Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Rob Archibald made an unselfish call to stay in Sydney instead of joining co-trainer and partner Annabel Neasham on a plane to Melbourne, which meant he missed seeing his first Group 1 triumph trackside as a conditioner.
But it is this team-first attitude which is typical of the Neasham operation, and a large reason why Sunshine In Paris (Invader) saluted in the $3 million Champions Sprint over 1200 metres at Flemington on Saturday.
The 5-year-old mare was expertly ridden by champion jockey James McDonald, who drove her between Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Baraqiel (Snitzel) before launching for home inside the final 100 metres and beating runner-up Right To Party (Zoustar) by 0.15l on the line.
After the race, Neasham said she felt bad for Archibald and wished he was standing beside her to experience the euphoria of winning his first Group 1 as her fellow trainer in such thrilling fashion.
Annabel Neasham after winning the G1 Champions Sprint at Flemington | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
But the former Australian polo standout was still on a high when talking about his feat this week, putting his teammates first and staying back in the New South Wales capital to help prepare their runners for the 10-race card at Rosehill.
“Not at all (do I regret not being in Melbourne). I’ve only been training for five minutes, so I’m really pleased that Annabel was down there,” he told The Thoroughbred Report.
“She’s worked hard and got the business to where it is today. I just felt very fortunate to be on the training ticket with her, and I was just happy the horse got the win.
“She’s (Annabel Neasham) worked hard and got the business to where it is today. I just felt very fortunate to be on the training ticket with her, and I was just happy the horse (Sunshine In Paris) got the win.” - Rob Archibald
“I wasn’t too worried about being in Sydney.”
Archibald was Neasham’s racing manager, before gaining approval from Racing NSW to be her co-trainer in August.
He has previously worked for David Simcock and Hugo Palmer in the United Kingdom, then the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable and for Coolmore.
The skilled horseman has always been impressed with Neasham’s work ethic, who also worked for Waterhouse and excelled under Ciaron Maher, before becoming the head of Maher's Sydney stable at Warwick Farm.
Rob Archibald and Annabel Neasham | Image courtesy of Annabel Neasham Racing
In the 2020-21 racing season, Neasham was granted 36 boxes to begin her solo training career, and her rise as a conditioner has been rapid.
Saturday was her 11th Group 1 victory after travelling to Australia on a working holiday in 2016, and loving the country so much that she decided to stay.
Like Archibald, she too has outstanding horsemanship capabilities, winning the Mongol Derby over 1000km and across 10 days in 2018.
Neasham is now very business savvy and a fine leader of horses and people, according to Archibald.
Adrian Corboy and Annabel Neasham, winner of the 2018 Mongol Derby | Image courtesy of Mongol Derby
“She leads by example and works very hard. She’s a great trainer and she’s built up a really solid business,” he said.
“Now it’s about trying to consolidate that and just improve little things as we go along.
“She’s a good leader, hard worker and deserves all the success that’s come her way.
“I’m very proud to be a part of the team, and hopefully we can keep building on it.
“She’s (Annabel Neasham) a good leader, hard worker and deserves all the success that’s come her way. I’m very proud to be a part of the team, and hopefully we can keep building on it.” - Rob Archibald
“I think it (winning the Champions Sprint) was a good reward for everybody. She (Sunshine In Paris) is a really good mare and she deserved that.
“It’ll probably take a while for it to sink in, but it’s great.”
It could be the first of many G1 wins
While it might take a while for Archibald to process Saturday’s achievement, he is destined to share a lot more success alongside Neasham.
An outstanding polo career after growing up in a successful polo family in Scone put him on the trajectory to join the exclusive elite trainers’ club as a Group 1 winner.
Rob Archibald playing polo
“I think it (being a polo player) definitely has helped. It’s been a good grounding. I’ve spent my whole life with horses, mostly riding them and competing in various tournaments around the world,” he said.
“I think a lot of training is just keeping horses happy and healthy and fit, and that was a big part of what I did as a polo player.
“That combined with spending a fair bit of time with Gai Waterhouse and a few trainers in England, so I’d like to think that’s put me in relatively good stead.
“I think it (being a polo player) definitely has helped. That combined with spending a fair bit of time with Gai Waterhouse and a few trainers in England, so I’d like to think that’s put me in relatively good stead. - Rob Archibald
“And I had a good couple of years with Annabel before training, so I’ve got a good grounding.
“There’s still so much to learn, and you never stop learning. The polo has definitely helped.”
Archibald recently returned to Scone to help his training operation set up a 30-box complex, after relinquishing its boxes at Rosehill.
Neasham and Archibald train over 300 horses, but now only have two sites to manage – Warwick Farm and Scone.
And they have both been delighted with their expansion into the Hunter Valley.
Annabel Neasham Racing horses training at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“We had a stable at Rosehill, and we decided we didn’t want two bases in Sydney. We just wanted it all under one roof,” Archibald said.
