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| Staff Writer |
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Australian racing icon Denise Martin, known for building Star Thoroughbreds into a quality-driven syndication company, opens up in this interview.
We trace her journey, exploring how she navigated challenges as a female leader and championed diversity. From fostering "club-like" ownership to celebrating wins like the Golden Slipper, she shares insights on success and inspires aspiring women in the industry. Join us as we delve into the world of this true trailblazer, leaving a legacy of excellence and innovation.
I have always endeavoured to present a quality product where people felt very comfortable with the understanding that they would receive superior service from Star Thoroughbreds to the point where we almost developed a "club-like" philosophy with people getting to know each other and becoming friends outside of their racing interests and forging associations that would enable them to create a new element of leisure activity in their lives.
Over three decades of operating Star Thoroughbreds, I've witnessed many changes in the industry; however, throughout this period, I've simply endeavoured to retain an emphasis on quality service and continue to develop a reputation for a business which presents not only a high-end product but maintain our close customer relationships. We have, therefore, never really wavered from trying to create quite a specific point of difference with other syndication companies in the country.
As the owner of the business, I manage the partnerships for all of our horses, and our trainer, Chris Waller, manages the racing element from the training of the horses, programming their races, booking jockeys and so forth. As the manager and owner of Star Thoroughbreds, I find it relatively easy to engage the ownership groups and ensure they are fully aware of what our trainer has planned for each horse. It's an easy crossover because our trainer manages every element of the racehorse, with my role primarily managing the ownership groups and their expectations of what we can offer them.
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I've always felt that gender doesn't determine excellence but rather the individual who produces quality performance, so I have never particularly found it difficult to make my way in the industry. I had always felt from the outset that if I provided a quality product and professionally presented myself, we would be recognised for our achievement within those areas as opposed to wanting to allocate any consideration to the point that I was a woman in a relatively male-dominated industry. I felt that wasn't significant; the quality of what we were looking to present was the key element of consideration of the overall perception of Star Thoroughbreds.
My advice would be to "be the best that you can" and make sure that you are aware of the demands of women, especially in a male-dominated industry, personal presentation is significant because you want to look sufficiently polished for your owners to feel very proud of you on race days but overall, it is the overall quality of operation of the business that will allow you to succeed.
I was recently inducted into the Magic Millions Racing Women Hall Of Fame and as an inaugural inductee, I will be a permanent member of the judging panel each year going forward to recognise female participants with exceptional industry contributions.
Our purple and white star silks are synonymous with success in racing throughout all of Australia. We have been a prominent name for over 30 years in the industry. One of the most defining moments was certainly our Golden Slipper win with quality colt Sebring. The Golden Slipper is the premier 2YO race in Australia and many even consider it to be exactly that in the world, so to have publicly syndicated a colt who in turn was sold for close to AUD$30 million was significant. In 2008, it was thought that this may have been the first time that a horse offered to the general public in syndication ownership won the Golden Slipper and went on to be sold for stud duties. Other defining moments include a quinella (running 1st and 2nd) in the prestigious Sydney Spring feature The Epsom. Our two horses carried the purple and white stars and ran clear of the field to easily run 1st and 2nd. On the Gold Coast for three successive years, our high-quality mare Invincibella won the major race on Magic Millions race day for Fillies and Mares. Eventually, she was sold to the world-renowned Coolmore Stud as a broodmare.
To be inducted into the Tasmanian Racing Hall of Fame was very special to me as I am a proud Tasmanian and also most recently, to be inducted into the Magic Millions Racing Women Hall Of Fame at their inaugural awards night is a recognition of which I am very proud. In terms of Star Thoroughbreds, we continue to sit at the forefront of racehorse syndication after three decades in operation, and the business continues to be recognised for the quality product we offer racehorse owners Australia-wide; this gives me great pride.
The syndication model has especially changed over the last 20 years…mainly as a result of technology evolving and changing racing markedly. Owner communication is now of paramount importance in providing a quality experience for owners, not only information about the performance of the horse, the expectations but also in allowing owners to communicate with each other, meet on race days and form friendships. At one stage the normal pattern of communication had been phone calls from the trainer periodically throughout the horse's training preparation, but now regular weekly updates are not only expected but are increasingly offered on a comprehensive basis including video footage of trackwork, trackwork rider reports, jockey comments post trials and races.
Sebring had a profound impact on me both professionally and personally. To have syndicated the winner of the Golden Slipper and then have him sold as a stallion for a record price at the time was remarkable. The kind of result everyone in the industry dreams about.
My core values have remained the same since the beginning – I operate the business with honesty, integrity, passion and hard work.
I have always felt that my primary aim was to establish a high-quality syndication company where the owners and racing participants could feel that they were aligning with a company for whom quality was the essence in every facet of the business…not only the best horses available for share ownership, but the best trainer, the best quality of care and the best level of communication. We have developed a business where many people feel like it has a club-like element, lasting friendships are made and a sense of industry participation is relevant for those people. As we enter our 32nd year of operation, our core values have not changed and I hope that we continue to be considered as Australia's quality syndication company.
I would like to be considered as someone who had a major career change as a mature age woman and who developed a business and brand respected for its success and longevity with an unwavering commitment to excellence in the thoroughbred industry.
As Star Thoroughbreds enters its 32nd year, Denise remains committed to excellence, integrity, and passion. Her unwavering dedication has earned her the respect of the industry, positioning her as Australia's quintessential quality syndication leader.
Denise Martin is not just a pioneer; she is an inspiration. Her journey proves that with dedication, vision, and a focus on people, one can not only achieve success but also create a lasting legacy of excellence and inclusivity.