You all know that game called Show and Tell right?
We’d heard plenty about the supposed wonder girl from the west Amelia’s Jewel before Saturday. Well trainer Simon Miller had fronted more microphones than Elton John on a farewell tour in the lead-up. It was hard not to know almost everything about her, him, strapper Siobhan and owner Walshy!
And sure, we’d seen those slashing performances back home in Perth and knew she was pretty good, but what was she going to show us here.
Luckily Amelia’s Jewel can’t tell us in any other way than producing on race day. And in new rider Damian Lane, she has an almost perfect match ally in professionalism and simply job to do and get done, not wrapping up and running away with any hyperbole that is obviously attaching itself quickly this spring.
But there is much more to it - and on a stage as fitting as the grandeur of Flemington in the September sun, the appearance of Amelia’s Jewel, just minutes after the continued coronation of Mr Brightside, as stars of the game just confirms all that is good and worthy in racing. (Warm and fuzzy stuff - if you like cliches)
A week of almost own-goal headlines, the release of the report into historical (and current) physical and sexual abuse across the three racing codes, quickly followed by overdue charges levelled at former leading trainer Darren Weir, reported turmoil (almost a revolution) across the industry between leaders and participants, and throw in the sacking of Craig Williams after one self-acknowledged dud ride on star sprinter Giga Kick, all would give anyone reason to think why bother?
Well Mr Brightside and Amelia’s Jewel, the people involved with them and those that want to be, is exactly why.
Mr Brightside is the horse that anyone could have had a share in, and every time he steps out, there seems to be more with one, judging on the winner’s enclosure and all hollering that now well-known lyrics to The Killers song without ever a hint of auditioning for The Voice.
The Hayes boys who train him, spread the media round across the three of them, Ben, J D or Will, not seeming as ubiquitous as Miller, but as ever polite and obliging, “thanks for having me on” being their hello rather than resisting the relentless requests at answering the usual templated questions.
And of course with Williams glued into the Brightside saddle, it’s almost an avalanche of kindness, deference and respect. It’s almost the opposite of correctness in politics. Not butter in mouth stuff, but between the Hayes’ and Willo, you’ve got a mighty team that could lead the local Neighbourhood Watch and be on hand to help the elderly across the road – if you know where I am going with that.
They are good for racing, carrying on the tradition of family, with the look of youth and appeal of manners mixed with some blue-blooded ability and ruthlessness to succeed. In Brightside, they have their banner.
Mr Brightside to a King Charles next sounds right. Randwick’s rollicking “Sweet Caroline” chorus must surely be changed.
Not so The Valley’s “Horses” come Cox Plate Day where Mr Brightside could meet Amelia’s Jewel (and of course the rest of the best in the country’s best race), rather than the lure of Sydney money.
Walsh doesn’t need it, the former butcher from Busselton, but racing is lucky that he owns her because with wife Annie and daughter Sammi, they gave Melbourne a solid barrier trial for the months ahead, on and off the track this past weekend.
As mannered as the Hayes’ boys were and are, the larger-than-life Walsh was as humbled and thankful by what he took in.
And the first step was to dedicate the Amelia’s Jewel win to strapper Siobhan O’Donnell, who had called off a wedding and missed her sister Giaan’s 21st birthday, to spend spring away from home with her other true love.
You just have to look at the isolated vision of Siobhan watcher, cheering, dancing in the mounting yard to know what it meant to her.
And while there was much expectation around Amelia’s Jewel, there was never a hint of arrogance or entitlement from the camp.
They are having as much fun embracing the ride, as the suburban boys from Melbourne who turned up in Amelia’s Jewel Hawaiian shirts and were swiftly invited to the celebrations at The Emerald Hotel, racing’s other headquarters.
I’ve mentioned before that if Miller was asked to stand on his head in the corner of a stall, he might well have done so, thankfully he wasn’t, but there is still time for something as silly this spring as the blow in once-a-year media blows in.
He was more comfortable fronting the Hawaiian shirt boys over the fence before the Let’s Elope and happily chatted as his once in a lifetime mare went to the gates when he could have gone for a nerve settling beer or something else.
“They apparently had a Quokka party and you could only get in if you were in green, red and white, otherwise you were tossed out.,” Miller said.
They became almost national heroes after the race, posing with Miller and Lane, and you can expect their numbers to grow as spring endures and their invites to Amelias Jewel events remains open, and judging this past weekend, there will be plenty more of them.
So just when racing seeks fans while embracing us who are already barnacled on, new stars like Amelia’s and enduring ones like Brightside and the stories around them and with them are better than any marketing campaign.
Take the Walsh clan – off to Japanese (Wakuda – with a themed menu) and subsequent Karaoke turning Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s Girl, into Amelia’s Girls, while a bit of stock standard My Way got a burble from some budding old blue eyes (maybe red!).
And then tagging Liberal leader Libby Mettam and her husband Jonathan into their race day team as guests with four-time Cox Plate winning jockey Brent Thomsen at New Zealand’s Bloodstock’s Chairman table, into the winner’s room, into The Emerald, and you sense you will be seeing plenty more of them this spring.
No doubt Amelia’s Jewel has plenty more to show – she and the team are the hottest ticket in spring town. Like Mr Brightside – let’s hope we see these stars telling the real stories of racing.
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