Borda Building An Aston Dynasty

LEVIATHAN owner Ray Borda speaks to the Recorder about his greyhound racing empire in the lead up to Friday night's Group 1 National Futurity Final.

THE last time leviathan owner Ray Borda checked his books he was responsible for an eye-watering 600 greyhounds.

Yes, you heard right. 600.

"It sounds crazy when you say it out loud like that – the numbers have really grown the past few years," Borda said.

"The most important thing for me is that I get as much enjoyment watching my dogs now as I did when I first started all those years ago. Greyhounds are my passion, my hobby … it's almost like therapy for when I'm getting frustrated or I've hit the wall with other things."

A few years ago, when greyhound racing found itself in the doldrums, with its future firmly in the balance, Borda made the bold decision to significantly increase his investment in an industry that was on a knife's edge.

To put it bluntly – as far as greyhound racing is concerned – he went chips in.

"Through my other businesses I have a lot to do with politics and right through the whole ordeal I just couldn't reconcile how something like this (banning the industry in NSW) could happen in Australia," recalled Borda.

"At the time yes you can call it a risk or a gamble but I believed it was a controlled risk. And to be truthful, that's how I've built all my businesses over the years.

"For me the greyhounds are like my shares portfolio; I invested heavily at a time when the market was low and like everyone else I'm thrilled to see the sport come out the other side like it has. Greyhound racing is back on the map – in a big way."

In a candid interview a few years back, billionaire thoroughbred owner Gerry Harvey once said that when it came time to talk to his accountant about the financial performance of his race horses he'd walk out of the room until he'd finished.

Reasonable to say that a racing operation of that size and scope can push you to such measures.

"Without getting right into it all, I can tell you I'm pretty close to the whole thing being self-sufficient," Borda said. "But there are times that the ‘dog-account' needs topping up. But a lot less now than it did before.

"The aim is to break square. Because anything I make I re-invest into the sport anyway. I'll enjoy watching my dogs race no matter what but if it's paying for itself then I think you enjoy it that little bit more."

Given the sheer size of Borda's ever growing greyhound empire, one could be forgiven for thinking he has an army of staff at his disposal to manage the day to day demands of such an operation.

Especially, given the Macro Meats supremo juggles the remainder of his time overseeing a raft of multi-million dollar businesses.

"I do it all myself and stay as hands on as possible … you'd be surprised how many kennel-names I know," Borda added.

"I'm here in the office at 5.30am every morning. I do all the greyhound work between then and 7.30am and then move to other things. But there's only so much you can control during that time; when the phone rings then you need to answer."

At Wentworth Park this Friday night, Borda will be trackside to watch Aston Maeve, Aston Silk and Aston Perignon take their place in the Group 1 National Futurity Final (520m).

And for good measure, Aston Sapporo, trained by Jason Mackay, will go around in the Group 1 National Derby.

"It's a big thrill – very exciting," Borda boasted about having such a presence at Wentworth Park this Friday night.

"I'll be at the track on Friday night; I think it's important to share nights like this as often as you can. But I must admit I am quite superstitious so I'm not sure if being there is a good thing or not."

Last Friday night, Borda sat back and watched the Jason Mackay-trained Aston Maeve and Jason Thompson-trained Aston Silk extend the winning starts to their careers to four by taking out their respective National Futurity heats.

Giving Borda even more reason to smile was the fact that the bitches dams, Aston Miley (Aston Maeve) and Aston Selena (Aston Silk), are litter-sisters to his champion race dog turned highly sought after sire Aston Dee Bee.

"I sold a handful of Aston Dee Bee straws over the weekend just on the back of Friday night," Borda said.

"And what I said earlier about the greyhounds getting towards breaking square, a lot of that's got to do with the success Aston Dee Bee is having at stud.

"I've always been one to say you breed from a champion family and not a champion individual and to see the bitches now throwing quality pups is very rewarding. And the reports on (Aston) Dee Bee's oldest pups are fantastic as well … everywhere I turn I only hear good things."

Such is the standard of reports filtering through about Aston Dee Bee's oldest pups, Borda recently turned down a $1 million offer for the Melbourne Cup winner from a syndicate in Ireland.

"I want this to come across the right way – I'm like anyone, I'd like the money sure but I don't need the money so I knocked it back," Borda explained.

"The amount of interest in Dee Bee is unbelievable. I had a request for 20 straws from New Zealand the other week and I couldn't do it. At the moment I think I have five or six straws. If I had 100 straws I may have sold him but they're going at the speed we're collecting them."

Despite the constant demand, Borda has stuck solid at the $2,200 service fee for the son of Barcia Bale, committed to keeping him as affordable as possible for as long as possible.

"Everyone has my word that he won't go up (in price) until his pups begin having success on the track," Borda stated.

"I want to keep him at this price for as long as I can but at some stage the market will decide what his stud fee is. The support from breeders has been sensational."

With a tick over 30 brood bitches currently on his books, Borda has declared that race goers are in store for an "Aston" tsunami in the coming months, with a plethora of well-bred stock on the cusp of hitting the tracks.

"There's pups out of Te Amo, Fabregal, Fantastic Dotty, Aston Dinnigan, Aston Selena … just to name a few that are not all that far away," Borda informed.

But there's one litter that's garnering more of Borda's attention than most, a litter by his pride and joy Aston Dee Bee out of champion stayer Sweet It is, her first litter to Kc And All producing Aston Kimetto, the three-time group winner now standing at stud at Awesome Lodge.

"Benny Howe reared the litter for me and said they're some of the most athletic pups he's ever seen," Borda declared.

"There's seven of them and three of them are at the breakers now. Recently people connected with where they are breaking-in called to buy a few Aston Dee Bee straws … they're showing a lot of promise."

As is the case with all his stock, Borda follows a fairly regimented process in placing his greyhounds with trainers right around the country.

"My first rule is I want to be involved with good people before good trainers," Borda said.

"If it's not enjoyable then there's no point doing it. In all my years as an owner I've never told a trainer what to do with a dog but if they ask my opinion then I'll give it to them. I encourage communication and I need people I can trust.

"When I'm placing the dogs with trainers I look past whether they are just fast or slow. It's the tracks available to the trainers and whether they suit the dogs … there's a lot of moving parts so you try and get it right as often as you can."

Whatever the result at Wentworth Park this Friday night, Borda is brimming with anticipation about the new lease of life greyhound racing currently finds itself with.

"I own 28 race horses and they barely rate a mention with me," Borda stated.

"What the Million Dollar Chase has done for greyhound racing can't be understated. It's shown everyone that it's not the poor man's sport it was once considered.

“It's an industry on the up and the people running things are making the right decisions for a bright future." 

 

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