The core of a trainer’s philosophy is to have happy horses. Many believe that training them from different venues, including a country-based one, is a key ingredient in keeping them that way.
At Flemington, there are several trainers who use dual training facilities, and they regard it as an essential arm of their business.
The constant phrase they use when they are referring to having a country training base in addition to their Flemington stables is that it gives them the opportunity “to have the best of both worlds.”
Danny O’Brien of Danny O’Brien Racing has done the above, reaping the rewards while also having a strong presence at Flemington.
“Having the beach nearby is also a big plus. Horses love it on the beach. It helps to keep them fit and happy. They are sound physically and mentally.”
O’Brien always wanted to have a country beachside arm to his business and purchased land at Thirteenth Beach, near Geelong in 2005, only ten years after he had taken out a training licence.
O’Brien began his career as a trainer in the mid-1990s at Flemington, but there was one thing he always wanted – a beach facility.