There is a group of Richmond premiership players who are dipping their toes into the racing caper in a bid to land a big winner at the track.
Led by Nathan Broad and Liam Baker, the Punt Road End syndicate consists of fellow flag winners Jack Riewoldt, Tom Lynch, Jayden Short and Jack Graham.
The group have shares in several horses with prominent Melbourne Cup-winning owner John O’Neill who persuaded them to buy into an international stayer named Soulcombe.
Three-time premiership defender Broad said it was an easy sell by the man who part-owns the likes of Verry Elleegant, Hitotsu and Incentivise, among many others.
“Johnny sells things very well to you,” Broad told SEN Track.
“He’s a mad man. We’ve got about four or five other horses with Johnny. He sent us a video of Soulcombe over in Europe and it was an easy yes.”
A winner of three races back home in the UK, Soulcombe is set to race first-up in Australia in the Queen’s Cup (2600m) at Flemington on the final day of the carnival on Saturday week.
Baker was asked if the intel from O’Neill has been strong so far.
“Just get on?,” Baker said.
“That’s what we’re hearing so we’ll definitely be doing that.
“We’re backing Johnny in, he tells us he’s going to be winning so we’re hoping it does.”
"Just get on?"@Richmond_FC premiership stars Nathan Broad and Liam Baker are part of the ownership group of SOULCOMBE with @mummify57.
— SENTrack (@SEN_track) October 25, 2022
He runs in the Queen's Cup at @FlemingtonVRC on Saturday week.#HorseRacing | @SENGiddyUp pic.twitter.com/0ClD96912G
Baker also said a couple of teammates, current and former, opted out of the syndicate that is chasing glory at the races.
“It’s us two (Baker and Broad), Riewoldt, Lynch, Short and Graham, there’s six of us,” he added.
“A few jumped off though, (Dion) Prestia and (Kane) Lambert.”
Broad admits the syndicate hasn’t tasted too much success as of yet, but is hoping the wins soon start rolling in.
“We haven’t had too many winners with Johnny, a lot of them are young and starting out,” said Broad.
“Hopefully Soulcombe on Saturday week will be the big one for us.
“We watched it roll around (at Flemington on Tuesday morning), it’s a massive horse and is in good nick, so we’re pretty excited for Saturday week.”
Owning a winner during the Flemington carnival would be quite the thrill, but would it be as good as winning in front of a packed house at the MCG?
Or even winning an AFL premiership?
“Probably even better, that’s what they reckon,” said Baker.
Broad added: “I said that to Johnny yesterday, I said if we can pull a Melbourne Cup one day, that’d be better than winning the flag.”
And it is the Melbourne Cup that is the path for Soulcombe who is considered a longer-term prospect for O’Neill and the broader ownership group, which includes Ozzie Kheir.
The son of Frankel could be aimed at next year’s edition of the great handicap race provided all goes well this spring and early into next year.