Sure, it would have been nice to win a Guineas so soon into your training career.
But if it wasn’t one to be named after a leafy south-east Melbourne suburb last spring, why not after the great southern land you now call home in autumn. (It's only 104 days if anyone is counting).
Forget that redemption babble, racing doesn’t play to such. Dom Sutton achieved so much more than that this past weekend.
Ok, those pedantic accountants will mention that piffling thing that the Caulfield Guineas version was worth $1.8m to the winner and the Australian edition at Flemington on Saturday $600,000, none too shabby to be sure, but to young Sutton, it’s a priceless result and one that marks a bold investment in a burgeoning futures market.
Some will say Sutton, 29, former amateur rider (he had a category b-grade licence) from Gloucestershire in south-west England, not far from Cheltenham, is now “the next big thing” in the Australian horse training ranks.
Sutton will not be one of those - but looking like a candidate from central casting for a West Point naval character, with that buzz-cut and always preened presentation, there is a somewhat military precision to the quick promotions he has achieved so early in his career and with clear paths and structures to further graduations from that first Group 1 victory Saturday with Feroce.
Oh yes, just to underline he’s got some clue, he sent out a $41 chance in Carolina Breeze to land a maiden and the $8 Perfect Gold in a benchmark 64 at Bendigo for fun Sunday wins, whilst buying $380,000 yearlings at Inglis Premier, but none of this to show off.
It was all evident in the Flemington’s winner’s room, surrounded by most of those who had played their significant roles in the Sutton story so far.
None more so than his father Nick, himself a one-time amateur rider, (both father and son
shared a winner in the saddle on the same card) – but Nick’s success in the corporate car leasing and fleet management business in the UK establishing Provecta and selling to Zenith, has allowed him to underpin his son’s own equine stock fleet.
But then who else to do that with than dual hemisphere bloodstock agent Johnny McKeever – who both will agree they might have “mucked around” a little together in their youth. “We’ve been mates forever, since we were teenagers, used to get into a bit of trouble,” said Nick in unison with Johnny.
None to suggest it was misspent, and a lot less now, but there they are holding Saturday’s Guineas trophy, like proud schoolkids as much as even better mentors.
Of course, the ubiquitous John Kanga, the saviour of the cross-town Melbourne Racing Club lands a spot, he’s part-owner in Feroce, probably a little busy to help VRC CEO Kylie Rogers and chairman Neil Wilson with their issues at Flemington, after all there is only so much water one Kanga can walk across.
But Kanga was sought out by Sutton to set up the business structure, and Feroce, the third horse Dom bought at Ready To Run sales, (already gelded, already named – it meaning something like fierce or savage) became a Kanga product and would you welcome the “AFL Premiers” syndicate – that include Brisbane Lions triple heroes Craig McCrae and Justin Leppitsch, who thankfully for Kanga helped out his beloved Collingwood Magpies in 2023, as coach and assistant.
And as McRae’s fame became as much the easy media story in the mounting yard on Saturday he was quick to note: “Footy really starts next Sunday, for me this is a memory we (and wife Gabrielle) will cherish this forever. But after that, there’s no chance, I’ll have to read about it in the papers.” (Pies fans and Kanga rejoice!)
Yet then amongst all this, perhaps none more so Saturday than Sutton’s shy long-term partner (well he says “equal”) - Raquel Bennett - who he met on a supposed short term look around trip at Chris Waller’s a decade ago, he’s still here, both now engaged, and shackled together personally and professionally.
Sure, in that Flemington winner’s room there is Feroce’s jockey’s Billy Egan’s mum and dad, rare racetrack visitors, prolific owner Sonny Roth, the opposite, knows about winning races, try a Melbourne Cup with Gold Trip, and later he's tipping us all winners at Wangaratta in a 58!
There's also Stewart Andrew from England, a close mate of the Sutton’s, he’s got one of the favourites for the Grand National at Aintree – Nick Rockett it’s called if you fancy a long-range bet, and if Guy Ritchie need a character and voice for his next London movie, Stewart’s the man. And of course, Simon Chappell, a foundation father with Nick Sutton in many of the Sutton racing horses is also out from England.
Which is a long way of getting to Dom Sutton over a Furphy- that’s the club’s sponsored beer, not a grandiose story, but Sutton is without fluster or bluster.
And yet Sutton’s first words at the official presentation for the Guineas victory were not of gloat for himself but for the sadly departed Mike Moroney, his family and friends, a man he worked alongside those sometimes-long mornings at Flemington, when dreams as such were way off.
