Few people left an imprint at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale quite like Olly Tait. Under the banner of the newly-formed and Qatari-backed Wathnan Racing, Tait signed for nine horses to the tune of 1.75 million gns, headed by 450,000gns purchase Persian Royal (GB) (Al Kazeem {GB}).
Fitting that Tait has been tasked with growing Wathnan Racing into a formidable ownership vehicle in Qatar as it was the Australian native who was entrusted by Godolphin to get their Darley operation off the ground down under back in 2001.
Despite only being in his mid-20s at the time, Tait laid the foundations of the hugely successful Darley Australia arm that continues to flourish to this day.
It was in 2016 that Tait decided to take his experience working for Darley and set up Twin Hills Stud in Australia. With stallions like Smart Missile (Aus), Peltzer (Aus), Hallowed Crown (Aus), Denman (Aus) and Odyssey Moon (Aus) on the Twin Hills roster, the farm has become one of the most prominent studs in Australia in a relatively short period.
Tait has described the challenge of building Wathnan Racing into a force to be reckoned with in the Gulf as something that excites him and, despite playing in a vibrant market at Tattersalls last week, says he is delighted with the additions to the team in this week's Q&A.
Brian Sheerin: You picked up a good variety of horses at Tattersalls last week on behalf of Wathnan Racing. What was the modus operandi heading into that sale?
Olly Tait: There's a wide-ranging programme of racing in Qatar so, obviously, we were keen to buy horses who can win in the colours of Wathnan Racing this season and beyond. We got some horses at the higher end as we're hoping to find a horse capable of winning the Qatar Derby. Equally, there are a lot of nice handicaps to be won in Qatar, so we bought horses at all levels in order to make the stable successful. That's not just having horses who can run in the big races, it's buying horses who can win at all different levels.
BS: Tell us more about Wathnan Racing and how your relationship has developed.
OT: Wathnan Racing is a stable in Qatar and my connection to that is through Abdulhadi Mana Al-Hajri, who I have known for quite a while. He is now heading up that stable in Qatar and contacted me a few months ago asking if I would give him a hand.
BS: And what does the programme for these horses look like in Qatar? In short, what kind of horses are you seeking out and what are the profiles that you think will do well out there?
OT: There is Arabian and thoroughbred racing in Qatar at present but there is a wide-ranging programme there for racehorses over a variety of different trips from October through to March. There are a lot of races to be run and won in that time. As I said, we're looking for horses at every level and over a variety of different distances, not just targeting the Derby, which is run over a mile-and-a-quarter.
BS: Obviously you were very busy recruiting to the stable last week but have you aspirations to recruit horses for Wathnan Racing privately as well?
OT: We'll wait and see. While the selection of horses on offer at Tattersalls was fantastic, we're not beholden to that and it's something we could do.
BS: There were a few jaw-dropping moments during last week's sale and the trade was in keeping with the high demand shown for yearlings during the autumn. What was it like playing in such a vibrant market?
OT: As I have always said, horses are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. The motivation behind buying a horse, in general, is not just a financial return. Horses give people a lot of pleasure and you could see that at the horses-in-training sale with the horses there going to all different parts of the world. That's testimony to the quality of horses that they were but also the fact that there's a really healthy appetite for horses across the globe which is fantastic to see. It's fantastic that so many people want to buy racehorses and there's an opportunity in every horse and that's how the industry exists. That was plain to see at Tattersalls last week.
BS: We all know about your time at Darley and more recently Twin Hills but this is something completely different. On a personal level, how exciting has it been getting a racing operation off the ground as opposed to a stud farm?
OT: On a personal level, it's a very interesting project for me to be involved in. I've got a good relationship with Mr Al-Hajri so it's nice to be able to help him where I can.
BS: And for those who may not be aware, tell us about your time at Darley. I found it interesting that you spent a few years working with the accountancy firm KPMG before writing to Darley and looking for a break in the bloodstock industry.
OT: I grew up with an interest in horses which came from my parents and grandparents who owned horses. They were involved in the agriculture business, mainly sheep and cattle, and I was fortunate to get a job with Darley in my early 20s. Sheikh Mohammed was very ambitious and I was lucky to be a part of that during my time there. I had a great time working for Darley and am very thankful for the opportunities that I have had. When I moved on to Twin Hills, it came at a time where I thought that, if I was ever going to try something on my own, that was the time. Fortunately Twin Hills came on the market when it did. We have been here at Twin Hills for six years now and it's been very challenging but also very rewarding. We've been very lucky as it's been a buoyant market in Australia and right around the world. The racing industry in Australia is very healthy and I guess our timing has been good in that we have been a part of that. We have been selling horses on a commercial level, standing stallions and looking after people's bloodstock interests, to the extent that Twin Hills is now a reasonably sized operation. I've been exposed to lots of different things in the industry but I have been at it for quite a while now and it's been a career that I've thoroughly enjoyed.
BS: You've clearly had some excellent mentors along the way.
OT: I have been very lucky. When I was working with Darley, I was exposed to amazing people in the industry and that's not just the people who would be perceived as being successful. I've met people at all different levels who have had an impact on me and continue to do so.
BS: It's interesting that you were just 25 when entrusted to set up the Australian arm of the Darley operation. Angus Gold was also quite young when he got the Shadwell job. It just shows that, if you're good enough, you're old enough.
OT: I was lucky that the faith was put in me because that's not an easy decision to give a job like that to a person of that age. In the beginning, it wasn't a major operation; it was just me and another employee with a number of stallions. There was obviously always that chance that it was going to grow into something big, which it has and, hopefully I showed along the way that I was up to the task. It was just really enjoyable to be part of an operation that grew the way it did internationally. This is a global industry and there are opportunities internationally but there are not many operations that have an international presence and I was lucky to work for Darley and get those opportunities. I'll be forever thankful for that.
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