Cover image courtesy of Evergreen Stud Farm
Continuing The Thoroughbred Report’s ‘Breaker’s Insight’ series, TTR AusNZ’s next stop was Evergreen Stud Farm, where we spoke with Johnny Butler.
From working with horses in the bush to moving into racing, Johnny Butler understands how lucky he is to be working with the quality of horses that come through the system at Evergreen Stud Farm.
“It’s a great life, a hard life, but it really is a great life. I’m so lucky here at Evergreen Stud. The Bott family are truly fantastic people to work for. I originally worked for them for three years, then went elsewhere for 20 years, and am now back. This is a great family to work for, on a fantastic farm. We have a 1400-metre track, 75 boxes and all the facilities. This year, we did 92 horses for Waterhouse and Bott, and all up 111 horses.”
A privilege to work with such quality horses, but with some challenges
“It was a lot harder working with bush horses, so this is a privilege. It’s getting harder and harder to find riders and breakers to work in this trade too. When I was in the Hunter, we lost many good staff to the mines as they could make more money there."
Johnny Butler | Image courtesy of Evergreen Stud Farm
Evergreen Stud, run by Tony Bott and family, is situated in Heatherbrae, NSW, and does all the education and pre-training for the mighty Gai Waterhouse stable, thanks to Tony's son Adrian being a co-trainer there.
“The trainers and Racing NSW haven’t really caught on to the lack (of staff). (Early education) is the most important part of a horse’s life, you don’t want to send them to just anyone. And if you want the best people, you’ve got to pay them properly. Owners spend good money for training fees, so breakers should be the same.
“(Early education) is the most important part of a horse’s life, you don’t want to send them to just anyone. And if you want the best people, you’ve got to pay them properly.” - Johnny Butler
“Trackwork riders are still getting paid the same as 20 years ago. Strappers work so hard, usually six days a week, for barely any wages, and we wonder why we don’t get staff. It’s getting harder and harder every year to get general workers, let alone specialist workers like breakers. Let’s talk about the pathways for strappers, trackwork riders, breakers, barrier attendants, for everyone who works behind the scenes because without those people, there wouldn’t be racing."
Butler is passionate about educating people, as much as horses, understanding the staffing issues facing racing and pondering how best to communicate the opportunities in racing to youth.
“If you are from the bush, and working with cattle horses, then racing is the place to be. You’ll make a living out of racehorses, but kids just don’t know and how do we tell them about us?”
A simple but effective process for Evergreen Stud
“We try to work in group of 10 horses. We start off on a weekly basis, so the first week is 10 horses, the second week 20, third week 30 and fourth week 40, then rotate the first group of 10 out, so they all have four total weeks of initial education.
“In that time, they get the basic education, as well as exposure to everything like the treadmill and through to long trail rides. I’m a big believer in doing this away from racetracks, working where it’s easier to build confidence in a lower stress environment. A lot of breaking in complexes, their style is four weeks of education, then a spell, then come into pre-training."
Facilities in the pre-training and education portion of Evergreen Stud include 3 large barn stable complex, a nine horse walker, high performance treadmill and a 1400m synthetic training track with barriers. Each horse is well taken care of with a horse to staff ratio of 5 horses per staff member.
“We send them straight to the trainer after the initial four weeks for two weeks in the stable for more experience, so they are a little bit more advanced before they go for a spell. Since they are all individuals, some fit straight in, and others need go to-and-fro a couple of times to iron out a few things.
“We try to be as individual as possible, especially at such a young age, and the record of the Waterhouse and Bott 2-year-olds speaks for itself as how well our program is working.”
“We try to be as individual as possible, especially at such a young age, and the record of the Waterhouse and Bott 2-year-olds speaks for itself as how well our program is working.” - Johnny Butler
Last season, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained over 30 individual 2-year-old winners led by G1 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Storm Boy (Justify {USA}).
“For six months, it’s full on, a 24/7 gig. There’s not much time for ourselves, let alone anything else. It’s what I’ve always wanted to be, work very hard to be in this position for the best trainers.”
Butler’s favourite first-season sires
With over 100 youngsters through the system, Butler talked through a few of his favourites by first season sires.
“It’s very hard at this point, they are only hacking around at half-pace waiting for their bones to develop, so it’s hard to judge them. Some will embarrass you later as they develop into something special from not much. Horses can make you look silly, it’s a fine line picking them. I got lucky with Storm Boy and Alabama Express and the likes.”
