Skip to Content

Newcomers enjoying their Dare To Dream ride

The racing newcomers involved with Balaklava Cup runner Blow Torch have simply been enjoying the ride.

Blow Torch is part of TRSA’s Dare To Dream initiative, which gave 25 competition winners a chance to experience racehorse ownership via a share in two horses for themselves and nine friends.

The horses were spread across five local stables, and to date, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Blow Torch has been the Dare to Dream pin-up horse, winning and placing in a string of races. The horse’s good form carried into this month’s $100,000 Balaklava Cup, where the five-year-old gelding finished sixth behind stablemate Winning Partner, racing in his toughest event yet.

Blow Torch’s consistent form has delighted the Murphy’s Law syndicate, including syndicate manager Matthew Dal Corobbo.

“We’re all really excited and to… be in a Listed race – we never thought this would happen,” Matthew said.

“From the start we were just happy to be involved with the industry through the competition, but to have a horse that’s very consistent and doing really well has been an amazing ride.”

The entire Murphy’s Law syndicate are newcomers to racehorse ownership and Matthew says the build-up to last week’s Balaklava Cup – and to every Blow Torch start – comprised plenty of banter.

“Most of us have worked hospitality, so we’ve been on the other side of it, the betting side,” he said.

“But as far as ownership, it’s all brand new.”

The syndicate’s other horse, Diplomatic Measure, has also tasted success and Matthew says the group has enjoyed the interaction and feedback from the McEvoy stable.

“Tony and Calvin and the team have been great,” he said.

“We get pre-race updates, updates from the jockey after the race, and we’ve even been invited down there (to the stable). We couldn’t expect any more from them.

“We went to Murray Bridge and watched Blow Torch run, and we’ve been to Morphettville a couple times.

“Me and one of the boys even drove to Port Lincoln to watch Diplomatic Measure. We did the drive-in, drive-out thing that day, but it was good because he managed to win.”

The Dare to Dream initiative is aimed at introducing more people to horse racing ownership and the sport in general, and applying that metric to Matthew and his Murphy’s Law crew, it has been an overwhelming success.

“Yeah, it’s been totally different,” Matthew said.

“When you’re betting you just having a few bets and enjoy yourself, but to see the other side – the work that goes into it from the trainers, the jockeys, the strappers, right through to the passion that they all have for the industry – has been amazing.

“It’s definitely not just ‘chuck a horse out on the track and hope for the best’. It’s opened my eyes to the way it works and it’s been a really good experience.”

Three Dare To Dream horses ran on Balaklava Cup day, with Blow Torch joined by the Chris Bieg-trained pair Mullaghmore and Garden Party.

Post categories

Racing SA - Racing Racing SA - Stories Racing SA - Latest News