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| Staff Writer |
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Peter Walsh doesn’t want to miss any opportunity to see his horse, Amelia’s Jewel, better known as the Queen of Australia, race. And why would he?
“The only thing he said to me is we’ve got an invite to Dubai next year and Royal Ascot, and he said, you know, I wouldn’t mind travelling because who knows when I will get the opportunity to have a horse as good as this again,” Miller said. It’s not about the money; it’s more about the journey and enjoying it.
Miller trains Amelia’s Jewel through Simon Miller Racing, where he serves as the head trainer. Simon Miller Racing has made its headquarters at the Ascot Racecourse in Perth. When it came to growing his business, Miller started from humble origins.
In 2008, Miller started the stable with four horses. Since then, the stable’s success has helped grow his and his team’s reputation for success.
Over time, Miller has built his racing team into a top team in Western Australia. Horses that train at Simon Miller Racing typically win almost every Western Australian race that is on offer for 2YO or 3YO horses.
Miller’s horses produced 59 victories last season.
“It was good for us,” Miller said. “We are only a small stable, we only have 28 in work, so we’re boutique, but we like to play high end. We try to focus on metro races and black-type races as well.”
With the quality of Amelia’s Jewel, there will be plenty of people eager to be part of the success. On the 12th of August, Amelia’s Jewel was named the WA Racehorse of the Year and the Three-Year-Old of the Year for her terrific 22-23 season, which saw her grab a Group 1 win in the Northerly Stakes (1,800-metre race).
Amelia’s Jewel will kick off the upcoming season in Melbourne at the 1,400-metre Let’s Elope Stakes on the 16th of September at the Flemington Racecourse, Victoria. What will be on Amelia’s Jewel schedule after that remains to be seen. Originally, it was thought that Amelia’s Jewel would follow that up with the $1 million Toorak Handicap at Caulfield. However, the team may be looking to switch things up.
The conflict with the Toorak Handicap is that the race is on the same day as the King Charles III Stakes at the Sydney spring carnival, which will see $5 million up for grabs. The amount of prize money is difficult for any team to not take a serious look at.
“She’ll trial on the 21st of August,” Miller said. “Then she’ll trial on the 4th of September. Then we’ll put her on a plane, and she can go to Melbourne and kick off her campaign there. Then we’ll figure out which way to go, whether we go to Sydney or stay in Melbourne. But there’s a lot of money on offer in Sydney. So you’ve got to seriously consider it.”
Peter Walsh, an owner, and breeder, ended up with Amelia’s Jewel after a trip to Royal Ascot thanks to a Christmas present from his wife, Annie. When they were at Royal Ascot, they bought two broodmares, and one mare was sent to Kingman and the other to Siyouni. Two foals were born, a filly and a colt. Miller said he was told the colt had to go through the ring, but the filly he could train. When Miller had an opportunity to put in time with Amelia’s Jewel, he recognized her immediate potential.
“I was fortunate enough that she showed up on my doorstep,” Miller said. “I had a Ferrari; I just had to figure out where the keys went.”
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Since Miller turned the key, Amelia’s Jewel has been making waves at every track they run on.
Amelia’s Jewel has shown she has the potential for big things. During her career, Amelia’s Jewel has racked up $2,380,900 in prize money in nine WA Metro races.
During those nine races, Amelia’s Jewel grabbed seven first-place finishes. Her temperament has helped with her publicity. When there is a promotion to be done, Amelia’s Jewel has come through.
“She understands the media, so when you have the photographers there, you’ve got five minutes of photos, and that’s it,” Miller said. “Then it’s getting out of my way. But she’ll let you go for five minutes. She’s pretty plain Jane around the stables. She doesn’t do anything outrageous.”
One thing that is still undetermined by Miller is what type of race Amelia’s Jewel is best suited for. With her skillset, Amelia’s Jewel has the capacity to run both sprints and longer races.
“That’s a tough one, Miller said. “She won one at 1,000m, and she’s won a Group One at 1,800m, and she ran through the line. I honestly don’t know. She’s got a huge tank, and I haven’t bottomed her out.”
While Amelia’s Jewel may be reserved, she has shown the capacity to be trained in a number of different ways. Thanks to her talent, and ability to listen, Amelia’s Jewel can be encouraged to work in different ways.
“She just goes out and does her work,” Miller said. “The one that sets her apart is her brain. She’s so responsive. You want her to go quick; she’ll go quick. You want her to go slow; she’ll go slow. She’ll do whatever you ask her to do. She’s a sweetheart.”
Amelia’s Jewel has been working back to form after losing at Ascot in April. During the $4 million The Quokka, a 1,200-metre race, Amelia’s Jewel finished second to Sydney horse Overpass.
Miller said they were disappointed by the result. Amelia’s Jewel drew barrier nine at the race, but a redraw forced her to 14. During the race, Amelia’s Jewel was quick down the straight and finished in second by a half-head.
Miller is excited to see where Amelia’s Jewel’s potential can take her. There is a good chance that Amelia Jewel’s skillset will provide her with the opportunity to win big races. With a strong team behind her, there seems to be little limit on her potential.
“She’s unique,” Miller said. “She's a freak. Like she's just got a huge engine with a low heart rate, her aerobic capacity is massive.”
There is talk of taking Amelia’s Jewel to Dubai, which Miller is open to. Miller said there is a chance they could take Amelia’s Jewel to Dubai for the Al Quoz sprint races. There haven’t been many Australian horses who have attempted the race. Ortensia and Buffering were previous Australian horses who had won at the event.
There are many logistical issues with taking horses overseas. Even getting Amelia’s Jewel to a place where she can fly out of Australia isn’t an easy task.
“It’s probably a little tricker from Perth because you got to get them to Melbourne first,” Miller said.
“So naturally, we have to fly there, and then you have to connect a flight overseas. But Australian horses have travelled and travelled well before, so you'd probably lean on people who have done it and, and just ask them for the dos and don'ts.”
When questioned about what would be next if she won internationally, Miller joked they would have to get back to Australia safely first.
“We’d have to get home first because Peter Walsh loves to party, so he’d throw a massive party,” Miller said. “Then we’ll make a decision after that.”
The best is yet to come for Amelia’s Jewel. Walsh and Miller have big plans moving forward. Their partnership has been a strong one.
“He’s the most laid-back person you’ve ever seen,” Miller said. “All he wants is the dates for when she’s racing so he can get all his family over east and get ready for a function. When you have a really good horse and a great client it makes the ride so much better. He’s a gentleman to race with.”
By Dean McHugh