MiRunners GM Mick Rees lifts the lid after Farcited reaches the Golden Slipper

Meet the Cairns local behind one of the 16 horses set to race in the $5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper and find out how he’s helping everyday Aussies chase their racing dream.

Thoroughbred racehorse Farcited is pictured winning the Black Opal Stakes Preview on debut. Picture: Bradley Photography

Cairns resident Mick Rees got some of the best news a racehorse owner could ever hope for on Tuesday when he found out one of his own thoroughbreds is set to race in one of the five richest horse races in the nation.

Rees is the General Manager of miRunners, a national horse racing syndicate which makes some of the country’s finest thoroughbreds available to the public to purchase a stake in.

This Saturday, two-year-old colt Farcited - which miRunners has a 10% stake in - will jump from barrier 17 at the Golden Slipper in Rosehill for a chance at a share of $5 million in prize money.

A number of part-owners of 2025 Golden Slipper contestant Farcited. Picture: miRunners

The horse promises a great deal, sired by 2020 Golden Slipper winner Farnan and trained by seven-time Golden Slipper winner and Australian horse racing legend Gai Waterhouse.

Rees said he and Head of Bloodstock at miRunners Mick Malone “did not have to think twice” about purchasing a stake in a horse with such strong pedigree.

“He was a colt that from the first look, he was on our radar, he absolutely oozes quality and is pretty much a dead ringer of his sire,” Rees said.

He explained that the idea behind his company is to offer an opportunity to people for whom racehorse ownership would previously have been a pipe dream.

“A 0.01% stake in this horse costs someone $260 upfront and $14.29 a month,” he said.

“It means that your nan, pop, mum or dad can have a share in a horse that is now contesting the richest race in its category in the world.

“We’re helping people chase dreams and sometimes they can come true.”

Thoroughbred racehorse Farcited is pictured winning the Black Opal Stakes Preview on debut. Picture: Bradley Photography

Rees said this was the culmination of what the company was all about, providing opportunities to “everyday Aussies” who wanted to experience owning a winning racehorse.

“It’s at an affordable rate which doesn’t break the bank for the average person. People can built an entire stable of horses to suit their budget and to suit their lifestyle,” he said.

“We’ve got horses in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria with Group 1 trainers, it’s not only attainable but entirely affordable and we’re seeing that with this horse.”

This particular achievement isn’t an outlier by any means, with miRunners also having a stake in Dusty Tycoon, which ran in the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic back in 2020, before going on to win five races before becoming their broodmare.

“We’re the first micro stake company in Australia to ever have a horse entered in both of those events,” Rees said.

While Farcited is a long shot to secure top place in one of Australia’s most hotly contested Group 1 races, stranger things have certainly happened.

But for the people who have invested their hard-earned cash in this horse, just simply seeing their thoroughbred on one of the biggest stages is a win in itself.

“Owning horses with miRunners has given us the opportunity to be a part of experiences that only the top tier of racing generally experience,” Brisbane owner Royce Simms said.

“Now to be involved with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and have a chance at winning the $5 million Golden Slipper is what dreams are made of.”

At the time of publication, Farcited is paying $51 to win and $10 to place.

Originally published as MiRunners GM Mick Rees lifts the lid after Farcited reaches the Golden Slipper