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Patinack Farm has a history of over-promising and under-delivering. It’s ingrained into how they prepare their horses.
No one will deny that Nechita was the weekend’s biggest disappointment in racing, if you ignore Camelot’s defeat in Ireland.
Entering the Golden Rose, the first group one of the season, Nechita was the short priced favourite to win over 1400m but was comfortably beaten by five other horses.
While I am guilty of buying into the filly after being seduced by her form and the surrounding hype, her defeat adds to a long string of Patinack Farm horses that fail in group one races after promising so much.
A few weeks ago, Roar racing expert Justin Cinque discussed Nechita’s credentials and it was concluded she has the rock solid pedigree for her to succeed at the highest level.
Despite her bloodline, her form leading into the Golden Rose had many questions hovering over it.
Most importantly, she had not run against the boys before, who had come into the Golden Rose via tougher races than Nechita.
Patinack Farm’s other superstar, All Too Hard, has hardly set the world on fire.
He is frequently published in newspapers as ‘Black Caviar’s little brother’ but most mainstream media leave out the fact that they have different sires.
Black Caviar is by Bel Esprit out of Helsinge while All Too Hard is by Casino Prince out of Helsinge.
Bel Esprit is becoming a champion sire now with plenty of top class sprinters across Australia. Her progeny include Bel Sprinter who was mighty impressive on the weekend and group one winner Bel Mer.
Casino Prince’s only group winner so far is All Too Hard who has won two group two events, both as a two year-old.
Casino Prince as a racehorse won one group one, the Chipping Norton Stakes over 1600m and ran second in the group one Caulfield Guineas.
Bel Esprit won the group one Blue Diamond, group one Doomben 10,000 and ran second in the group one Newmarket Handicap, group one Manikato Stakes, group one Caulfield Guineas and group Dubai Racing Club Cup.
Needless to say, Bel Esprit is far more credentialed.
All Too Hard is only a half brother to champion sprinter Black Caviar and their sires are vastly different. Still, Nathan Tinkler purchased All Too Hard for $1.025m.
Since his successful season as a 2 year-old, All Too Hard has run a distant third to Snitzerland and finished unplaced six lengths behind Pierro in the Run to the Rose.
The recent disappointments of Nechita and All Too Hard however, are nothing new for the Patinack Farm stable, led by trainer John Thompson.
Now standing at stud for the stable, Trusting contested many group one races over the past few years without ever winning any.
Instead, he won two group two events and placed in five group one races amassing just under $1 million in prize money, all without a group victory.
Monaco Consul is the stable’s most credentialed and promising stallion but we are yet to see any of his progeny race yet.
Based on the amount of money controversial mining magnate Nathan Tinkler has spent on his horse racing operations, Patinack Farm is one of the powerhouse stables across Australia with stalls in all the major racing cities.
Media outlets have reported that national operations cost Tinkler approximately $500,000 per week to run. Due to Tinkler’s recent financial struggles, 350 of his horses will be auctioned off at the coming Magic Millions auction later in the year.
Stable jockey Christian Reith is another concern. The 33 year-old hoop is yet to ride a group one winner and considering the amount of rides he gets, has been disappointing for Patinack Farm.
Tinkler’s approach to racing is one of the key factors in his stables failure. Horse racing is not about quick returns. It is about breeding the right combinations and recognising talent in young horses.
Tinkler has instead purchased in mass and hoped that a few of those will become superstars. The problem he has faced is that all horses are different. Some are excellent at the juvenile grades and struggle in their later years.
Others struggle in their early years but with the right persistence may flourish as five or six year-olds. Patinack Farm appears to have a methodical regime of training and from other horses I’ve observed, many appear overworked at young ages.
There is a lack of consistency in their race horses and their stallions are far from noteworthy. Tinkler has attempted to replicate the highly successful Darley stable and is failing.
A long line of seductive form, typified by disappointment was capped off on the weekend by Nechita’s shocking run in the Golden Rose.
Racing is not about quick returns and Nathan Tinkler/Patinack Farm is yet to suggest they believe otherwise.
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