Weld Still Pushing The Boundaries

Dermot Weld has never been a man intimidated by international borders. In fact, long before he ever plundered a top level overseas race, a much younger Weld, fresh out of vet school, was broadening his own horizons working on the backstretches of racecourses in both Australia and the U.S.

Fast forward almost 50 years and the master of Rosewell House is still as razor-sharp as ever; he added another feather to his already well-plumed cap when Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) gained an all-important Grade I win in the Man O'War S. at Belmont recently. It was a master-class in race planning with the 5-year-old mare, who achieved a rare feat in emulating her own Group 1-winning dam Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Although racing in the colours of Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez, the Weld family connection with Zhukova runs deep, something that made the Belmont win extra special.

“It was great, given my late mother bred Zhukova and also the fact we still have the dam who is hopefully in foal to Dubawi,” he says. “We also have two half-sisters; a yearling by Zoffany and Sleeping Beauty, who was a stakes performer for us and who has a Declaration Of War 2-year-old in training in America, so she is a nice young mare to have. The grand-dam Caumshinaun is still with us too, she was a great race-mare, so we have a lot of the family. Nightime is obviously very special to us though; she won a Classic in my mother's colours and she was actually Galileo's first Classic winner.”

Weld has further big plans for Zhukova and in particular he has an eye on one of the few major contests that has eluded him in his stellar career to date. “I would like to target the Arc with Zhukova as her end of season objective,” he said. “Before that we will probably take in the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks on the way.”

If the International Pattern was a subject on Mastermind, Weld would surely score a perfect 10, and the Man O'War in particular was a race he had long wished to add to his resume. “It's a very prestigious race and I believe Zhukova is the first filly to win it since 1978,” he said. “I also remember reading about Secretariat and how his jockey Ron Turcotte always maintained that Secretariat's most impressive performance was winning the Man O'War, so it is a race that always fascinated me.”

Weld was one of the first European trainers keen to exploit the fact that American Grade I turf races were easier won a couple of decades ago; back then it wasn't inconceivable that a European Group 3 horse could make an major impact at the top level in the U.S.

“I think it's much more competitive now on turf in America than it used to be,” he ventures. “Turf racing is becoming a lot more popular, there is a lot more turf racing and rightly so. Winchester (Theatrical {Ire}) was an example: he was a good Group 3 horse in Ireland and he won the GI Secretariat S. at Arlington for me. That's much tougher to do now because turf racing is being better recognised in America and also more high- class dirt horses are transferring to run on grass.”

Although Weld can lay claim to winning American Derbys and an American Oaks, among other U.S. Grade I victories on both coasts of the continent, there is no doubt the American feat he is most proud of is being the only European-based trainer to win a leg of the Triple Crown. That was achieved when Go And Go (Ire) (Be My Guest) stormed home in the GI Belmont S. under Mick Kinane in 1990, but it was a year previously when that plan was hatched, with weather conditions playing a significant part. After the Moyglare Stud-owned colt broke his maiden on the turf at Galway in 1989, Weld sent him Stateside for the then GI Laurel Futurity in Maryland. Heavy rain beforehand lead to the race being switched from turf to the dirt and though apprehensive about the surface switch Weld decided to take his chance. He recalls, “Obviously we travelled with the intention of running on turf but what could we do, we were there so we took our chance. Go And Go had an American pedigree on his dam's side and he was a really versatile horse. Thankfully it worked out and Go And Go became the first European-trained juvenile to win a Grade I race on dirt in America–and the fact that he handled the surface so well gave us the confidence to target one of the Triple Crown races the following season.”

Before that though, Weld was to engage the services of DHL to transport the colt to Florida via Belmont to take in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Gulfstream, where he ran well to finish fifth, again on the dirt. The following year the GI Kentucky Derby is the obvious first major target for a horse of that class but events transpired against the trainer in his bid to get Go And Go to Churchill Downs, one of the few regrets Weld carries with him to this day.