King Kirk (Ole Kirk), trial winner on September 23, headlined the three Ole Kirks through Evergreen Stud in 2024.
“The Ole Kirks are lovely early forward going types that look like they’ll be early. Good constitutions, and love their work. I had three and couldn’t fault them at all, especially King Kirk.”
King Kirk, who runs in Saturday’s G3 Breeders’ Plate, was sold twice. First for $200,000 as a weanling by Rosari Farm to Redwell Bloodstock, and then as a yearling he was offered through a Widden Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where he was bought for $300,000 by MyRacehorse, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and Belmont Bloodstock.
“The Ole Kirks are lovely early forward going types that look like they’ll be early. Good constitutions, and love their work. I had three and couldn’t fault them at all, especially King Kirk.” - Johnny Butler
“The Farnans are lovely quiet gentle horses, who have a speedy calibre about them. I look forward to seeing those on the track and they should suit the Waterhouse/Bott style since they had the sire too. I had eight of them, all straightforward nice types.”
Time To Reign has already had a couple of trial winners. “I had a couple of homebred Time To Reigns who were compact speedy types.”
“I like the breed of the Wootton Bassetts, nice types with a great constitution for racing. The one out of Champagne Cuddles was a lovely little filly, real tough with a good attitude about her.”
“The one (by Wootton Bassett) out of Champagne Cuddles was a lovely little filly (Bottles Of Shells), real tough with a good attitude about her.” - Johnny Butler
Group 2 winner Champagne Cuddles (Not A Single Doubt) is one of many outstanding mares who went to Wootton Bassett (GB) in his first Southern Hemisphere season. Her 2-year-old filly has been named Bottles Of Shells and was offered by Coolmore Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where John Singleton paid $800,000 for her.
“North Pacifics are a very tough breed. They took a long time to come to hand and they’ve got some spirit in them, but they also coped with the work a lot too.”
A few favourites, or maybe not?
“It’s hard to pick favourites. There’s something good about all of them, except maybe a couple. As usual, the Snitzels and Zoustars stand out. Written By and Alabama Express have some nice ones and Russian Revolutions crop have been nice this season.”
When pushed to make a choice, Butler mentioned King Kirk again, and he loved the Frankel (GB) colt from Group 3-placed winner Key (Exceed And Excel). “He stood out. He won’t go early but he was a standout.”
Frankel (GB) x Key (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
This colt is Key’s first foal and he was sold by Yulong at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $800,000, bought by Waterhouse/Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds and Mt Hallowell Thoroughbreds.
“The Speak Fondly was another. I tried to buy a share in him, but he was already sold.” Speak Fondly (Northern Meteor) won the G1 Flight S. and three Group 2 races, and her 2-year-old colt Watson (Capitalist) was a $450,000 purchase by Waterhouse/Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Among the fillies, Butler mentioned three who caught his eye.
“The Bivouac from Hoss Amor was a little bit fine but very brave with a good constitution. She’s in our parade video online.”
Listed winner Hoss Amor (General Nediym) has already produced Group 3 winner Quantico (I Am Invincible) and her Bivouac 2-year-old filly was purchased by Waterhouse/Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $280,000 from Yarraman Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
“The Madam Rouge filly and the Sultry Feeling filly were both special too.”
Tristarc S. winner Madam Rouge (Zoustar)’s first foal Rosie Rouge (I Am Invincible) is the filly Bulter mentions, and she was a $1.7 million purchase by Jes Sikura/Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm/Waterhouse & Bott Racing from Widden Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Group 3 winner Sultry Feeling placed in the G1 Tatt’s Tiara, and is the dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed King’s Gambit (I Am Invincible). Her 2-year-old filly is still unnamed, by Extreme Choice, and was a $525,000 purchase by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with Kestrel Thoroughbreds from Newgate Farm’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft.
“The Madam Rouge filly (Rosie Rouge) and the Sultry Feeling filly (by Extreme Choice) were both special too.” - Johnny Butler
A shout out to two young educators
“Can I give a shout out to two up and coming breakers? Cade Hunter from Hunter Lodge in NSW and Reece Brown who is at RLB Equine at Mornington. Both are great young people, and I expect big things from both of them.”
