Sheamus Mills: Everest Reflections

From an early start at working stud farms to penning stories for the Truth racing newspapers, then managing jockeys, Mills fortified his calling as Marketing and Bloodstock manager for Chatsworth Stud.

He’s since worked alongside some of the top clients in the sport, having stretched his hands-on social networking to points beyond Australia. Mills has since created his own brand, having travelled overseas, even to Europe and the United States.

“I started working in the breeding side of things, which is working on stud farms and particularly working with broodmares who can be quite cantankerous,” Mills recalled. 

“When you work with the horse hands-on and then you have the ability to look at its mother and father and parentage.

“For me, it was a natural evolution to sort of really focus on those fillies because they go right through to the breeding. In years to come, it really builds on that database of knowledge of a family and I find that sort of greater depth of involvement and that sparked the real interest in me.’

Mills picked up bits and pieces through various channels, including watching race replays.

“I was managing jockeys at the time and just had a really good introduction through working at newspapers and so on,” Mills recalled. “I just found it really interesting in terms of where I wanted to go, which was always bloodstock. Having some idea as to how sales translate onto race day, watching videos with a couple of good form analysts and a couple of jockeys, and reading about a horse’s action was very interesting.

“It was really interesting, just to hear (the jockeys’) point of view. It gave you a different perspective. If you watch a lot of the cam footage, where jockeys might put a cam on their helmets … you see the vision of how tight they ride and the circumstances they find themselves in. 

“I think it was really good knowledge from various perspectives of understanding the animal a little bit more and what the jockey might be reading from their behavior within a race, then also just having a bit more understanding as to what both horse and rider are going through.”

But clients come first for Mills. He says leadership qualities in other businesses are essential but are by no means guaranteed in the sports of kings.

“I do believe that good management of horses is just like any other business,” he said. 

“I’ve noticed with my most successful clients that they're that successful in their business ventures, that most of them have very process-driven businesses that they're too icy and everybody down the line is well aware of how this is supposed to play out. 

“Since I've really focused on applying those principles to horses, as in where they're bought, who breaks them, who pre-trains them, where they spell, how long they spell for, I've found, the more that we manage, the better our results have been. And the more that we have established a process, the results have improved. So, I've been lucky that I've got a couple of really good clients.”

But … 

“In horse racing, successful guys and other industries, struggle with — I would say the number one theme that sort of doesn't translate —is just the luck side of things. With horse racing, breeding, and the whole bloodstock game, the results can be fantastic. 

“But it can also be a hard thing for them. They can have everything in place, can control everything every other principle they can apply can go great...

“Then one of their horses chips a knee or one of their horses goes in the wind, there’s just that element of surprise that is uncontrollable — that rarely happens with their other investments.”

Mills’ skill set is also effective in breaking down scenarios involved in the slot procedure of The Everest.

“So, there are sort of two ways of approaching it,” Mills reasons. “The beauty I suppose of Everest is — to a certain extent — you can buy your way in by doing a deal with the owners of a horse that you think is capable of winning it obviously as a slot holder. 

“So, you have to have the money for the slot first, which is sizable but for most of the guys who have been involved, it has been a good investment. 

“Then as far as the horses go, though, it's quickly become the pinnacle of the sprinters in Australia. So, you really got two pools, you've got the established stars. And given the time of year, it is you've got the returning 3-year-olds, which really add that sort of entry to the mix.”

Mills can also advise both the sides of ownership and the horsemen who may be trying to fill a need in terms of selling slots over several months’ time leading up to the race.

“It’s a really interesting part of the whole equation and probably what makes that mystique of The Everest last for a sustained period of time, because of course, you've got the people who get in early trying to grab what they think is the best horse and then you've got the season to play out after that. So, you've got some people who are jumping in early and say trying to fill their slot then and then you've got these 

3-year-olds, who often turn out to be the “on the day”, the horse that you wish you had. I think it is a matter of holding your nerve, whether it be early or late. If you think that the deal you've done with nature strip would be obviously the number one seed. Then I think the deal you've done with the owner is viable, and not a stretch,” said Mills. 

“As far as the financials and so on go, by all means, dive in. But as I said, the opposite can be true as to hold your nerve. And as you get closer to the race, some horses’ form really jumps out of the ground. Then I’m sure there will be some slot holders wishing they hadn't fired the bullet so early.

Regardless of the carnival-style competition surrounding the race, Mills thinks the sustainability of the race during the previous five running’s seals The Everest’s legitimacy.

“I guess the main thing the people were talking about was sustainability when it first came out, Mills said. “Do the concepts stand the test of time? You know, it's hard when you're comparing them to Melbourne Cups and Cox Plates and Australian Derby and races like this everyone's got to start somewhere.

“Now look … the concept of certainly proven sustainable so far. The interesting thing about it has been that it's brought a new generation of fans. Whilst a lot of the purists and older guys perhaps don't have that respect for it, they should, because it really pulled a new audience in. 

“And when you look at the audience, both on the day, and those who participate in the purchase of tickets and so on, there's it’s certainly a new generation. So, look, the race from a public relations point of view race has done a fantastic job. You only need to look to see that, from a rating point of view, it certainly holds its own.”

In terms of PR, Mills’ meal ticket rides on sustaining clients willing to wager on success.

“I used to do all sorts of advertising and really tried to promote my name,” he said. “I’ve since found that word of mouth is really the only way in Australia that you get (PR), it's very much a results-based game. 

“If you get results, you get clients. You can sustain some clients for a little while, but even a loyalist of those will eventually probably drift away if you're not getting results. 

“The beauty of Australia is there really a spot for everybody. We're obviously huge in syndication down here — the vast majority of horses have, five or 10 owners minimum. So that accessibility is fantastic. 

“The number of people who have some form of ownership in horses down here is extraordinary in comparison to other countries.”

Mills says racing is more of a lifestyle than a job.

“Racing down here happens 363 days a year, so when it's not happening in Australia, it's happening somewhere else in the world,” he noted. “It can consume you. You need to be genuinely in love with it or you will burn out.

“But if you are in love with it, such as myself, that old saying about you know, if you love your job, you never work a day in your life is I think very true for racing. You get to meet some amazing people, go to some amazing places and see some amazing things. Yet with all the involvement, would say the most important thing is the animal itself. 

“It's an amazing game, but you've got to love it.”