If you ever think the dream of the Melbourne Cup is beyond you, you haven’t spoken to Amy Small.
Who?
That’s her with her maiden galloper Dunleer Lad, well six starts no placings, last seen hustling around Nowra and Queanbeyan - where, who - amongst those 123 entries, alongside Chris Waller with his 21, Ciaron Maher’s 16, and 20 from around the world, obviously headlined by Coolmore’s Aidan O’Brien six.
Yet O’Brien, and with all his global might, is like Small. They do have something in common. They have never won the Melbourne Cup.
O’Brien though has trained 4000 winners, a staggering 400 at Group 1 level.
Small, well also a little like O’Brien, was once a jockey, yet she never rode a winner from 15 tries, and as a registered trainer, she’s never even saddled a starter. Anywhere.
Dunleer Lad is her first and only horse. And it's first nomination - is for The Cup, the $8.5m Lexus Melbourne Cup that is.
Yet they are both, right now, on the same Melbourne Cup path, and who couldn’t think the egalitarianism of that as anything but uniquely Australian for its greatest race and one chased as a treasure on the world stage.
Dunleer Lad, is a very conservative $301 in TAB Cup markets, realistically, he’s a million to one to even get there, but don’t tell Amy Jane Small, nee Power, when she was apprenticed to Matthew Williams at the Bool.
“People might think I’m silly, but I’m serious about it,” says Small with a determination that becomes infectious to defy credulity and then reasons why you should join her.
The horse: well, Dunleer Lad, she bought online for $1750 on Inglis earlier this year. (She thought $900 would get her across the line but those late bidders got her roused up almost double.)
He had done nothing through previous stables (Greg Hickman, to Robert and Luke Price, to Mark Gee) before that on-line Inglis Sale earlier this year in May, appearing as lot 46.
“A reluctant sale” to be sure. Sold to Amy Small. Enthusiastically.
Entry for The Cup Tuesday – that cost almost as much as the horse – another $1500.
“I always looked at the on-line sites and one of my friends found him and we were up late at night watching him, loved the breeding, thought he was the perfect one, we knew he had issues, but he was the one.”
“It’s just always been a dream of mine,” said Small.
“Growing up, it was always the race naturally, why not, people think I’m silly, I just don’t want to die wondering.,” says Small.
So, this is the jockey who rode just two placegetters, the trainer, who has only this one in work, and without evening putting a saddle on one in a race before.
And still truly believing the Cup dream is more than pure fantasy.
“When I was growing up, it was the only race I wanted to be in involved in, he’s definitely going to be good enough, if it’s not this year, it will be next year,” Small said.
But every year is important to Small, and this is the heart (and soul) of this racing story.
She is married to jumps jockey Braidon Small, they’ve been together a decade plus, personal and physical challenges as great as any to get Dunleer Lad to a Cup, but that what has brought the family together.
Braidon has been through a serious life challenging brain cancer journey, helped at times by Pride Of Jenni owner Tony Ottobre, who lost his own daughter Jenni to a similar disease.
“This horse has kept us going,” says Small.
Then take in her son Robbie, lesions in the brain, seizures, time in the Royal Children’s Hospital himself.
Take in her daughter Erica. She makes the feeds daily.
Take in Braidon, son of legendary Vo Rogue jockey Cyril, but harder to beat brain surgeries than any did in trying to beat Vo, back from those substantial battles to even get to the track this year and almost a story tale of his own at The Bool May carnival.
“Braidon wanted a jumps horse. But this is the horse that gives us a reason to live.
"Something we can do together to forget our issues and focus on the good,” Small says.
“The racing industry so amazing, when you feel like crashing down, it brings you together, it gives you a hug.
“We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Small knows the doubters are there for her Cup dream. But this is her dream horse. And the Cup, well why not let it be for dreamers.
“He’s only young, he’s had his issues, there is so much improvement in him, it’s been frustrating, but despite being quirky we know the potential he has,” says Small.
“Whether it is this year too soon or next year, but the Cup is always the aim.”
“It might be a crazy dream, but it’s what I wanted, when we bought him
“This is a horse we can do together, the kids are involved, but he’s a breath of fresh air.”
Down to trial in a couple of weeks, but a long journey to get to Flemington on that first Tuesday in November or anywhere near it. And scoff if you like but try and believe a little like Amy.
“I am a bit scared,” Small admitted.
“Maybe we can get to a Geelong Cup depending on how he performs, he’ll gallop Saturday and trial soon, but we are in it for the long ride,” she said.
“I don’t want to sound like I’m in fairyland, I want to go for it.”
Otherwise, it’s back to repairing horse rugs for others most other mornings to supplementing the income and keeping Braidon fit, well and healthy and the kids thoroughly engaged.
But that's Australia and what The Cup means. Everyone can play and dream.
And obviously Amy’s is no small one!
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