The Big Interview King Power Racing The Power SURGE King Power Racing has quickly become a powerful force in racing but for those involved like Alastair Donald it has at times been a difficult journey Words: Carl Evans Photos: George Selwyn and Carl Evans mid the sub-plots and were running well, but we lacked a bit of background stories running luck. We had seconds and fourths, and Aobliquely through this year’s then it rained and we had soft ground Royal Ascot was one that reached a when we wanted fast ground. Then it perfect ending in the final race. dried up when our soft-ground horses Frankie Dettori had run off with the were about to run. It was becoming very show long before the Royal procession frustrating, and I remember thinking, on that Saturday afternoon, Ryan Moore ‘Please, can we have a winner – they [the was relentlessly stalking him in trademark, Srivaddhanaprabha family] so deserve it’. steely-faced determination, and Blue “When Cleonte won the final race it Point was about to land a Group 1 sprint was a huge relief. It felt way better than a double. Yet for every front-of-house Group 1 winner, and we’ve had plenty of highlight there were dozens of might- those. I was so pleased for the family, and have-beens for owners, trainers, grooms, it was hugely important for King Power racing managers and bloodstock agents. Racing.” In that category, until the fifth day’s Sitting in his Hungerford office, closing race, you could find King Power Donald comes across as a content and Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha Racing, trainer Andrew Balding and agent happy man again, far removed from the (second left) and his brother Alastair Donald, a triumvirate suffering wounded figure who attended last year’s Apichet (right) celebrate with near-miss syndrome, until, finally, Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale Cleonte’s win at Royal Ascot Cleonte came good and pulled clear to just a few days after Vichai’s death. win the Queen Alexandra Stakes. “I had made lists of horses to buy, but Donald says the victory was “as good I couldn’t bother the family with that,” had been flying forward it would have Donald says the financial impact of a market. It is Donald’s remit to work as a Group 1 win”, which, given that the he says. “Everyone [at the sale] was “When Cleonte auto-rotated down, but they didn’t have dispersal never entered his head. He says: on horses in training, while Sackville contest is a conditions race of extreme very sympathetic, but I did try to avoid forward momentum and weren’t high “I had other business and clients, but handles the buying of breeding stock length and popular with jump trainers, is the press, because it was one of those enough. it would have been devastating to lose – they come together to buy yearlings, an insight to agent pressure. Never more occasions when you really didn’t know won it was a “It was obvious we couldn’t contact the opportunity of buying that calibre of yet work for their own clients. so, given the turmoil experienced within what to say.” the family to discuss what they wanted for horse, and to think that a good one would Asked how the agency has developed, the King Power Racing camp following Reflecting on the moment when he huge relief. It the horses, and we had to wait for them come along and they wouldn’t be around Donald says: “It has grown in terms of the death in October of its founder and first heard that Vichai’s private helicopter to call us – a few days later we were asked to see it. It would have been awful if it was number of clients and through our own chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. had crashed after taking off from felt way better not to run anything for a week, and from all very short-lived.” realisation of the areas and clients on “Royal Ascot started off great when Leicester City’s football ground, Donald there on we just managed things without which we wish to concentrate. I don’t Beat The Bank was second in the Queen says: “I was at home with the kids when bothering them. The evolution of an agency waste as much time chasing a horse only Anne, because the horse was very close Andrew rang and said, ‘Something awful than a Group 1” “I thought a dispersal was unlikely, Donald is one half of SackvilleDonald, to find we can’t get the job done, but to the family’s hearts,” says Donald. “He has happened – you had better turn on and when his son [Aiyawatt, also known an agency created in 2011 with Ed that has come with experience. You learn was the first flagship horse owned by the television’. I switched on Sky News he came racing there were always pilots, as ‘Top’ and now King Power’s CEO and Sackville. The two men met while to see opportunities which can come to King Power Racing and the chairman and thought, ‘Oh my God,’ because he assistants, family and friends. Chairman] spoke of keeping his father’s working for Luke Lillingston’s Kern fruition, while avoiding those that are loved him. was bound to be on that chopper, and “It was a one in a million accident – legacy going with Leicester City I felt Lillingston agency, and complement unlikely to succeed. “However, after that good opening then I wondered who else would have there was a fault with the foot cable to that was encouraging, although we didn’t each other through sharing ideas but “The other key change has been the we kept hitting the bar – the horses been on the flight with him. Every time the rear propeller, and if the helicopter know for sure.” focusing on different areas of the availability of race replays through the ›› 36 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER 37 The Big Interview King Power Racing autumn. Chief among a swathe of King Power acquisitions at Tattersalls’ Book 1 was a Dubawi filly later named Tuk Power, and a Frankel three-parts sister to Oaks winner Talent who was given the name King Power. She was subsequently third in this year’s Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial. Factoring in purchases for other clients, SackvilleDonald bought 32 lots for just over 13 million guineas at that auction, while at the Goffs Orby Sale the agency gained 21 yearlings for more than €3 million. This buying spree continued at the horses-in-training sales, where purchases included Morando, who was to win this year’s Ormonde Stakes. Further acquisitions came at the 2018 breeze-up sales, at the London Sale where another six lots cost slightly more than £2m, and there were further big-money buys at the yearling sales, a few weeks before tragedy struck. Mystery Power (centre) emerged as a Classic candidate with victory in the Superlative Stakes Reflecting on his introduction to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Donald says: “King ›› internet, which means you have to react if a horse has done well and can be Power had done the rounds of various much faster. As a result the proven-horse sold for a good price it could pay for an trainers and chose Andrew Balding [as market is now far more competitive. In owner’s racing for several years. A lot of its first trainer]. Andrew felt it was an the past you would have a few days to trainers now plan a horse’s career around organisation that would need some help consider a race before offering a horse to their value.” with managing its plans, and put my name Hong Kong, but now you have to be on forward. In year one we worked with the phone within hours and have an offer Power in the sport of Kings Andrew, but he and I soon realised it was ready to go the next day. We used to Fed- King Power had an affinity with sport growing pretty quickly and he [Vichai] ex DVDs and it would take a week for an through interests in football – including could not have all his eggs in one basket, offer to come in. ownership of Leicester City FC – and so recommended some other trainers. “The markets in Hong Kong and high-goal polo before making its entrée Andrew was part of that process. Australia are strong, but the American to British racing in 2017. “Before then we would go to Book 1 market is not so busy. They tend to want In that year eight wins and ten places and the Orby, and, after looking at every fillies, which are hard to find. Twenty years from 48 runs was a satisfactory start on horse, would knock a load off the list ago we would be buying 25 horses each the racecourse, but the organisation’s because we knew we couldn’t afford year for America, and now it would be buying impact, both privately and at them.” five, but we are buying triple the number public auction, was more significant. One of the first big names to carry we used to for Hong Kong and Australia.” the blue and white silks was popular Given his agency’s involvement with campaigner Beat The Bank. Widely Hong Kong he would appear to be nicely “The indication credited as a horse pivotal to King positioned should racing in China become Power’s growth, Beat The Bank won the more commercial and accepting of bet365 Mile upon his return to action betting.