A boy from Wagga whose love of thoroughbreds came initially from trying to turn a coin into a note at the races is enjoying life in one of the most coveted media jobs in bloodstock.
This week we find out more about Peter Fitzgerald, Media and PR Manager for the world renowned Inglis auction house.
1/ Where are you from, and what got you involved in the thoroughbred industry?
I’m from Wagga in country NSW. Born, raised and educated before leaving at 18 to study Journalism in Sydney. I’ve always loved the races, going mainly with dad as a kid growing up and most Saturdays, after junior sport in the mornings, we’d head to the local race meeting – Wagga, Albury, Gundagai, Narrandera, wherever they were.
The initial love came in the form of the punt – as a kid, the goal was turning a coin into a note - before deciding in my early teens that it would be pretty cool to try and make it a career somehow as well.
I wanted to be a sports journalist, so I included racing as part of that dream. I started at The Canberra Times as a sports reporter in late 2002, moved to the Illawarra Mercury in 2010 as Sports Editor, the Daily Telegraph in 2013 as deputy Sports Editor before joining Inglis in 2016. While I was able to cover Super Rugby, the Wallabies, NRL and AFL during my time as a sports journo and witness some amazing sporting moments around the world, racing was a constant in each role and has always been my No.1 sporting passion.
2/ What does a workday in the life of Peter Fitzgerald look like?
That really depends on the time of year. Obviously January-June especially flies by with sales season. There’s plenty of long days and nights and a stack of work to do but most of my role is a lot of fun dealing with media and clients.
There’s plenty of travel, plenty of sales, plenty of race meetings and plenty of media to assist, often over a cold drink. Generally mid-year we will announce our Everest runner which will then lead into another PR/marketing campaign which comes with high expectation but it’s also something we have a lot of fun with each year, whether it’s a cartoon series or a song or a competition etc.
Then in between all of that there’s Inglis’ social media, overseeing our Sale Day Live implementation and advertising, plenty of press releases, press kits for our primary yearling sales, Stakes letters, radio and TV script writing for our advertising, catalogue welcome letters, proof reading all of our catalogues and advertising material, helping out with Inglis Digital and Inglis Rural Property, managing our annual Inglis Magazine editorial and advertising and of course the odd Friday long lunch to solve all the real problems of the industry and the world!
3/ Who is your favourite horse and why?
My first favourite horse was Octagonal. That era of he, Saintly, Filante and Nothin’ Leica Dane in the mid 90s was probably my first real love of the industry.
I would have been in Year 4 or 5 at school and on a Friday afternoon, rather than playing backyard cricket with my mates, I’d get a Sportsman and do the form for Saturday. Octagonal was such a ripper, seeing the cerise silks get back and charge home – generally over the top of his opposition – was theatre at its best.
He constantly raced against great horses – the Our Maizcay, Flying Spur, Isolda etc 2YO crop, Mahogany as a spring 3YO and then the aforementioned ‘Fab Four’ in the autumn of 96 and beyond as well as the likes of Juggler, Istidaad, Intergaze, Circles Of Gold, Count Chivas, All Our Mob, Catalan Opening etc etc.
It was just an awesome few years of Weight For Age gallopers in Australia and the Big O invariably came out on top. And despite all of that he still had the hide to go on and become an outstanding sire.
4/ Tell us about the best day you had at the races or at the sales, and what made it memorable for you?
Races – I was raised on the adage that a bad day at the races is always better than a good day at work! I’m yet to have an unenjoyable day on a racecourse anywhere in the world but Royal Ascot with the dress ups, the Big Band after the last, the Pimms, the 6 races only, the after parties, then press ‘repeat’ for 5 days, it’s very hard to top. Special Mention to HKIR as well, it’s just an awesomely fun week in Hong Kong.
Sales – The opening night of Riverside for Classic 2018 was really quite extraordinary. The long build up, the hype and expectation, a night session, people were hanging from the rafters to get in, the atmosphere was like no other sale day or night I’ve ever attended. I do love our Chairman’s Sale too, it’s a fabulous night with a great vibe around the complex and despite it clashing with Wagga Cup and preventing me from going home each year, it’s a night you really shouldn’t miss out on.
5/ What is your favourite show on Netflix or TV?
I’m a bit of a creature of habit with that stuff – Two And A Half Men and Seinfeld still make me laugh. I also like a good crime movie but truth be told, the majority of TV in my house is the Cartoon Network or Nick Kids.
6/ Now that travel has opened again where is the first place you will go?
Somewhere hot! No interest in the snow, give me an island in the Whitsundays or further abroad, a cold beer and some fresh seafood and I’ll be pretty set.
7/ What is your favourite cuisine and restaurant?
To be fair there’s not too many cuisines I don’t like. But a long lunch at China Doll has been known to happen once or twice and it’s very hard to beat.
8/ Name two things on your bucket list?
I definitely want to go to the Maldives and stay in one of those huts that literally stand in the water. And the Australian Open Mens final is another I’d love to do.
9/ What’s the best advice someone has ever given you?
The harder you work, the luckier you get.
10/ Tell us one thing that not many people may know about you?
I used to busk as a kid, singing Christmas Carols out the front of the family home with my sister. It was the late 80s, we’d sometimes pick up $50 a day between us which was like winning lotto in Wagga back then! We were like 6, not 16….
