His father David will always be associated with training the champion galloper Vengeance Of Rain, a very underrated Hong Kong equine hero despite winning the Group 1 2007 Dubai Sheena Classic and a number of other major races.
David Ferraris, whom I dubbed “Darth” before I knew he had a son named Luke, is someone I came to know reasonably well through his friendship with an American businessman associated with Hong Kong racing and known as “Dude”.
“Dude” was an interesting character whereas David Ferraris was, without a doubt, the worst karaoke performers I have ever heard. It’s probably why he’s always so grumpy.
His father- champion horse trainer Ormond Ferraris- is a legend of the turf back in South Africa.
And then there’s Luke Ferraris.
At 22, the young South African rider who spent most of his childhood in Hong Kong when his father moved to the city in the 2003/4 season is showing all the signs where some are saying that he’s The Next Big Thing- something I’m happy yet nervous to hear as hype is a dangerous thing.
Heavy is the head that unwittingly inherits the crown, especially in the fickle world of horse racing where you’re only as good as your last winner.
Just ask my old pal Pakistan Star, below, who decided that he wasn’t cut out to be a race horse and is now known as Stan and enjoying life at Living Legends where he’s finally found his calling in life: Intuitively helping certain children with learning disabilities to find themselves.
As for Luke Ferraris, he has gone throug a transformation into something like Spider-Man, and though being a multiple Group winning jockey in South Africa, is riding with a new confidence and has become part of the enormous strides that Mark Newnham, 55, has made in the training ranks since his long awaited arrival in Hong Kong from Sydney.
As someone on the outside looking in and having known Mark since he was a rider and assistant to Lady Gai Waterhouse, here’s someone who travels under the radar, takes horses given to him that are not world beaters and help them find their mojos.
He is patient, meticulous, lacks bs, and has his ducks in a row, has the trust and loyalty of his owners and gets on with life with wife Donna and his business of training horses.
Of course, someone has to ride these horses, and with no need for a stable jockey, he appears to be taking a “riders for horses” approach and going through an “auditioning” phase.
It’s not that different to his modus operandi in Sydney where he built up strong new teams, particularly with young guns like Tyler Schiller and recent Melbourne Cup winning rider Robbie Dolan.
Knowing something about horse racing in Australia and ownership syndicates and pop up races and needing to become bigger and bigger to survive, Mark Newman is enjoying life in Hong Kong- and taking in the balance between being a horseman and trainer and leaving most of the business side of things to the HKJC.
Balance- in any business, it’s about balance, and it’s not difficult to see that the horse racing model, especially in Victoria, is going through changes that are going to be massive as, at the end of the day, and no matter how much you love your work, no one works for free.
This is why horse racing in Hong Kong has a Unique Selling Point and with room to gradually change and expand its core base that’s not getting any younger.
For a youngish trainer like Mark Newnham and riders still in their twenties like the very talented Luke Ferraris and Lyle Hewitson, Hong Kong gives them and their partners something that they won’t find anywhere else- support systems, financial rewards and enormous career opportunities.
It’s the only game in Hong Kong that can boast this and something that the government might be able to learn from.
Sometimes, the tail must wag the dog for it to wake up and smell the dim sum.
The Hong Kong government appears to be doing much- but how results oriented is all this everything?
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