“We had a wet spring that year and our horses were a little bit behind but also quarantine procedures for Churchill Downs back then were very difficult,” he reflects. “I still regret not trying harder to get him to the Kentucky Derby because I think he would have won it, but in the end we decided to wait the extra month.”

Go And Go again showed great versatility, winning his prep race in Ireland on grass over a mile before running the seventh-fastest Belmont S. with that year's Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled back in third. “The Belmont was a bit special,” Weld recalled. “I had spent summers working for racetrack vets in New York and I watched my first Belmont from the backstretch many moons ago. I guess that win really gave us the confidence to target further major overseas races.”

Weld was soon scouring the pattern book and learned that the Hong Kong Jockey Club was to stage its inaugural International Meeting in 1991. He wanted to be there. Back then, only two races were open to international participation and Weld had a candidate for each. It proved another inspired voyage as Additional Risk (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}) took home the Hong Kong Invitational Bowl and Prudent Manner (GB) (Catch The Blues) finished second in the Invitation Cup. Weld was really beginning to set the bar for international success, but in truth he was only warming up as over the next few years he would transform the landscape of international racing.

“Everybody said it couldn't be done, most people in Europe thought it was just a bridge too far.” Weld of course is talking about his ambitious G1 Melbourne Cup bid with Vintage Crop (GB) (Rousillon) in 1993. This seed of ambition was germinated almost half a century ago when Weld spent time in Australia working with the renowned vet Percy Sykes while also utilising his time wisely by riding track-work for Tommy Smith in the mornings.

“From that time it was always an ambition of mine to bring a horse back to win the Melbourne Cup and I firmly believe Vintage Crop would have won it in 1992 except we couldn't get him there.” Those naysayers talking about a bridge too far had a point, as Weld explains, “He was entered in the 1992 race but the quarantine facilities weren't appropriate and it would have been impossible. There was only one quarantine facility where all the mares and stallions went to but there were no training facilities available. In fairness to David Burke, who was the chairman of Flemington at the time, when he saw Vintage Crop entered he made contact with us and he promised to implement the necessary facilities for the following year.”

So a year later Vintage Crop, fresh from his G1 Irish St Leger win, and Lord Huntingdon's Drum Taps (Dixieland Band), became the first horses from Europe to be sent to contest Australia's most iconic race. Given no chance by the Australian media, Vintage Crop belied his 28-1 odds to win and, having achieved the 'unachievable,' Weld set about finding his next Cup horse, though not before returning twice more with Vintage Crop, who finished seventh in 1994 and third a year later.

The Irishman's quest to unearth another horse for the great staying contest actually yielded two, and in 2002 he returned to Melbourne with a pair of live chances for the great race. By now Australian pundits had cottoned on to the fact that Weld was a man to take ultra seriously when he dispatched a horse abroad and that was confirmed when Media Puzzle (Theatrical {Ire}) landed the G3 Geelong Cup two weeks before the main event. Despite that success, Media Puzzle was only second favourite, behind his stablemate and travelling companion Vinnie Roe (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}), who at that stage had won two of his four Irish St Legers. In another brilliant training feat Media Puzzle came out on top under Damien Oliver with Vinnie Roe a gallant fourth under top weight.

“It was one of the most enjoyable sights of my training career watching Media Puzzle and Vinnie Roe turning into the straight in the Melbourne Cup battling for the lead and knowing nothing was likely to catch them,” Weld remembers. “Vinnie Roe was the best horse I brought who didn't win a Melbourne Cup; he returned two years later and was second to Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}), giving her five pounds and I thought on the day he was a shade unlucky not to beat her.”

He continues, “Every year the trip got easier, people don't realise how more straightforward it has become compared to what we had to do in the early days. It was a long, long flight when Vintage Crop won it.”

When the Weld horse lorry set off for Epsom last year with subsequent G1 Derby hero Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) safely ensconced, one could be forgiven for thinking that this short hop across the Irish Sea would be plain sailing, yet it turned out to be one journey that Weld will never forget. It was well documented that Harzand spread a plate on the way to Epsom and his participation in the Derby was up in the air for much of the build up to the race.

