The car wash king who is aiming to win the Melbourne Cup with Okita Soushi

The Melbourne Cup has seen oil-rich sheiks, casino moguls and high-flying bankers but never before has it seen a one-time nightclub bouncer, car wash king and car racer.

One-time nightclub bouncer Rohit Saini once provided security for a Melbourne Cup horse and now his family has a Cup contender of their own.

Indian-born Saini had no horseracing background when he came to Australia in 2005 and worked odd jobs before starting in the security industry, even doing occasional crowd control shifts at spring carnival race days.

In 2007, he was given the job of providing security for David Hayes’ Melbourne Cup contender The Fuzz, the Geelong Cup winner of that year who was subsequently scratched on Cup morning with a hoof issue.

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It sparked a love of racing and Saini promised himself he would one day own a racehorse.

Fast forward to 2024, and in between operating car washes and racing production cars, Saini will be cheering on Melbourne Cup contender Okita Soushi who his wife Alana owns.

“I started working as a nightclub bouncer, from there I was once given the job to look after one of the Melbourne Cup runners and my job was to be with the horse 24-7,” Saini said.

“I was basically employed by Racing Victoria, if the horse was going for a trot or a canter I had to be there.

“I thought these racehorses have got a really great life, they are getting pampered and so well looked after, and I didn’t know how anyone could say that racing was cruel.

“I said to myself that, one day if I can, I would love to own a racehorse.”

Car wash operator Rohit Saini with wife Alana and their Melbourne Cup contender Okita Soushi. Picture: Rebecca Michael

There have been oil-rich sheiks, casino moguls and high-flying bankers who have tackled the Melbourne Cup, but it may never have seen anyone quite like Saini.

When he isn’t looking after the interests of several car washes as a franchisor, Saini is enjoying his daredevil passion of racing fast cars.

While Okita Soushi is a fast horse, the Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner and Melbourne Cup contender doesn’t travel at the speed of Saini’s powerful cars.

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“I started driving when I was eight years old in India, I just took the car out of the garage without letting my Mum and Dad know and took it for a spin,” Saini chuckled.

“The cops brought me back home and my Dad wanted to know where I went in the car.

“So, I have been into cars from a young age.

“A production car came up for sale and I bought it and suddenly I became a race car driver.

“Now I’m racing in whatever series I can race in just to get (car) seat time.

“I recently raced at Calder Park and the speed I was doing up the straight was about 220km.”

Melbourne Cup contender Okita Soushi scored his first win in Australia in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Okita Soushi was an honest performer in Ireland and Joseph O’Brien brought him out for the 2023 Melbourne Cup where he finished 11th behind Without A Fight after coming from near last.

Purchased in an online sale by the Sainis for $185,000 in March and sent to Ciaron Maher, Okita Soushi surged into Melbourne Cup contention when winning for the first time in Australia, scoring the Moonee Valley Gold Cup on October 25.

With star jockey Jamie Kah’s original Melbourne Cup booking Point King being withdrawn from the Cup, Kah will now ride Okita Soushi who is a $21 chance with Ladbrokes to win on the first Tuesday in November.

“Whenever people say something is too hard it makes me more determined – I never washed a car in my life before I started operating car washes,” Saini said.

“Then people said that I was probably crazy thinking that I could have a Melbourne Cup horse.

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“Okita Sushi actually finished off well in last year’s Melbourne Cup and I thought there could be improvement in him, seeing as he probably hadn’t fully acclimatised last year.

“We thought if we could get him for the right price, it was a good punt to take.

“I got all the physicals done for this horse and there was only minor wear and tear, which every racehorse is going to have, and there was nothing major.

“I am a very small-time horse owner – I have only got four horses – so I wanted to try to make sure he could run in the Melbourne Cup.

“With the calibre of this horse, we had to pick a trainer who would give him his best chance and that’s why he is racing for Ciaron Maher.

“My wife has a great passion for racehorses.

“Jamie Kah had a Melbourne Cup ride but it was taken out of the race.

“Now we have a lady rider and a lady owner, everything is lining up for us.”

For the likes of seven-time winning Melbourne Cup owner Lloyd Williams and Godolphin founder Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Melbourne Cup has been a stirring crusade for many decades.

If Saini could win next Tuesday, it would add another rich chapter to the colourful history of the iconic three-handled Cup trophy.

Originally published as The car wash king who is aiming to win the Melbourne Cup with Okita Soushi