Share in Melbourne Cup runner Future History sells for $205,000

Two mates have spent $205,000 to have a small share in a runner in this year’s Melbourne Cup.

Sydney-based racing enthusiast Adam Carney was far more likely to be at Royal Randwick than Flemington on the first Tuesday in November but all that changed on Wednesday at lunchtime.

Now his wife, Tayla, is shopping for a new dress and hunting around for somewhere for the pair to stay and enjoy what Carney describes as the fulfillment of a boyhood dream of having a runner in the race that stops a nation.

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That horse is Future History, the last start Bart Cummings winner, who aims to add Friday’s Moonee Valley Cup to his CV along the way.

A 10 per cent share in the Juddmonte Farm bred gelding was the star lot at Inglis’ October Digital sale which wound up on Wednesday.

Future History wins The Bart Cummings at Flemington.

Given the stakes and potential rewards, Lot 136 as he was known, Future History attracted an unprecedented level of attention with Carney winning the day with a final bid of $205,000.

“People go to the sales these days and spend one and two million dollars on yearlings that are literally untried and this was an opportunity to buy into a horse that has 16 starts, six wins and four seconds,’’ Carney said.

“And beyond the Melbourne Cup race, I still think he is a progressive stayer of the future and I have bought him with that that in mind.’’

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Carney has enjoyed considerable success in the sport having shared in the ownership and three-times Magic Millions winner Eleven Eleven as well as the All Aged Stakes winner, Pierata.

He’ll share his newly acquired stake in Future History with his good friend, Marc De Stoop, who bred and part owns Everest placegetter Mazu.

“Mark has always wanted a Melbourne Cup runner and it has been a dream of mine since I was a boy watching the races on TV,’’ Carney said, nominating Let’s Elope’s 1991 Cup win as the one he remembers best.

Carney has experienced Cup day before, but only as a spectator.

Adam Carney purchased the 10 per cent share in Future History.

He wasn’t planning to be in Melbourne for this year’s race but will now be front and centre in the birdcage and other places beyond.

“I will go down for the weekend and just enjoy the barrier draw and all the functions with my wife Tayla,’’ Carney said.

Carney and De Stoop’s $205,000 could yet turn out to be the buy of the year should First History win the Melbourne Cup but the returns could flow a lot earlier than that.

“He’s running in the Moonee Valley Cup on Friday night which is a $750,000 race and 10 days later he is racing for $8 million,’’ co-trainer David Eustace said.

“He is a very sound, lightly-raced gelding who will have his opportunity to race for good prizemoney in the autumn and with springs to come.

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“Unless anything goes wrong, I don’t see why he can run for another two, three more seasons.’’

Marc De Stoop bred and part owns Everest placegetter Mazu.

As for Future History’s chances of winning the Melbourne Cup, Eustace points to past history.

“He has a very lightweight,’’ Eustace said.

“And you see time and time again, horses right down the bottom running probably above their odds and into placings.

“We were lucky enough to have High Emocean run third in the last Melbourne Cup off a low weight. Floating Artist was fourth the year before, Persan was fifth the year before that so they can run grossly above their odds.’’

Time will tell, whether Carney and De Stoop’s outlay was indeed a bargain or otherwise, but when money isn’t your primary motive, you can never lose.

“What price do you put on an experience,’’ Carney said.

“You’ve got Sheikhs and billionaires trying to win the Melbourne Cup and it just shows that it can be for the average guy as well to have the opportunity.

“We’ll roll the dice and see how we go.’’

Originally published as Share in Melbourne Cup runner Future History sells for $205,000