It’s not hard to get a tip for the races these days.
And not just from that old can of asparagus, many come via a population boom of podcasters (plenty of white noise there), social media in general has become a vehicle for urgers, hucksters, wannabes, as much as those well established, hard earned and credentialled, but like us all, only as good as their last.
Why some even end up on mainstream media as ‘experts’, but then - there is the former surf coast electrician, turned syndicator (for want of a word only), Nathan Bennett.
Without Bennett’s Best Bets page on Facebook kicking along for just some cricket club mates less than a decade ago, there wouldn’t be Bennett Racing and certainly not the now multi-million-dollar colt, the Australian Guineas winner Southport Tycoon.
(Just quickly, one of Nathan’s office team though the $300,000 Written Tycoon recommended the name “Torquay Tycoon” heckling the boss who knew he was “taking the piss” and said “Southport” suits better because he bought the horse at the Gold Coast Magic Millions.)
Bennett plays in the ridiculously competitive field of racehorse syndication. And without much fanfare, chest-thumping or advertising, his black and orange checked colors are recognised as serious players. (Nothing special in them either, Nathan knocked them together playing on the Racing Victoria colours registration page because he liked the mix.)
It’s a business he has built from base camp in July 2017 and a passioned instilled from his father Lindsay, a country hobby trainer in Victoria, to now 73 horses on the books and almost 3000 owners, while able to mix at the top end of town, for those already from it to the little loyal players from those Facebook page days who still crave it.
“It started off with just doing the form for some mates from the cricket club, I’d post the tips and suddenly we had about 2500 subscribers and maybe 8000 members,” Bennett said.
“I never wanted to charge but, in the end, it was just $20 a month to cover time and website costs.”
“It was time consuming, but it was my passion and a lot of fun. I basically did Melbourne Saturday’s a few Sydney main meetings and mid-weeks, but I put everything into it.
“With everything I do, like when I was electrician as I was then, I put the time and effort and service in, and that’s what I hope I have taken into this business (Bennett Racing),” he said.
A little humbly he mentioned the day he tipped seven of eight at The Valley (naturally the last just pipped), “but we had a fill-up.”
Which prompted a few to suggest “why don’t we get a horse,” so they eventually did, called it Onehundred Percent, won three of it’s first four (with Henry Dwyer) including one at Caulfield for Damien Oliver, and the rest is sort of the cliched start of Bennet Racing history.
But history means revisiting the past and going back to the Mallee country where Nathan’s father trained a few for fun and the family ran the pub at Lascelles near Mildura.
“There was a story that dad had the horses out behind the pub and his jockey was the barman in between riding them,” he said.
There is also a story that one day Lindsay Bennett trained a winner on Melbourne Cup Day though young Nathan wasn’t around to see it (or forensically nail the name). The family had moved to Longlea near Bendigo with the horses, keeping a young Bennett hooked on what then was still just a dream.
“Dad passed away when I was just 14, so everything I do today is to honour him and it was fantastic to have so many of the family and friends there on Saturday to share in our first Group I,” Bennett said.
“When I was 16, I made a number of phone calls and got onto Bruce Nankervis,” said Bennett. That’s Nankervis, Number 33 for Geelong Cats, player of 253 games and a club captain and electrician.
“I did work experience for the next eight to ten school holidays for two weeks before he offered me an apprenticeship. It got me out of year 12 and I couldn’t wait,” he said.
“I loved being a sparky, it was very rewarding, but I never took any shortcuts, so I like to think I’ve always been a good apprentice to learn and listen in racing and surround yourself with good people,” Bennett said.
He’d dabbled in his own syndicate share when he took one percent (for $4500), with his mate and fellow surf coast tradie, carpenter, Kane Robertson, in Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock’s import Dandino, eventually 2nd in a Caulfield Cup, a Queen Elizabeth winner but also a Melbourne Cup runner.
“It was a lot of fun to catch up with (ATB’s) Darren Dance at the sales yesterday, but after that I knew what I wanted to do.”
“I only sold the electrical business two-and-a-half years ago, it did release the pressure of time, but I absolutely love what we are doing now and being able to engage with so many people.”
Which means having supporting and industry icon Perry Sambor introduce Phil (and Ron) Wells to him and that’s the Bennett Racing selection model.
“Phil had bred them, sold them, worked with vets, rode them, but has ben a great teacher and we like to keep it to ourselves before we go to trainers.”
It was Wells who bought Onehundred Percent, Bennett was in when they went to $70,000 for Goldifox, bought for $70,000, a winner of three races, a black-type performer and sold for $230,000.
“It’s a great industry, we have been very welcomed, we are very open about what we are doing at the sales, and we loved the positive feedback we get re our communication and the chance I get to speak to all our clients I love talking horses all day,” Bennett said.
But it’s all about relationships if you want to grow and Nathan Bennett has some family tentacles into the crew at national business advisory business Pitcher partners, so Adam Stanley, Brendan Bitten, Michael Hay and others – “they’ve backed us and brought clients and friends in, they’ve got our back, it’s fantastic.”
Which means Bennett Racing, sitting on a great value colt in Southport Tycoon, are targeting Inglis Easter with a “colts syndicate”, not new, but you sense this fearlessly focussed crew are on it without distraction.
Runs are on the board in a short time, The Astrologist (runs again in Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap), Zou Dancer, import players like Sibaaq and Ardakan as the orange and black army expands.
“We don’t advertise a lot, we let the horses do that but as we grow, we like to see others enjoy our experience,” he said.
And if you want to do the old-fashioned thing and visit the Bennett Racing office, head to Geelong Racecourse, they are up in the Rimfire Stand and ask for Nathan.
No problems with the lights being on, and he is planning All Star Miles for Southport Tycoon but more so Doncaster’s and dissecting the Inglis Easter catalogue. But no issue having a chat, might take a while and you might even get a tip.
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