"TO BE honest, I won all my money and didn't know the name of one bloody horse in the East," said Paul Makin, the Kensington Public school graduate and Doncaster pub paper seller, on being a successful punter. Makin is, no doubt, the most successful graduate of that house of learning and sceptics may scoff it has produced only the odd media hack. But studying the field closely you'll find the odd weight-for-age legal performer plus politicians, Cabinet members both federal and state. In Hong Kong and Japan, Makin accumulated a pile that Crisp, which had no trouble with giant obstacles at Aintree, couldn't jump. So much so he can indulge Starcraft, his AJC Derby winner which is now at stud. "I'm not really a breeder but I wanted to give Starcraft a bit of a start, he's one of my boys, so I bought a lot of mares last year and they are all in foal to him and I'll offer them back to the people," he said on radio station 2SM last Saturday, regarding the Magic Millions sale this week. "I like racing rather than breeding. We've done our best with the mares, I think they are quite stunning."
How long will he continue in this manner with Starcraft? "I'll buy more mares and do it again next year," he said. "Then I won't help him anymore. I've got some of his weanlings up in the northern hemisphere. I'm going to send five of them to the best five trainers up there and I'm going to do exactly the same down here."
And his secret to success on the punt? "Don't count your winnings by the day," he replied. "The reality is that it doesn't really matter what you do by the day, it matters what you take home at the end of the year. You've got to think long-term and the only way is value. The price must be right. You just keep taking value. You won't back all the winners but you'll end up with money. Winning is a long-term project. If you just want to go and enjoy yourself and knock off a hundred or two, that's all very good, but if you want to win you've got to have a professional approach."
SMH June 4 2007
Again, congratulations Paul on the win of the filly. Two questions if I may.
You state on this thread that you, as the owner make all the decisions.
I know that you were keen to scratch the filly after she drew the inside barrier.
Was it Leith's phone call to you last Wednesday where he stated that he was sure he could get her off the fence (which he did magnificently) that convinced you to run?
And secondly, do you still have an interest in Starcraft?
With Star Witness and now this filly, his future looks bright.
Cheers