Tough Times For The Inghams But Cerise Silks Shine Through

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday December 13, 2008

Craig Young

THE famed cerise silks of the Ingham family return to racing at Rosehill today. The patriarch and co-founder of the famed Woodlands Stud empire, now under the Darley Stud banner, took time out yesterday from a ferocious Friday schedule to talk about the return.

"Friday is the real work day and I'm preparing for a board meeting at 2pm this afternoon," Bob Ingham said. The financial downturn has hit Ingham's massive chicken business, with the 77-year-old describing it "as real tough, real tough", but warning: "We've been at it a long time."

At an age when many are slowing down, Ingham still attends the Liverpool offices of Ingham Inc seven days a week. "What would I do with myself?" Ingham said. "I've been working in the business since I was 14."

Along with late brother Jack, he developed a thoroughbred, racing, breeding and training establishment unmatched in these parts. Earlier this year Ingham was approached by Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed, with an offer that could not be refused.

Woodlands Stud's two studs, pre-training and spelling farms, stables at Warwick Farm and Flemington, along with more than 1000 thoroughbreds were sold for a reported $450 million.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me," Ingham said. "It was an easy decision to sell, very easy when you are dealing with someone with the money to buy it. I never dreamt someone would come along and buy the operation and it had to be done like it was, it couldn't be broken up. They had to come in and walk out with everything."

Ingham had no doubt Darley would make it a great success but said showing a profit would be tough. "It is a hard business but they don't need the money," he said. "They are passionate about racing, about the horse."

Cashed up, Ingham set about attacking the latest William Inglis & Son Easter Sale earlier this year. "I bought 24 horses: 17 fillies and seven colts," he said. "They cost $18,250,000."

One of those colts is Stryker, which runs in today's opening race. When Ingham sold out, trainer Peter Snowden also linked with Darley. Ingham found a young Kiwi working out of Rosehill named Chris Waller to be his new trainer.

"I always sit watching the races on Saturday," Ingham said. "I settle down on the couch with the TV on. I'm there before the first race starts and there until the last is completed in Sydney or Melbourne. I used to watch all the trainers and I saw this young bloke, I made a few inquiries and he came up trumps."

Waller didn't need to think hard about what had transpired.

"I remember getting a message on my paging service saying, 'Please ring Bob Ingham'," Waller recalled. "I picked my phone up. I can still feel the way my body felt, it was numb, without a word of a lie. I started walking round in my office and rang him, said, 'Mr Ingham, it is Chris Waller'."

Matter-of-factly Waller states: "From that very first moment he made me feel so welcome. What I have learnt since is the whole family is the same: unbelievably supportive people. It is obviously a huge honour to be training for Mr Ingham."

Stryker was an impressive winner of a Rosehill barrier trial and was subsequently given an easy time when second in a heat at Warwick Farm eight days ago.

"Apart from the obvious he is a very nice horse," Waller said. "He still has a lot of improvement in him. Has done everything right, well educated, for that reason he has put his hand up and said he wants to be the first runner in the cerise for Chris Waller."

Ingham paid $600,000 for Stryker, with another passionate race player and mate Lloyd Williams helping out at the sales.

"I had five blokes that went around and looked at the horses for me and Lloyd Williams was the boss," Ingham said. "He ran the show, he bought them. He spent a few days there and had three of his vets with him. We'll see how good a judge he is in 12 months' time."

The start of the next yearling sale phase starts at the Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast next month but Ingham isn't giving anything away.

"I haven't even thought about buying," he said. "I've got to see how these ones go."

The cerise is back.