It has been a whirlwind 11 months in the training career of Dominic Sutton, who celebrated his first Group 1 winner when Feroce claimed victory in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.
Sutton began his training career at Pakenham last year, saddling his first runner and securing his first winner at that track last March. He registered his first metropolitan victory at Caulfield the following month while in the process of moving his training base to Ballarat. Earlier this year, he also established a stable at Flemington.
Along the way, Sutton endured heartbreak when Feroce was narrowly denied victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) last spring, a loss that was hard to accept.
However, redemption came on Saturday as Feroce ($14), ridden by Billy Egan, dug deep to score a three-quarter length victory over Savaglee ($11), with Goldrush Guru ($7.50) finishing a length away in third.
“It’s going to take a few days to sink in, to be honest,” Sutton said.
“I’ve had a tough run of seconds lately, so I was just hoping for a winner anywhere. To do it on the biggest stage with this horse, who has been the flag bearer for our stable since day one, is incredible.
“It took a long time to get over the Caulfield Guineas loss, I’m not going to lie.
“A lot of people congratulated us, but I still felt pretty bitter, thinking we could have won that race.
“We all know how hard it is to win these races, to have a horse good enough and present him in the right order on the day. Sometimes, you wonder if you’ll be waiting a long time for another chance.
“But this horse has just kept improving. He was probably the third-ever horse we bought out of the sales.”
Sutton originally traveled from the UK for a three-month stint to gain experience in the racing industry.
He never intended to become a trainer, but a decade later, he now runs a successful stable across two locations, is a Group 1-winning trainer, and manages nearly 60 horses.
“I was supposed to be here for three months, and here we are 10 years later,” Sutton said.
“I never planned to train; I just wanted to experience the industry and fell in love with it.
“I also met a girl who made me stay, and here we are. It’s been a crazy journey, and I couldn’t have done it without the people around me.”
For jockey Billy Egan, this marked his second Group 1 victory, following his win aboard Dunkel in the 2023 South Australian Derby at Morphettville.
Egan said Saturday’s win was especially satisfying, given Sutton’s rapid rise.
“I’m just really happy for Dom,” Egan said.
“For a young trainer to have so many horses in his first year and also be running in Group 1 races, that comes with a lot of pressure.
“He handles himself so well, and it’s great to see him get this reward in his first year.”
Egan explained that he entered the race with a plan to be positive from barrier 11, as Feroce does not possess an explosive sprint but makes up for it with sheer tenacity.
“The race worked out really well,” Egan said.
“We planned to press forward and sit just behind the leaders. He doesn’t have a huge turn of foot, but he can sustain a strong gallop, and sometimes things just fall into place.
“It’s not often that a race unfolds exactly as planned, but today, everything worked out perfectly.”