It’s been decades since former Cambridge trainer Alan Jones coined the phrase about the merits of a cheque book over a scrapbook, but the philosophy still rings true for many racing industry participants.
Te Awamutu trainer Carl Henderson is one such example – even in the afterglow of his career-first stakes win with Atullibigeal in the Mainland Auckland Futurity Stakes at Ellerslie last Saturday. In all respect to someone rated a true horseman by his peers, that single success has generated probably more headlines and commentary than all of his 29 wins in his time as a jockey and the previous 16 as a trainer combined.
Now aged 48, and a father for the first time with his and wife Cassie’s threemonth- old daughter Taylor, Henderson has been around long enough to recognise what enables their multi-faceted business, CH Bloodstock, to remain viable.
“We cover most bases, from preparing a yearling draft and ready-to-runners, breaking-in, getting horses going for our Hong Kong clients, you name it,” Henderson told RaceForm earlier this week. “That and trading horses is what keeps us going; the small racing team is really just a by-product.”
As the standout of the Henderson racehorse string, Atullibigeal has a price on his head. The Australian-bred son of Street Boss was originally bought by major Hong Kong investor Ben Kwok as a pinhooker, but after failing to make his reserve at last year’s Karaka yearling sale, plan B came into play.
That’s when Kwok and his Leanach Lodge partners Ross and Ian McKay brought Henderson into the mix to break in and develop the youngster. “I remember him as a yearling; even if he was a fairly backward type he was easy to like,” says Henderson. “Once I got him going he really grew on me, he was one of those horses that gave you a great feel no matter what you were doing with him.
“Riding him he’s special, he’s got gears. He’s the type of horse you give him a squeeze and it’s all there. You go round smiling when you’re on him. He’s had a rap on him for quite a while but he had no luck in his first couple of starts and even now he’s only just getting it together.
“I reckon by now I would have watched the replay of Saturday’s race a hundred times. Andrew (Calder) brought him into it at the right time but even then he wanted to goof around and it was only the last bit that he got down to business and put them away.”
Despite the obvious regard and affection that Henderson holds for the two-year-old he describes as a delight to have around the stable, realism still kicks in as to what the future is likely to hold for the budding star.
“I’ve been telling everyone at the track he’s my Group One horse and I’d love to be that guy who saddles him up for the Derby next year. Or while he’s going so well right now maybe take him over to Aussie for a couple of nice races.
“But you can’t ignore it when there’s a fair bit of interest in him, he already had a watch on him and they haven’t missed what he did the other day. For the sort of money you’re talking, you have to take it. We’re simply not racing for enough money here.”
There are no immediate plans for the leggy bay, who has thrilled his trainer in how he coped with Saturday’s 1400m feature. “He’s come through the race fantastic but we’ll just tick him over for the next week or so and see what happens.”
So what’s behind that tongue-twister of a name? “It’s partly my fault,” admits Henderson. “The early noms for the Manawatu Sires’ Produce were closing, so I said to the guys if they wanted him in they’d better find a name for him. ‘Leave it to me,’ said Ian, and that’s what he came up with.
“Ian reckons it’s Aboriginal for sharp spear or something, and I’m told there’s a town out the back of New South Wales with a similar name. I know I’m not the best with words and that sort of stuff, but even now I still have trouble getting it out, so I just stick to his stable name. Boss is a whole lot easier!”
