HIGH-profile owner John O’Neill has tasted success at the highest level of racing and on Saturday shared in the thrill of taking out the Camperdown Cup with Population.
The Melbourne business-man involved local identities in the ownership of the four-year-old gelding, with one connection in particular getting a lift after experiencing a tragic end to 2011.
Peter Wright lost his twin daughters Caroline and Olivia in a car accident at Penshurst on November 12.
In a moment’s respite from memories of the tragedy, Wright was in the winners’ stall sharing the victory with family and friends on Saturday.
Population, ridden by Reece Wheeler, won the race by half a length from Streaky Fella and Orientaped.
Among O’Neill’s other triumphs, he managed the group that raced Mummify to win the Caulfield Cup in 2003.
He masterminded a long-range plan and executed the transfer of Population from Anthony Freedman’s stable late last year to the care of local trainer Geoff Daffy.
The plan paid off, with Population crossing the line first in the $15,000 feature race in Camperdown.
Other owners of Population, including Marie Wall, her daughters Anna and Melbourne Vixens netballer Sarah and Camperdown businessman Rob Case, were also on course. O’Neill said he had hatched his plan with the assistance of Marie and Sarah as well as Daffy, who is related to Marie through marriage.
“I went down to Geoff’s place in late November and had a long chat with him about training a horse after speaking to Marie and Sarah,” O’Neill said.
“The Freedman family has trained many horses for me over the years so I spoke to Anthony (Freedman) about buying one of their horses.
“Population was owned by Sheikh Mohammed from Darley. He had won five races when we bought him.”
Population’s supporters had their hearts in their mouths before the race when he was unsettled in the barriers. “I must admit I was pretty toey before the race because there were so many people there to watch the horse run,” O’Neill said.
“It would have been extremely disappointing for all concerned if he had been scratched before the race but that never happened.”
O’Neill, who is in the ownership of 25 horses at Freedman’s stable, is now thinking of increasing his numbers with Daffy.
“Geoff Daffy is a top trainer. His record for training winners is sensational,” he said.
“He’s got Neville ‘Nifty’ Wilson working with him. They are both hidden gems.
“I’ll look at sending probably another three or four horses down to them.”
Daffy is no stranger to winning his home-town cup — Population is his sixth winner in the 1600-metre race.
“It’s a big thrill to win the cup with Population,” Daffy said.
“The win ranks highly with my other victories in the cup because of the owners. They are all lovely people.
“I must really acknowledge what John O’Neill has done. He’s done a remarkable job in getting the horse down here.”
Saturday’s prizemoney took Population’s earnings to more than $218,000.
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