Bary comes full circle

BY AIDAN RODLEY

There was a Melbourne Cup that sat gathering dust on the mantlepiece but John Bary hardly gave it a second thought.

That was until his great-great grandfather George Gatenby Stead became an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Racing Hall Of Fame in 2006.

Bary attended the lavish induction ceremony at Auckland's Ellerslie racecourse and came away with a far greater appreciation for his racing heritage.

A founder of the Canterbury Jockey Club, Stead was 12 times leading New Zealand owner in the 1890s and early 1900s. He was treasurer then president of the Canterbury Jockey Club in more than 30 years service to the club, a key initiator in the formation of the New Zealand rules of racing and played a leading role in moving New Zealand racing to an all-totalisator structure.

However, the Melbourne Cup belonged to Stead's son Wilfred, who bought and raced Sasanof, successful in the Flemington showpiece in 1916, the same year he won an AJC Derby with Kilboy and topped the New Zealand owners' list.

''WG'' Stead had moved to Hastings in 1905 and established Flaxmere Stud - later Sasanof Stud, which was continued by the next stead generation, Bary's great-uncle Bob Stead, who was a foundation member and committeeman - and later life member - of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.

''Before the Hall Of Fame dinner, I knew very little about the family racing background,'' Bary admitted this week.

''I knew we had a Melbourne Cup above where I lit the fire that Sasanof had won, and that was all I really knew. But since then I've found out all about what GG and then WG and even uncle Bob had done.

''GG won 13 Derbies himself - I wouldn't mind that. Uncle Bob Stead carried the stud on and we've come the full circle now I'm training.''

Less than four years after the inaugural Racing Hall Of Fame ceremony, Bary, 40, has embarked on a training career and has made a flying start.

In just his second season, Bary is currently equal 11th on the premiership, winning 10 races from just 42 starts, his strike rate the best of any of the top 25 trainers.

Next Friday, he will bid for his best win when he saddles classy three-year-old The Hombre in the Gr I $200,000 Levin Classic (1600m) at Otaki.

In six starts, The Hombre has won twice, finished second twice and proved himself up with the best of his age in the country.

In winning at Hastings earlier this season, he defeated horses the calibre of Joey Massino, Corsage, St Germaine and Seven Schillings.

''We know he's good and hopefully he'll be dead right for the Classic,'' Bary says.

''He's a distance horse, a Derby horse through and through. When you've got a horse like him, it that much easier to get out of bed each morning.

''We've turned down some big offers for him. But he's worth keeping. He's brought the stable the sort of promotion you just can't buy.''

The Hombre will wear the all gold colours and black cap made famous all those years ago by Bary's Hall Of Famer ancestor.

Bary's cousin Mary MacSmith had kept the Stead colours registered since her grandfather Bob Stead died and when Bary decided to pursue a training career he asked if he could take over the colours.

He takes a great deal of pride out of seeing the colours made so famous in the pioneering days of New Zealand racing returning to the winner's circle again in his name.

''It's huge. Whenever you see solid colours, you know they are over 100 years old,'' Bary says.

''As a country, we are not steeped in as much history as elsewhere and to have something that's 130 years in your family is quite special.''

Bary says he was on horse back from a young age, progressing from pony club to a career as an international polo player.

He played professionally for eight years, retiring after returning home guiding Rangitikei to its first win in the Saville Cup in 96 years in 2001.

Through polo, he also met his Irish-born wife of nine years, Laura. The couple have two children, Kobe, eight, and Fleur, five.

Having made his money playing polo, Bary invested in a sheep station at Wairoa and went on to buy other sheep farms in Hawke's Bay.

He has rationalised his farming interests as his training career has taken off.

''I've still got the station at Wairoa, now with a full-time manager and I'm full-time training horses. With 20 in work, it's a full-time job and it sure beats the hell out of farming.''

While Bary was not fully aware of the Stead family's illustrious deeds in racing, he was involved in thoroughbreds from a young age.

His parents, Ann and Campbell Bary, since divorced, were involved, his mum as a trainer and his father as an administrator.

''Mum's always had a horse as an owner-trainer for as long as I can remember. She had a good jumper called Fontenelle.''

Campbell Bary remains active in racing administration, as a past-president of the Marton Jockey Club still serving on the committee.

''It's just sort of happened. I'd owned one or two, sold one to Singapore and I really enjoyed it. Training is a challenge every day, a challenge to get a horse right on the day and win.

''My first goal was just to win one race but in that first year we got seven or eight. This season we've exceeded our expectations but I attribute that to the set-up and the staff.''

Bary has developed from scratch 15-box stabling at Hastings, just five minutes from the racecourse, where he has invested in a modern training facility complete with a track and walker.

He still utilises the old family stud as well, a 30-acre property still housing the original stabling, where the young horses are domiciled.

''We just want to get to a level we are comfortable with, probably at 25 or 30 horses, maybe more if we are comfortable when we get there.''

Bary is confident he can continue his success, maybe not to the level of George Gatenby Stead but enough to have made him proud.

''I'm very aware of my heritage and where I've come from.''

- © Fairfax NZ News