“So we shut the Rosehill stable down and took the opportunity to get 30 boxes in Scone.
“We think that’ll offer our owners more options. It gives us an opportunity to train some of our country horses in the country, rather than in Sydney.
“The Scone facilities are fantastic – they’ve got really good access to grass, which at times can be hard in Sydney.
“So we’ll get some of our better horses on the grass earlier in their preparations, which is a plus.
“And also a nice country environment can suit some of the slightly hotter fillies in training. They can start off up there, and it gives them a really good start.”
It has been a full-on schedule for Archibald since becoming Neasham’s co-trainer in August, tasked with overseeing so many competitive horses.
But he is someone who has always enjoyed a challenge, while adding the operation won’t be expanding anytime soon.
“It’s a great challenge. We love what we do. It keeps us busy, and we’re very fortunate that we’ve got a really good team of people behind us that we rely on to take some responsibility as well,” he said.
“It’s a big team effort, but we love it. If you want to compete against the best, you need an army of horses behind you to help you do that.
“It’s a big team effort, but we love it. If you want to compete against the best, you need an army of horses behind you to help you do that.” - Rob Archibald
“I don’t think we envisage getting any bigger than we are. We’re pretty happy with our number. We feel like we’ve got a really good handle on that number.
“We do have a great team of people behind us that allow us to do a good job with those horses.”
Mare's form built to shine bright for Champions Sprint at Flemington
Sunshine In Paris displayed continual improvement in her preparation leading into Saturday’s G1 Champions Sprint, winning the G2 Sheraco S., coming fifth in the $20 million The Everest and finishing 1.79l behind Everest winner Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) in the Russell Balding S.
The only slight concern Archibald had was whether his mare would back up for the first time from her excellent performance in the Balding S. at Rosehill on November 2, fighting hard for second place after she was second last at the turn for home.
Sunshine In Paris returns to scale after winning the G1 Champions Sprint at Flemington | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
But with her coolheaded mentality, Archibald need not have worried about how the 5-year-old would handle her first start down the Flemington straight.
“She’s never had to back up, and we were just pleased with the way she travelled down,” he said.
“She was very fresh on the track. She had been ticking all the boxes and she’s been in great order all preparation.
“We were happy with the way she presented going into the run. J-Mac (McDonald) was keen to ride her, so that was a plus.
“Tommy (Berry) had done a great job with her all preparation and was dealt a couple of tough draws to deal with.”
Connections of Sunshine In Paris | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sunshine In Paris now has six wins from 13 starts for a total of $4,762,025 in prizemoney.
“First time down the straight she coped with that well, and she was at the peak of her powers to get that result on Saturday," Archibald said.
“It was a good reward for her. She deserved a result like that, and it was a good reward for the whole team, particularly her owner John Camilleri.”
“It was a good reward for her (Sunshine In Paris). She deserved a result like that, and it was a good reward for the whole team, particularly her owner John Camilleri.” - Rob Archibald
She can become a top broodmare
Sunshine In Paris was first offered for sale at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale of 2022 – two months before turning three – by Blue Sky Premium Consignment.
Bought by Champagne Bloodstock for $90,000, she brought swift rewards for her new connections, saluting in three of her first five starts, concluding in a victory in Randwick’s G1 Surround S. in February last year.
Her owners opted for a fast cash-out, and it was one they surely would not regret.
Sunshine In Paris was then acquired by Camilleri, via agent James Harron, for $3.9 million from Newgate’s draft at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, making her the second-highest lot of the auction.
Sunshine In Paris when offered via the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
By Snitzel stallion Invader, the now 10-year-old won the 2017 G1 Sires Produce S. and has produced 76 winners from 139 runners.
Sunshine In Paris was his first stakes winner.
She is out of 13-year-old Zenaida (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who has produced one other stakes winner, Macroura (Snitzel), the half-sister to Sunshine In Paris.
Macroura, now a 7-year-old broodmare, had an unnamed filly by I Am Invincible that was purchased by Seib Racing and Champion Thoroughbreds for $260,000 from Yarraman Park Stud at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Yulong bought Macroura for $1.5 million from Vinery Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Archibald said Sunshine In Paris was a smooth mover, and he believes she can go on to become an excellent broodmare.
“To look at her she’s a beautiful mover. She’s a great walker, and personality-wise she’s very tough,” he said.
“She’s tenacious and someone you want on your team. She’s a lovely mare and I think she’ll be a lovely broodmare in time.
“She’s (Sunshine In Paris) tenacious and someone you want on your team. She’s a lovely mare and I think she’ll be a lovely broodmare in time.” - Rob Archibald
“By a fair way, she’s the best of the progeny of Invader. She’s lovely physically, and no doubt one day she’ll make a lovely broodmare.”
