Racing: Life much different training for living

Lance O'Sullivan rode three Easter Handicap winners during his long career - Eastern Joy, Moss Downs and Honor Bound.

Each time he jumped in his car, drove home to a glass of wine and thought nothing of horse racing.

That's all changed.

This time he had to take home the horse he prepared to win Saturday's $150,000 Speights Easter, Calveen, and over his wine he had to intricately plan how to pick the class mare up from this race and how to prepare her for her upcoming starts.

Welcome to the dramatic difference between being a top jockey and a top trainer.

Calveen's dramatic victory at Ellerslie on Saturday was O'Sullivan's first group one victory as a trainer, but you always knew that was probably just around the corner.

It was also apprentice Cameron Lammas' first at racing's highest level, but similarly you knew that was simply a matter of opportunity.

The extra work has not surprised O'Sullivan. What does surprise him is how much more he has come to love horses as individuals.

"As a jockey your favourite horse will always be one of the big winners you've ridden.

"As a trainer you become much more attached to them. You like the individual - you start to love them. I never thought I would."

Keeping a horse sound is another thing you don't have to think about as a jockey, says O'Sullivan.

"And quite often it isn't in training that they'll go amiss. You might get a thunderstorm and they can tweak a muscle tearing around their paddock in the afternoon.

"You know, coming up to a big race like the Easter, if a horse I was booked to ride broke down, nine times out of 10 I'd pick up another ride.

"As a trainer, that's the only chance you're going to get."

O'Sullivan wanted to thank his staff after Saturday's race and he meant it.

He's lucky to have the quality staff at Wexford Stables and he knows it.

Staffing is one of the biggest problems facing thoroughbred trainers.

"I've got a high staff ratio - 11 fulltime staff for 38 horses - and that is a deliberate policy.

"Because of that the stable as a business does not make money, but the attention to detail you can provide is so much higher."

It should be a fair bit easier preparing Calveen for the $100,000 Japan/NZ International at Tauranga on April 9 and the $100,000 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa on April 30.

O'Sullivan had not been happy with Calveen leading up to her previous race, the Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha, but the mare turned the corner close to the Easter.

"Everything about her improved, her attitude, her training."

When Cameron Lammas cut Calveen loose on Saturday she produced a sprint which no one was going to argue with.

"The softer ground really helped her," said O'Sullivan. "Like a lot of horses she was starting to feel the hard tracks."

Lammas had wanted to ride a group one winner while still an apprentice, a situation which changes on his 21st birthday, May 11.

"He's got a real future this boy," says O'Sullivan.

Lammas is one of a long line of top-class riders developed by Matamata trainer Jim Gibbs.

Calveen is raced by Auckland Racing Club chairman Lyn Steven in partnership with Don and Rochelle McLaren, John Ede and Bill Wilson.