he opportunity to “tick an item off the bucket list’’ saw Sydneysider Adam Carney bid to a sale-topping $205,000 to secure a 10% share in Melbourne Cup-bound Future History in today’s Inglis Digital October (Late) Online sale.
Carney teamed up with good friend and Parsons Creek Farm principal Marc De Stoop to go halves in the share, which will see the pair head to Flemington in 13 days as owners of a genuine contender in the $8m Flemington showpiece.
Carney was the eventual winning bidder in what was a most extraordinary bidding process that saw 15 individual people placing bids on the share.
He and De Stoop and their families will now venture to Victoria – possibly as early as Friday night when Future History contests his final Cup lead-up in the G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup, for which he is a $7 third favourite with Ladbrokes.
“This is a bucket list thing, to have a runner in the Melbourne Cup. I turn 45 during Cup Week so I guess you could say it’s a bit of an early birthday present to myself,’’ Carney said.
“My wife said she’s excited although I’m sure it will cost me a new dress!
“At the end of the day Future History is a progressive stayer, he’s only had 15 starts and he’s won six of them and I really liked the way he held off First Immortal in the Bart Cummings last start. He’s only got 50kg on his back in the Cup, if he draws a good gate he’s as good a chance as anything.
“It’s about the theatre of the Melbourne Cup. You get caught up with it and embrace the whole week, I know we will.’’
Carney, who has raced horses of the calibre of Pierata and Eleven Eleven, discovered the 10% share in Future History via an Inglis email last week.
“I just received the regular email online from Inglis when the Digital catalogue went live and saw this offering so I texted Marc and said ‘this might be an opportunity to have a Melbourne Cup runner’ and he agreed so we decided to have a play and see where we landed,’’ Carney said.
“We teamed up and got what we were hoping for, it’s amazing.
“I’ve traded quite a few horses through Inglis Digital before and it’s a great platform for that. It’s really captured the imagination of a lot of people in the industry and this is the perfect example of how an owner can attract another owner like this.
“It’s fantastic to secure a horse where say 10 years ago, without these kinds of platforms like Inglis Digital, you wouldn’t be able to do it or at least not this transparently and easily.’’
The share was offered by Future History’s primary owner Peter Trainor.
“This is the first horse I’ve raced in Australia and I wanted to test the waters and was encouraged to do so via Inglis Digital and it’s been perfect,’’ Trainor said.
“Sinead [Flannery] at Inglis and the entire team has been first class to deal with and I’m delighted with the outcome.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the new owners, I see Adam is having his birthday next week so hopefully we can catch up for a couple of beers and win a Melbourne Cup together.’’
Future History will look to emulate Private Eye, in whom a 5% share was sold last September before going on to become one of the very best horses in Australia, accumulating nearly $7m in earnings in the process.
The second-top lot today was Kote, the talented 4YO from the Anthony Cummings stable.
Offered by Cummings and the ownership group, Kote sold to Phillip Pollicina’s Ravenswood Bloodstock for $195,000.
“His recent form has been a bit frustrating and the majority owner was keen to move him on to give someone else a go but he’s a very talented horse,’’ Cummings said.
“We’re really happy with the price and the process, I mean the process speaks for itself with Inglis, it’s always just so professional and smooth and that inspires confidence.’’
Kote will be transferred to the Blake Ryan stable for his future training.
“We may run him in the Golden Eagle, we may not, we’ll let the horse tell us where he’s at once we get him transferred to Blake’s,’’ Pollicina said.
“He’s a horse we have high hopes for.’’
The third-top lot in the October (Late) Sale was Superium, who is set to contest the $3m The Big Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day on November 7.
Superium sold to Kingstar Farm for $150,000, having been offered by The Superhorse Trust, whose representative Eleftherios Symeou said: “We were hopeful of getting something around that price so we’re really happy.
“Inglis Digital is great, in fact Inglis as a whole has been so good to us with everything that’s happened since Ross [Williams’] passing, their assistance has just been fantastic.
“The digital sale is so convenient and easy, the service that Inglis provides is second to none in the industry and that really helps with getting your horses sold, they promote the horses so well, their marketing is great and the online platform overall is seamless.’’
Kingstar’s Matthew Sandblom confirmed Superium would remain in training with Team Hawkes.
“He’s a 7YO but he’s really quite lightly raced for a 7YO and the Hawkes’ certainly agreed that he has more quality races in him so I was delighted to get him,’’ Sandblom said.
“We’ll push on to The Big Dance and who knows, the $150,000 might turn into seven figures in less than a fortnight.’’
The October (Late) Sale grossed $1,636,500 with a clearance rate of almost 80%.
Entries are now open for the November (Early) Sale and will remain so until next Wednesday, November 1.
The sale will run from November 3-8.
To enter CLICK HERE.
