Redfox Racing founder Tracey Rook enjoying ‘surreal’ Golden Slipper experience with Fully Lit
Fully Lit could complete a remarkable rise for one of racing’s newest syndicators, whose founder once rode for trainer Gai Waterhouse’s father Tommy Smith.
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Tracey Rook once rode for six-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer Tommy Smith, now she hopes to combine with his equally famous daughter Gai Waterhouse to win the world’s richest two-year-old event.
Rook first set foot in Royal Randwick’s famous Tulloch Lodge as a 16-year-old back in 1986 after answering an advertisement looking for riders.
She wound up working as a trackwork rider and served as an apprentice for Smith towards the end of the legendary trainer’s sensational career.
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Rook’s career trajectory took her in a different direction but more than three decades later she’s found herself back at the stable’s this week.
Rook is now the founder and chief executive of Redfox Racing and was back at Tulloch Lodge to watch her fledgling syndicator’s star Fully Lit, one of Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott’s knockout chances to win this year’s Golden Slipper.
“It’s quite amazing,” Rook said.
“It was raining during trackwork so I went over to Tulloch Lodge to get changed before the barrier draw and I walked in there dripping wet but saw the young staff leading the horses around.
“Watching them it was quite a surreal moment to think it was that long ago I was there and now I was getting ready to draw a number for a horse in the Golden Slipper.
“Walking into that trophy room was quite amazing.”
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A career as a jockey didn’t pan out for Rook but she has stayed involved in racing for most of her life through breeding and ownership.
That involvement ramped up again when she started Redfox Racing 16 months ago.
“During Covid I reassessed what I would like to do and that’s when it started to take off,” Rook said.
“I thought this is what I was really passionate about when I was younger and now I think Covid gave everybody a chance to get off the hamster wheel and assess where you’re at so we took off with that.”
Rook’s first purchase with partner and Redfox Racing and Bloodstock Manager Bill Duncan was Rocketeer Girl, a mare that’s since become a city winner.
It “got the ball rolling” and Redfox Racing purchased several more yearlings in the past two years.
Fully Lit is their biggest success story to date.
The colt is one of as many as seven starters for Tulloch Lodge in this year’s Golden Slipper, headlined by potential $60m colt Storm Boy.
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Fully Lit was purchased for a fraction of that quote as a $60,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Purchase.
“He is an absolutely perfect horse and a half brother to The Novelist, which won the Group 3 B J McLachlan Stakes in his first preparation,” Rook said.
“We knew The Novelist was on the smaller side but so was Fully Lit. I think that was to our advantage. It was a good family and he has just been a no fuss colt.”
"It's Fully Lit, though, fending off all challengers."@GaiWaterhouse1 & Adrian Bott do it again with a 2yo, with @Reganbayliss confidently riding the colt to victory in the $2m @inglis_sales Millennium at Randwick over Rue De Royale and Rag Queen. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/Ud0Pg4FsUb
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 10, 2024
Fully Lit has already proven himself to be a bargain buy after racing away with the $2m Inglis Millennium at his second start before running second to Holmes A Court in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra.
“It’s been a wonderful ride,” Rook said.
“From the very start with Fully Lit, I said to the girls that we need to get into this horse and we will sign him up as a ladies horse with 75 per cent women.
“The Millennium was always the target and it was a plan that all fell into place with this fabulous colt which is just tough as nails.”
Rook had the honour of pulling out Fully Lit’s barrier on Tuesday and delivered the goods with the son of Hellbent set to jump from barrier one with Sam Clipperton aboard this weekend.
Fully Lit is a $23 chance.
Originally published as Redfox Racing founder Tracey Rook enjoying ‘surreal’ Golden Slipper experience with Fully Lit
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