Racing: Busuttin's ambition keeps him striving for win

Winner: Six O'Clock News. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Trent Busuttin will walk onto New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Sales Complex full of self-confidence for a number of reasons tomorrow morning.

Cambridge-based Busuttin and his fiancée Natalie Young were the toast of Flemington racecourse last October when preparing Sangster to score a gutsy Group One victory in the $2 million Victoria Derby.

This came barely 15 months after starting out with a small group of racehorses and a dream of one day training a Group or Listed race winner.

When Busuttin's father Paddy decided to shift to Macau to continue training - Trent had to start again on his own accord as a trainer - with a small team and a burning ambition to succeed in an industry where big race stables generally dominate.

Busuttin has owners keen to invest in his judgment at selecting, developing and training racehorses and he has been busy over the last month inspecting a stack of yearlings before the New Zealand Bloodstock Sales kick off at Karaka.

"This is the first year I've walked on to Karaka with buying orders from owners and it has meant a lot of hard work from all our staff," said Busuttin.

"Winning the Victoria Derby has helped generate more interest from current and potential new owners to reinvest into the thoroughbred industry.

"It's always tough for New Zealand trainers to compete with the international buying bench that will be present in Auckland for the Premier Sale but we'll be giving it our best shot.

"I believe the biggest risk you can take as a trainer is taking no risk and that's the reason why I'm taking so much time to inspect a lot of yearlings as I want to buy quality horses to strengthen the depth of our stable."

Busuttin is quick to deflect a lot of the praise for the outstanding success his stable has had this season onto a hard working staff including his fiancée Natalie Young.

"The stable won a Group Two and Group race at Trentham over the last week with Six O'Clock News and he's Natalie's horse as she does everything with him.

"She's an outstanding track work rider and it's always good having someone with that knowledge riding your horses in training as the feedback is worth its weight in gold."

Stablestar Sangster is on track to kick off his 2012 campaign in the feature weight-for-age 1400m sprint at Te Rapa in a few weeks time.

Sangster will most probably head to Melbourne and Sydney for a busy summer-autumn racing campaign.

"He's come up well and we'll take it race by race but I'd like to have him in top order for Melbourne and Sydney with the AJC Derby the autumn target.

"I don't want to be known as a trainer who had great success with just one horse. I believe anyone can train a Group One winner as Group One horses train themselves as they're that good.

"The challenge is on me to keep bringing through quality horses year after year and placing the horses to the best advantage of their owners."

Life as a thoroughbred trainer is tough.

Busuttin starts work at 4am in the morning but to compete and excel means sacrifice and doing the hard yards is part and parcel of an industry where race day wins are the yardstick trainers are measured by.

Sic O'Clock news completed a magical carnival for Busuttin and Young overpowering the opposition to win the $200,000 (Group Two) Wellington Cup at Trentham yesterday.

The 7-Year-Old Zabeel-sired gelding worked forward three wide with cover over the closing 600m to outclass and out stay scoring by a length over Spiro and The Jungle Boy (third).

This followed a determined victory seven days earlier in the Trentham Stakes (Group Three, Weight-For-Age).

Six O'Clock News was a sitting duck for any runner good enough to catch him in the home stretch but won with a great deal in hand.

"He's won with 56kg on his back today and we'll now have to sit down and really put some thought into what we do with him now," said co-trainer Busuttin after the race.

"The Auckland Cup is definitely one race we'll have to now consider but he is a horse that does need a few things to go his way to win."

The hot favourite Green Supreme was given a dream sit by jockey James McDonald close to the leaders throughout and appeared to strike traffic problems at the top of the home stretch.

However McDonald eased the favourite down to a walk and finished well back.