Superconstellation is much more than the answer to a future trivia quiz question.
Sure, he is the first winner on the Melbourne Racing’s Club’s new Heath track, christened Wednesday.
And appropriate that he is co-raced and co-bred by career racing journalist and dedicated historian Danny Power, having spent a lifetime writing stories and collating records, but more than happy to tell this one, because he has plenty to tell, while etching his own horse’s name into history.
Power doesn’t claim to have been at Sandown’s opening in 1965 when Menzies was Prime Minister and Beatlemania was abuzz – “I was only 12” - but notes an interest in the inaugural Sandown Cup winner that day - Red William - and adds “Mick Mallyon named his house after it,” as only an historian could.
Not sure that Power’s digs are ready for a Superconsetllation rename yet, but the horse is a real family and friends affair and a little more.
His “’co’s” here are brothers Shane and Kerry in ownership, but more so trainer and long-time friend “EJ “– well even Chat GBT and spell check have given up on Enver Jusofovic – so it’s EJ.
As much as EJ has given up on going to the races, preferring his passion for golf, then the drudgery of saddling and watching them on a race afternoon. “He only rang me at 11am to ask if I was going because he wasn’t,” Power said.
Mind you Power’s brothers weren’t there either but did come with a note. Youngest brother Kerry was in Hawaii shoring up his daughter’s wedding and Shane was planted in the dentist chair in suburban Melbourne having waited months to land an appointment so a 3.05pm at The Heath was tougher than, well pulling teeth.
As I drive into the infield at Caulfield I am dutifully directed alongside - as it turns out - Power in the carpark, and as we proceed into the tunnel and seek bearings around the new course, he regales me of the dream possibility of winning the first race and if so that he has some story to go with it.
I’m full of ears but not smart enough to avail the $8, but land in the winner’s photo and the winner’s room as Power emotionally takes us back to Antares, the mother of Superconstellation. (The EJ bit goes back further at a chance meeting at the New Zealand sales, where Power is sought for advice after telling EJ the mare he’d bought would be good for the showgrounds if that what he was after to which the trainer admitted he had ‘no idea.’)
And from that, they are still at it today, Power his bloodstock advisor as well as mate.
They soldier on and at session two of the 2013 Inglis Easter yearling sales they spot a filly by Starcraft and Attunga Stud’s Brian Nutt gives a thorough recommendation.
The reserve was $50,000 and no-one was as thoroughly recommended enough to meet it, so Power and EJ strike a deal and for $40,000 they get the filly and called it Antares – the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius and the start of the celestial naming link.
“She showed a lot of ability but was very immature, she didn’t get to the races until she was a late three year and ran second on debut at Pakenham,” Power recalled.
“After her next start (sixth) we found she had cracked her pelvis, we got her back, but she was never the same, the others in it weren’t interested in breeding so we decided to sell.”
No online digital sales back then, they were physical, you had to turn up and there she was - Lot 216 at the August Mixed Thoroughbred Sale of 2016. She made just $200 to what Power found out was a Kilmore based equestrian outfit that bought under the name Glenara Park.
“She was going to be served by their warmblood stallions apparently but then my brother got a call asking if it was him who had raced Antares because she had been found by the RSPCA and would you like to rehome her,” Power said.
“I think she was one of the first ever horse rescued by Racing Victoria under their new equine welfare program. When we got her, she wasn’t great, her feet were gone, but EJ got her into the stable and got her back to health.”
So then came time to think breeding, the trouble was, Power had never bred a horse and the bank was light for a service fee.
“EJ had a horse going well at the time called Vongole, he was by Squamosa and he stood for three thousand, perfect,” Power said.
“We couldn’t even afford to breed every season then so she’s gone two years apart, but this boy might change that, and we can improve the mare” he said.
“He was a lovely foal from the start, but the plan was to try and get him up and going, trial him and see if we could trade him to Hong Kong.”
The first part worked, Superconstellation got to the trials last August and the agents started sniffing at around $150,000. All going well until the horse pulled up a little sore and failed the strict Hong Kong veterinary requirements.
So left to race him, EJ retains half and the “Powerclan” the other, while Antares has given them a now two-year-old by Overshare and has a foal on the ground by the group winning son of I Am Invincible. Overshare is now a Group I winner producer, Lady Laguna landing the Canterbury Stakes just last weekend so that upgrade is looking good.
“Well, Squamosa went to Tassie so we didn’t want to spend the money on sending the mare down there, she’s already had enough troubles in life, which is why we bought a share in Overshare but hopefully this bloke (Supercontellation) will allow us to further upgrade the mare.”
Antares is now well looked after at Lemrac Lodge at Winchelsea South, while Power scours online sales looking for the likes of Masterful and Midnight Devil that keep EJ’s stable filled for his care having won about $250,000 in return of their $20,000 investment.
“EJ is a great horseman, it’s a shame other people don’t send him horses, but he’s not a chaser of owners or horses,” Power said.
“He loves his horses, he’s got an old horse’s paddock at Moorooduc, he goes up there every day or second day and hand feed them. Beach Box was his first good horse, he’s about 25, EJ sweeps all the other feed the others spill, just loves it.”
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