But, with their first recruit yet to win a race , it dawned on the young outfit that putting all their eggs in one basket might not work in racing.He suggested they cast their net wider – and cross the Pacific Ocean instead.
One of the partners had contacts in Florida, more specifically, Ocala, often referred to as the “Horse Capital of the World”. “But the more they bought on Day 1 and Day 2, the more they got hooked. They ended up buying nine, but they were reasonably priced.”But other ancillary costs had to be factored in until they land at Tan’s stables.“I did tell them to be prepared for such costs, that we can only have up to three horses in one pallet, for example.“But, all in all, the landed costs for US horses are still cheaper than in Australia and New Zealand.
“There was no other choice but to run Bluejay over 1,400m first-up. I was more confident if it had been a 1,200m,” said Tan.