EMPRESSIVE ENUFF GOES FROM VILLAIN TO HERO

Mornington trainer Dean Binaisse could probably write a book on what has gone wrong with four-year-old Rich Enuff gelding Empressive Enuff.

The horse’s most recent mishap happened at what was supposed to be his third race start at Moe a few weeks ago, but he didn’t make it out of the carpark unscathed.

He rushed off the float tardily and although he didn’t go completely down, the gelding still managed to scrape the back of his leg and was scratched by stewards after a veterinary examination.

Empressive Enuff’s breeder-owners, including Tony Darvill, had driven down from Geelong and were only about 20 minutes away from the track when they received the grim news from Mornington trainer Dean Binaisse that the horse had been ruled out.

For Binaisse and his owners it was a case of what else could go wrong with this horse.

But all was forgiven – at least for the time being – when Empressive Enuff – added plenty to the bank accounts of his owners when he returned to Moe last Friday to win the 1100m four-year-old and up maiden.

As well as picking up first prize of $20,625, there was also a VOBIS owner’s bonus which took the gelding’s winnings to $34,625 for the day.

Being an eligible VOBIS Gold Bonus Race, connections also picked up the $30,000 in VOBIS Sires Boost vouchers which they can use for a service fee to a VOBIS Sires nominated Victorian stallion or to purchase another horse at eligible sales.

VOBIS Sires vouchers apply to all 250+ VOBIS Gold Races from August 1 and offer an additional $7.5 million in the form of $30,000 in vouchers.

The troubles for Empressive Enuff, which Binaisse said has stacks of ability, started early in his career.

“The horse was a barrier rogue and the first time it was loaded into the barriers he was like a kid’s pony and did it like he’d been there all his life,” he said.

“We took him back for a second go a week later and he went berserk in there and then we took him around the corner for some barrier training in a jogger.”

Binaisse said it had been “laundry list” of what he had gone wrong with the horse which started when he cut his foot when he jumped on himself while being broken in.

“He is really hard to treat because you can’t needle him and you can’t shoe him, so he has been really, really hard work,” he said.

“But we have persisted because of the type and conformation that he has got and has always shown that tenacity and he is just very tough like an old colonial horse.

“Even though he has got his quirks I don’t mind them because of how tough he is.”

Binaisse said Empressive Enuff had been in work forever to try and sort out his problems and had no time off but kept on fronting up and continually licked his bin clean.

Binaisse had contemplated sending the gelding for a break, but that would create another problem – they can’t catch him when he is in the paddock by himself and he’ll go “feral” again.

So far all has been given and at the moment a golden horseshoe, painted by Binaisse, is hung outside the stable or yard of the last start winner until the next winner comes along.

The gold shoe, along with the trophy he won at Moe, is proudly displayed outside Empressive Enuff’s box.

“We took a photo and he stood there with his top lip up as much to say get stuffed,” Binaisse said.

While Binaisse has heaped plenty of credit on the horse, he said the VOBIS scheme and the VOBIS Sires Boost was a great program and they made sure they targeted that race.

Owner and breeder Tony Darvill raced Empressive Enuff’s dam, Empress Cleo, (Holy Roman Emperor x La Rumba), a Moonee Valley 1000m winner, and the gelding was the mare’s third foal. The first two were both by Toorak Toff and failed to flatter on the track.

Empress Cleo has a colt by Rosemont Stud’s Shamus Award and has just had a colt by Starspangledbanner.

And with $30,000 in VOBIS Sires boost vouchers, Darvill said it was now a matter of sitting back and deciding what they’ll do with money, but Empress Cleo won’t be served this year.

He has only bred from Empress Cleo and some of her foals have been bred in partnership with Fergus Jackson.

“Fergus, his son and a couple of his son’s mates have got 25 per cent between them in Empressive Enuff,” he said.

The Moe victory was a big thrill for Darvill who is suffering from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos.

“They can’t do anything about it and we found out about five of six months ago,” he said.

“I said to my son Darren who has got 25 per cent of him that you know what’s going to happen – I’ll fall off the perch and he is going to win about five in a row.

“I am going all right at the moment and we had a crack at some treatment to try and slow it down, but it was ten times worse than what I was so we are sort of sitting back at the moment.”

Darvill said he was in the car near Moe when Empressive Enuff was scratched, but he missed the return trip and win because he had a medical appointment he couldn’t cancel.

“It doesn’t matter as it was great,” he said.

“It’s been a long journey to get one over the line.”

Darvill operated Coastal Cold Storage in Geelong, a business now controlled by his son, Darren.