Welcome to TDNAusNZ’s ‘It Takes A Team’, brought to you in conjunction with Thoroughbred Industry Careers. Here we highlight and celebrate some of the heroes of our industry. The strappers, riders, stud-workers and people behind the scenes of our champions. The people who are up late into the night foaling or up at the crack of dawn to trackwork, working tirelessly to keep the industry running.

Today we talk to a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program, who has used all of the contacts and experiences offered to him through the course to gain a leg up in the industry. Dane Robinson is the Racing Manager of Highclere Racing and attributes the success in his career so far to the Flying Start course and the mentors he has met along the way.

Dane Robinson - Highclere Racing Manager

TDN: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, how did you get started in the industry?

Dane: I grew up in a family of horse men and women on the South Coast of NSW. My grandfather Kevin Robinson and father Terry have been training for decades. Pop was a legend in his day in harness racing and along with the help of his family, steered the stable towards thoroughbreds in the 90’s, before his passing in 2005. Dad still trains thoroughbreds out of his Shoalhaven Heads property where we have access to Seven Mile Beach to work the horses. In my opinion, it’s one of the world’s best surfaces and environments to train a racehorse.

While sport and school took priority, I got involved doing weekend stable shifts and took every opportunity to be at the races with either Dad or my uncle Robert Price, who trains with my cousin Luke out of Kembla Grange.

A new formula is making racing accessible to hundreds of new owners. We sat down with CEO Steve Brown to find out what that formula is and to hear about 500 new owners' journey to the Magic Millions.

Over 500 owners, many of whom have never owned a horse before, will embark on what miRunners CEO Steve Brown hopes will be the journey of a lifetime when Not a Royal Doubt (Not A Single Doubt) debuts in Saturday's Magic Millions Clockwise Classic at Ballarat.

miRunners' unique model breaks horse ownership down into 1000 units, with buyers able to purchase as little as one unit for a small initial outlay and an ongoing monthly fee.

In the case of Not A Royal Doubt, it has given a wealth of small-time owners the opportunity to have a share in a $250,000 (ex-gst) filly, trained by the legendary Gai Waterhouse and her co-trainer Adrian Bott.

Not A Royal Doubt is co-trained by Gai Waterhouse

Widden Stud's exciting young sire Zoustar always looked to have a strong hand in the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday with three top chances and they delivered the dream result with a sensational win for Sunlight, the lone filly in the field over Zousain and Lean Mean Machine. 


Winner of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, the Tony McEvoy trained filly was dominant over the colts last season so it wasn't the hardest choice for him to allow Sunlight to take her chance against the colts in this elite sprint worth $1million.

Arrowfield Stud principal John Messara, AM has today announced the acquisition of a 50 per cent interest in Australia's top colt The Autumn Sun from owner Hermitage Thoroughbreds.

He says, "I am very pleased to join Hermitage in the ownership of The Autumn Sun to race him and then develop his breeding career.

"It just seems Arrowfield is the rightful place for this colt's future at stud – after all, we bred and sold him in partnership with The Aga Khan Studs, and we launched and stood his champion sire and grand-sire."

"He has physique, athleticism and pedigree, all of the highest order, and I couldn't be more excited about the prospect of standing him at Arrowfield."


The Autumn Sun winning the BRC JJ Atkins S. G1. (PHOTO: Mark Gatt)

John Messara also assumes responsibility for managing The Autumn Sun's racing career.