed such a long and winding path to the equine logistics business, and IRT.

After completing high school, Lachie was actually all set to stay in the classroom for good, as a teacher, enrolling for a bachelor of Applied Science and education. but as Lachie puts it, “after a few short semesters” he realised it wasn’t for him and looked to a second major in marketing to give him some optional career avenues upon graduation.

A quick stint in insurance sales with AAmI gave Lachie the extra bit of experience to combine with his marketing training, which then landed him in a sponsorship position at Australian Rules Football club St Kilda. It wasn’t a great time on the field for the “Saints”, but an eventual promotion to Sponsorship manager and the chance to meet future wife Natalie Dean (St Kilda FC marketing manager at the time) made his time there more than worthwhile.

Like a typical melbourne sports fanatic, stepping from a winter of football into a spring of racing, Lachie moved on to a job with Racing victoria – starting at the then unfinished Australian Racing museum and moving up to Racing victoria Sponsorship manager. He had a taste for the equine industry now and it was in yet another job with Livestock Transport Group (LTG), that Lachie and IRT’s paths finally crossed.

IRT were one of LTG’s largest clients at the time and Lachie soon got to know the company and their staff well. Then in 2007, in a coffee shop in South melbourne, “with the charisma of quentin wallace, the gentle approach of Lyn Dressing and a football coach-like speech from Chris burke” as Lachie puts it, he decided to join IRT.

So it took a while for Lachie to find himself amongst the horses, but after growing up with the Danny o’brien family as close family friends and spending many weekends away at a property near euroa, it seems like a natural fit. plus Lachie’s initial interest in racing has grown into a better appreciation of all the equine disciplines he encounters day-to-day with IRT.

we’re thrilled to have Lachie on the team, and when IRT isn’t taking up all his time, he’s happiest with wife Natalie and their two beautiful kids, madeline (4) and william (2).

International Racehorse Transport Suite 1501, 401 Docklands Drive Docklands, victoria 3008, Australia T +61 (0)3 9643 3000 F +61 (0)3 9643 3030www.irt.com

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The Blueprint 2012