“Everyone’s very emotional, especially the guys who shared a [trainers’] hut with him for the last 20-odd years,” Sutton said.
“He was a champion bloke, and it’s extremely unfortunate for him to have his life cut short to a horrible disease, but he’ll be long remembered by everyone in the training ranks.”
It took even took Nick Sutton back – “I don’t know where that came from, must be his mother, I’m very proud of him for that.”
Which is perhaps where this story starts, but as bloodlines never do, finish.
“Our family has a long history in racing,” Sutton says.
“My grandmother (father’s mother) was an owner breeder, did a lot of hunting and point to pointing,” Sutton says.
“My dad rode as an amateur (we’ve got that) over the fences, my brother (Ben) is an amateur jockey (won the Novice’s men’s championship a couple of seasons back), my cousin Harry Bailey works for Inglis (was bid spotting Sunday), his father Kim is a champion jumps trainer (a Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle so yes he sure is.)
“My stepfather on my mother’s side is a steward (at Sandown,) so you see we cover all bases in racing.
“It was always a path I was going to be taking, but I never thought it would be training,” he said.
“I tried to be a jockey for a little bit, but quickly realised that wasn’t for me, weight was always going to get the better of me. And I didn’t fancy driving up and down the freeway riding bad horses over fences and getting injuries.
“So, I made decision, like so many English and Irish do, come here and see what we can do.”
Chris Waller was his first point of call, something, and the trainer who took 3307 days from when Ocean Rush gave him a maiden winner to Triple Honour, his first group 1 (if anyone is counting) remembers him fondly.
As reference, Feroce was Sutton’s first runner at Moonee Valley in March 2024, his first winner, at Pakenham two weeks later and now 345 days into a career his first Group 1. (Just counting).
Yes, Waller has won 172 more top level Group 1’s since, not to mention 4417 more races, Sutton is 1 and 10 – but Waller gets it.
“A good horseman, a quiet achiever,” Waller said Sunday of Sutton.
“I can see Dom is doing it the right way, slowly chipping away, he’s letting his skills develop.
“He’s not an outgoing spruiker type person and I think that gets you a long way. It takes you a lot longer to your head above water, but once you are it has got some substance,” Waller said.
Suggesting Sutton is Waller like in terms of approach, strategy, personal and presentation, Waller reflects:
“I remember him as a good track rider who his fellow workers liked, they always spoke highly of him. The people he has around him today, wouldn’t be there if they didn’t see the same things I did.”
Sutton mentions the structures, the Winx years.
“I learned about how systems and bigger stables worked, how things run, how horses are cared for, how to travel them, it was invaluable, and then I got the chance to work and become and assistant with the Corstens' at Malua.”
“Obviously that (Malua) experience was another fantastic opportunity and to become an assistant trainer was something to treasure before we made the decision to go on our own.
“It seems we’ve grown rapidly, as soon as we’ve felt like we’ve been getting steady and plateauing it seems like there’s been another growth (Ballarat to Flemington), it’s all about adapting and making sure you have the right people around you.”
“At the moment it’s quality rather than quantity, we have been well supported, we have 60 horses, about 40 of those in work, it’s a nice number to manage as is, but with Raquel, she’s as much a boss as I am, we will work out the best way possible.”
There were relentless media enquiries, interviews Sunday at the sales, and why not? So, there should be. And Dom Sutton? Polite, respectful, some Pepsi Max, and all without a hint of effort or any affront.
He is getting used to it, and we should be.
THE RAPID RISE OF DOM SUTTON
Days from first career winner to first Group 1
CHRIS WALLER
Ocean Run – Waipukurau April 1999
Triple Honour – Randwick Doncaster April 2008
3307 days
BJORN BAKER
Sky Grace – Bathurst September 2011
Music Magnate - Eagle Farm Stradbroke 2016
1706 days
PETER MOODY
Ebony Way - Eagle Farm December 1998
Amalfi - Flemington Victory Derby November 2001
1041 Days
BEN & JD HAYES
Zaydani - Eagle Farm June 2021
Mr Brightside - Caulfield Memsie Stakes April 2022
278 days (Note Ben and JD took over the licence and stable when father David left for Hong Kong).
When brother Will joined as a trio- Mr Brightside gave them a first Group 1 under that banner, just 32 days after their first registered with Powerbound on the Pakenham synthetic.
ANNABEL NEASHAM
Commanding Missile Warwick Farm August 2020 (1st runner)
Mo’Unga Rosehill Guineas March 2021
214 Days
DOMINIC SUTTON
Feroce Pakenham March 2024
Feroce Flemington March 2025
345 days
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