When the High Hopes Stable entered into racehorse ownership in Singapore, a runner in Sunday's Group 1 $1.15 million Emirates Singapore Derby over 2000m was the furtherest thing from their mind.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
They were just happy to see their now four-year-old Lightning Thief make its way to the racetrack.
A veteran of 11 starts, which has seen the gelding victorious on four occasions with two further minor placings, Lightning Thief is one of two gallopers trainer Cliff Brown will saddle up in the race.
Brown also has Deep Pockets engaged while Lightning Thief will be ridden by John Powell, who teamed with Brown last year in winning the Derby with Clint.
Rob Schaefer is the managing part-owner of the High Hopes Stable and said during the week that having a Derby runner “was beyond his wildest dreams”.
Seven partners – including Brown – make up the ownership of Lightning Thief which came about after two mates decided to get involved in racing in Singapore by having a horse trained here.
“Johnny D'Angelo and I are a couple of Aussie ex-pats working here in Singapore that lived in the same condo and overtime we, along with our families, have become very good friends,” said Schaefer.
“We are both horse racing enthusiasts and over dinner one night discussed the prospects of getting a horse to race here in Singapore.
“We had had some minor success together back home in Australia with a horse called Bang On that first raced with Tim Martin in Sydney before going to Tony Gollan in Brisbane and ran in the Toowoomba Cup earlier this year.
“Not being able to see the horse race in the flesh, we decided to get one up here in Singapore and bring a few others into the horse as well.
“Apart from Cliff, the other owners in the horse are either friends of JD's or mine.”
Schaefer met Brown through the Singapore Sharks Football Club, an Australian Rules Football Club, and discussed the idea of getting a horse to race in Singapore.
However the very first venture in Singapore proved disastrous, but racehorse owners are a resilient bunch and the new owners weren't deterred by the set-back.
“This horse (Lightning Thief) came to us through luck, or should I say some bad-luck,” said Schaefer.
“The first one we had had an unfortunate accident one day and had to be put down without making it to the racetrack.
“Cliff found us another horse and said we might have a bit of fun along the way and pick up a few races.
“But here we are at the Derby. When we started out it was beyond our wildest dreams that we'd have a runner in a race like the Derby and be a live chance in the race as well.”
Lightning Thief's success has certainly whetted the appetite of the High Hopes Stable that has gone into further ownership and hopefully another Derby contender two years down the track.
“With some of our early earnings Cliff went and purchased us a two-year-old in New Zealand by Pentire,” said Schaefer.
“He's currently spelling down there at the moment and Cliff's likely to bring him up at the end of the year.
“Being by Pentire, hopefully he might be a Derby contender in a couple of year's time.”
