Queensland cattle farmer Rodney Hay reveals why he knocked back $1m offer for his horse Astapor

Former cattle farmer Rodney Hay races horses all over Queensland and says there was a simple reason why he knocked back a $1 million offer for his best young horse.

Bush racing owner and hobby trainer Rodney Hay (left) rejected a $1 million offer for his racehorse Astapor. Picture: Paul McInally/Three Way Photos

Larrikin Queensland bushie Rodney Hay had a simple reason for knocking back a monster $1 million offer from Hong Kong for his promising young horse Astapor.

“I told them that if I sell my good horses, I will just end up with all the slow ones,” owner, hobby trainer and former cattle farmer Hay quipped.

“They offered $500,000 after Astapor won on debut in Rockhampton and then they went to $1 million when the colt came to Doomben and won his second start.

“But I bought him to race him, he is still a colt so I just hope he does something good.

“I might regret it, but I don’t think so.

“I only paid $38,000 for him and he’s already won more than $160,000.

“They way I look at it is that he is well in front.”

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Two-year-old Astapor is poised to line up at Eagle Farm on Saturday at the tail end of a winter carnival campaign which has seen him finish fifth in the $1m Magic Millions National Classic and fourth in the Listed Oxlade Stakes on Stradbroke Handicap day.

Two-year-old colt Astapor racing in Rodney Hay’s colours. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography.

Astapor, the Rockhampton rocket trained by Clinton Taylor, is only a small part of Hay’s vast racing interests.

Hay trains horses in his own name and also owns horses which race for various trainers all around the wide expanses of Queensland.

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Hay, 63, was for a long time based on cattle property at Taroom, 380km northwest of Brisbane, but now lives in Chinchilla after purchasing the property of prominent breeder Wally Gleeson.

Gleeson, a former champion jockey and ex-butcher, famously bred Queensland Group 1-winning champion Rothfire at his boutique Chinchilla breeding operation.

“I had been in Taroom all my life at a cattle property, I campdrafted and did all sorts of things and I’ve been mucking around with racehorses on and off for a long time,” Hay said.

“I was looking to downsize a bit and then I bought a couple of horses off Wally Gleeson.

“I rang him up to have a talk to him about them.

“Wally said that I was buying his horses so I might as well buy his property as well, given he wanted to retire.”

Rodney Hay (centre) says he’s well in front with Astapor.

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Hay quips that he owns plenty of slow horses.

But he is proud of his efforts buying mostly tried horses that he finds online and turning them into profit makers.

Grand performer Petronius is one example – Hay purchased the one-time $1m youngster for just $37,500 and sent him to trainer Barry Lockwood.

“I bought Petronius online and he has won just over $400,000 for me,” Hay said.

“He won the Lightning Handicap in Brisbane last year and also ran second in the $1m Gold Coast Magic Millions Sprint race.

“To be honest, I just like buying horses and trying to put them where I think they can win a race.

“With the horses I train myself, I’m not a great one for putting them in (stable) boxes.

“I like them to be able to go into paddocks to stretch their legs and having them out in open yards.”

Astapor has drawn horribly in the widest barrier 16 in Saturday’s QTIS 2YO Handicap (1200m) where he has been slugged with 60kg topweight.

But Taylor indicated he is likely to race him from the wide barrier, given there was a lack of other suitable options at this time of year.

Originally published as Queensland cattle farmer Rodney Hay reveals why he knocked back $1m offer for his horse Astapor