The fortunes of the frugal

Last year Cranbourne trainer Enver Jusufovic decided he needed to buy some well-bred, athletic horses to improve his profile and his bank balance.

Jusufovic – “just call me EJ” for obvious reasons – went to the Melbourne Premier Yearling sale with the aim bringing home a horse or two, albeit on a budget short on numbers.

I have known Jusufovic for a few years; since friends of mine bought a colt out of the paddock on my recommendation and sent the youngster to him to train. The colt, Lemrac Lad (b c 2001, Orpen (IRE)-Lemrac Lady, by Luskin Star) went on to become a handy galloper, winning three races before injury sidelined him.

Jusufovic asked me to join him in his 2009 quest to rebuild his team – “value for money” was the catchcry. It’s always nice to attend a yearling sale with a purpose. We decided that the best value was to look for proven stallions where there was little hype – because where there is hype at a horse sale, there is certainly no value.

We worked hard, combing the grounds like cleaners after a Grand Final at the MCG, and finished up with a short list of about eight horses. Some were just too much money, others were rejected on veterinary advice.

It took until lot 501 before Jusufovic could raise his hand with success. He parted with only $15,000 for a Rock Of Gibraltar colt from Manistique (by Miswaki (USA)). The colt was offered by Tim Johnson’s Ealing Park, and although he was smallish and bit light, he was well balanced, a good walker and there was something about him that suggested there was a lot of improvement for the future. His sire was very much in limbo after mixed results in Australia, although worldwide the Stakes-winning success of his progeny made for better reading. Johnson confided that the colt wasn’t raised on his Euroa property and he arrived too late in the preparation to have the “full polish” for the sale that Johnson would have liked.

The youngster had a terrific international pedigree, as his dam’s half-sister, Lady Sluzan, was a multiple Group 1 winner in North America. View his pedigree.

The colt, as expected, slowly matured into a quality animal, and with a good deal of talent. Racing as a gelding named Senior Marakesh, he is a winner at Bairnsdale between impressive fourths at Moonee Valley and Sandown from only three starts in December/January. Jusufovic has sent him to the paddock with a lot to look forward to.

The second purchase was $17,500 for a colt by Fusaichi Pegasus from the Raise A Cup mare Quetta, lot 611, offered by Erinvale Thoroughbreds. The bay was an athletic animal and he walked with great purpose. We were confident that the colt wouldn’t bring a lot of money, as the Fusaichi Pegasus breed were “off the boil”, it was late in the sale and colt was to be sold unreserved.

The dam Quetta, was an old mare born in 1989, and she had left only four winners from nine foals, but she had left a smart, Stakes-placed filly in La Reata, and her dam, Taj El Baba, was a sister to the VRC Oaks winner Taj Eclipse.

Today at Terang, the Fusaichi Pegasus colt, now a gelding named (unfortunately) Horse Fly, landed a plunge ($7 into $2.70) to win his first race start. It was an impressive performance from a green, stylish horse who looks like he will benefit from more time and more distance than today’s 1200m. View his pedigree and Sire Cam video.

Jusufovic, who fills his stables with pre-trainers for Robbie Griffiths, is one of a long line of good, dedicated young trainers trying to make a living out of a difficult game. It’s not easy to find the right horses, harder to find the right owners. Diligent work and frugal buying at the sales means that he has a loyal band of owners that are now reaping the rewards.

Photo: Enver Jusufovic with one of his horses at his Cranbourne stables.