“That episode added a lot of suspense to the race for sure. It was touch and go whether he would make the race and it was only in the final moments that we were happy he was okay to take his chance. It all worked out though and that was a proud day, and equally so when Harzand went on to win a third Irish Derby for me later that month at The Curragh,” says the trainer.

So where next? There aren't many racing nations left on Weld's to-do list but he still feels he has some unfinished business. “We've won Group 1 races on four continents and I've been looking towards South Africa for many years but with the quarantine facilities and African Horse Sickness it hasn't been practical. I have ridden a winner in South Africa, in Pietermaritzburg, so I suppose I have laid down some sort of a marker there.”

An accomplished amateur, Weld also rode winners in America, France and Britain having notched his first winner in the saddle at age 15 aboard a horse called Ticonderoga at Galway. A lifetime of achievements have followed and he celebrated his 4,000th winner as a trainer at Naas last year.

“When I started out we were really only racing twice, maybe three times a week , so I think it's a reasonable achievement,” he says. When pressed about a possible bid for 5,000 winners Weld stresses that he is keener to focus on quality over quantity. “I am in the process of reducing numbers to focus more on quality; we have had fewer runners this year because we have slightly fewer horses. Around 100 horses is a nice number to have and my emphasis going forward will be on quality.”

This aim should be eminently achievable when his client base of owners includes the likes of Moyglare Stud, the Aga Khan, Juddmonte, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Calumet Farm and Newtown Anner Stud. Moyglare Stud is celebrating its 45th year of sponsoring the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and Weld believes they have been owners at Rosewell House for 40 of those years.

“It was wonderful to train for Mr Haefner and now I'm equally appreciative to train for Eva-Maria [Bucher Haefner]. I've trained for Sheikh Hamdan for 28 years and Juddmonte have been on board for 10 or 11 years and I've been fortunate enough to train some wonderful horses for all of them over the years,” he notes.

That same longevity has extended to his stable jockeys with Weld employing only two senior jockeys in the last 30 years: Michael Kinane and Pat Smullen. “A lot of work goes into training horses, owners are kind enough to send me these horses to train, many who they have bred themselves following a lot of thought and effort. I think it is so important then to be able to call on the best jockey to complete the final link in the chain.” He continues, “When I think of some of the rides both Michael and Pat have given my horses over the years, one of Michael's that sticks out is Brief Truce when they won the [G1] St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot in 1992. He was the outsider in a race that featured Arazi and Rodrigo De Triano and Michael got him up to win a short head; it was some ride. Pat won a [G1] 2000 Guineas for me on Refuse To Bend and he was brilliant that day. Also when I think of his ride on Dress To Thrill in the [GI] Matriarch S. in 2002 on his first ride in California, that was outstanding.”

With the retirement last season of multiple Group 1 winners Harzand and Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) Weld recognises it will be difficult to add to his Group 1 haul this year but is more than hopeful that he has a number of future stars coming through the ranks. “The last three years were exceptional so I knew we would suffer in the early part of this year at least, but my strength with the current team lies in later in the season. I don't believe in rushing horses, so hopefully we will have some nice 2-year-olds coming on stream towards the end of the season.”

Moyglare Stud's sale-topping 3-year-old filly Tocco D'Amore (Ire) (Raven's Pass) was tagged a 'TDN Rising Star' when she made a sparkling debut at Naas in early April, and she is another to look forward to in the latter part of the season after her current short break back at the stud. Another interesting addition to the team is The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), whom he hopes to run in about three weeks' time.

Weld is constantly seeking to add value to his horses, in particular the fillies he trains for owner-breeders. Calumet Farm's Sea Swift (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) was second in a listed race at Gowran Park last month and upon perusal of the European pattern book, the trainer has decided a suitable stakes-winning opportunity has presented itself this week in Baden-Baden. Having won a similar race at Dortmund last autumn, Weld knows exactly what is required to be successful and it appears certain that this pioneer of international travel won't be putting his passport away any time soon.