If not for the red tape that binds Australian immigration laws, the country’s racing scene would have been blessed with what is probably the most colourful and charismatic trainer in the world today.
Ganbat Enebish is a Mongolian who wanted to prove himself in the west, and his first choice of venue to accomplish the task was Australia.
“We looked at all the racing countries – England, France, America and Australia,” Enebish said.
“Australia was the one we liked, but it was very difficult to get permission to stay there, so we went to America because it doesn’t have so many laws.”
Enebish and his fellow Mongolian owner Ganbaatar Dagvadorj set up in the US five years ago and this year they astonished the racing world – but not themselves – when their stable star Mongolian Saturday won the Group One Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland.
And in Hong Kong on Sunday they will attempt to repeat the effort in the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
Mongolian Saturday is one of the challengers to the local favourite Gold-Fun and Enebish and Dagvadorj regard him as a serious contender.
“He is not an easy horse to train, he has a mind of his own,” Enebish said.
“If we do something wrong, he gets a bit crazy and other times he just doesn’t pay attention.
“But when he does everything right he’s very good.”
Enebish admits he employs what may seem like unusual methods to get his horse fit enough to win an international Group One race, but he has good reason to have confidence in them.
“Mongolian people have a good feel for the horses, how to read their eye, colour, stomach, muscle.
“We change things in training every day. It depends on what the horse looks like.
“It’s a different style. Maybe we train sixty per cent the American way and forty per cent the Mongolian way.”
Enebish purchased Mongolian Saturday for $US60,000 and the gelding won his first start by 11 lengths.
His Breeders’ Cup win came at his 31st start, the victory surprising everyone but Enebish, Dagvadorj and their US-based French jockey Florent Geroux.
“When we came to the US we thought we would have big success in a year but it took longer when we thought,” Enebish said.
Australia’s three-horse contingent at the International meeting will all go into their races in good order but only as outside chances with Preferment in the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2400m) shaping as the best prospect.
Australia will also be represented by Criterion who has drawn off the track in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and Lucai Valentina in the same race.
