Grahame Begg’s stakes double on Saturday wasn’t unique in his thirty year career, but it was the first time he’d won black type races on the same day in two states. Grahame was at Randwick to watch his exciting mare Passive Aggressive defeat Eduardo by a hair’s breadth in the Gr 2 Challenge Stakes, while his new stable foreman Chris Hyland saddled Nonconformist for the Gr 2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington later in the afternoon. There was no agonising photo finish delay this time. Courtesy of a gun Harry Coffey ride, Nonconformist strolled home in the 1600m contest.
Passive Aggressive was one of the most talked about fillies in Australia in the middle of last year, when she strung four impressive wins together. The daughter of Fastnet Rock had six lengths to spare in winning a Werribee maiden and followed with an easy Cl 1 victory at Pakenham. Grahame’s opinion of the filly was vindicated when she graduated to open company for another comfortable win down the straight at Flemington over 1100m. Her next assignment loomed menacingly - the listed A.R. Creswick Stakes of 1200m opposed to another highly regarded three year old in Star Patrol from the Clinton McDonald stable. Passive Aggressive made light of the class rise by beating Star Patrol comfortably. In all four wins she’d shown a sharp turn of foot.
Passive Aggressive made it four straight in beating Star Patrol in the Creswick Stakes last year - courtesy Racing Photos.
“We then made a decision which didn’t work out as well as we’d hoped,” said Grahame. “Because she was so lightly raced we opted for a very brief early spring programme, before putting her away until the autumn of this year. We ran her nice and fresh in the Gr 3 Cockram Stakes at Caulfield, and not surprisingly she led comfortably. She certainly wasn’t disgraced in finishing fourth just over a length from the winner Chain Of Lightning, but she just didn’t have quite the same spark. We immediately turned her out, and it was to be six months before she reappeared in Saturday’s Challenge Stakes.”
Few can execute a long range plan better than Grahame Begg who was always mindful of Passive Aggressive’s liking for rain affected ground. All four Melbourne wins were on a Soft 6 or worse, and she’d won two Cranbourne barrier trials by huge margins in very heavy ground. Grahame’s knowledge of Sydney’s unpredictable autumn weather, saw him hatch a plan for the highly promising sprinting mare. Even if it failed to rain, he believed Passive Aggressive would be suited by Randwick’s forgiving cushion of turf. He couldn’t contain his delight when Randwick copped a few heavy downpours during the week. A Soft 6 track for the Challenge Stakes was just what the doctor ordered.
Nobody was sure of the Challenge Stake result. Passive Aggressive (outside) scored by the barest of margins - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Sydneysiders were unaware of the difference in Passive Aggressive’s appearance since her previous race start at Caulfield last August. “This mare absolutely thrived during that long spell,” said Grahame. “She bulked up significantly and looked like Sunline as she paraded at Randwick on Saturday. Unfortunately she has a similar temperament to Sunline which keeps us all on our toes. She’ll kick or bite without warning and we have to use a muzzle when feeding, watering or rugging her. We actually installed a sign outside her box at home, warning passers by to give her a wide berth. We’ll do something similar while she’s in Sydney.”
Once on the racetrack Passive Aggressive leaves those unpleasant habits behind. She left the gates like a flash in the Challenge, but came straight back underneath Jordan Childs as Eduardo immediately assumed the role of pacemaker. As they topped the rise it was obvious she was the only danger to the veteran, with favourite Giga Kick giving away too much start. Passive Aggressive gave lie to her inexperience as she knuckled down to her work over the last 200m. The old warrior Eduardo fought like a tiger as his much younger adversary dug into the margin. Nobody was sure when they hit the line. The delay was interminable as punters were treated to several computer images of the finish. It was Passive Aggressive by a thumb nail and Begg’s long term plan had bagged a $287,000 first prize for a mare who’s going places.
“She’ll remain in Sydney for the duration of the autumn carnival,” said Grahame. “It’s her first trip away from home but she hasn’t turned a hair. It was a pretty tough run first up on Saturday, so we’ll let the dust settle before planning her immediate programme. There are so many wonderful options for a mare like this between now and the conclusion of the Championships. Any further rain during the carnival would be a bonus rather than a negative.”
Grahame and ATC Chairman Peter McGauran hold the Challenge Stakes trophy aloft - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Grahame had a couple of doubts about Nonconformist as the gelding lined up for the $300,000 Blamey Stakes. He hadn’t won at Flemington in three previous starts, and he’d never won a race first up. He needn’t have worried. Harry Coffey found him a cosy spot midfield on the fence, and immediately put him to sleep. Extricated with great skill by Coffey on straightening for home, Nonconformist dived between Pounding and Banker’s Choice at the 200m where he dropped into another gear. He cruised home by more than two lengths looking every bit as good as the horse who beat all but Incentivise in the 2021 Caulfield Cup.
Aided by a perfect Harry Coffey ride, Nonconformist won the Blamey Stakes with ease - courtesy Racing Photos.
In an era when expensive European horses are arriving in Australia by the plane load, Nonconformist flies the flag for the Aussie homebreds. Grahame was asked to train the son of Rebel Raider when he rekindled his training career in 2016 after a two year hiatus. Following a very successful twenty five years at Randwick, the trainer felt the need for a complete break from the grind of professional training. When the time was right for a return, Grahame decided on a brand new start in Melbourne. He struggled to find accommodation at Caulfield and Flemington and was highly relieved when prominent owner Jonathan Munz offered him the use of state of the art stabling at Mt. Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula.
“I arrived in Victoria with six horses and had nowhere to put them,” said Grahame. “Jonathan’s kind offer was heaven sent. He gave me first class facilities for my small team and has given me continued support ever since. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be winning good races with his mare Passive Aggressive currently. My Mt. Eliza location also brought me a new owner and a raw yearling who would become one of my all time favourites. I was delighted when local horse enthusiast Danielle Henwood asked me to train a colt she and her family had bred and raised. By the time Nonconformist was ready to race, Danielle had put together a syndicate made up of family and friends. She has not only become a valued client, but spends much of her spare time helping out around my stables. “She was a regular at Mt. Eliza and still makes the journey to our new location at Cranbourne a couple of times a week,” said Grahame. “Not many trainers can boast an owner like Danielle.”
The slow maturing Nonconformist was lucky to have a managing owner and a trainer of boundless patience. “He took a long time to grow into his big frame,” said Grahame. “In the early days we just called it quits whenever he looked like he wasn’t coping. He was a November three year old by the time he made his debut, finishing third at his first two runs at Pakenham and Caulfield. Following a “freshen up” he put together a sequence of four runs which got us a bit excited. He won a maiden at Pakenham followed by an open 3YO at Caulfield before making a quantum leap into the Gr 2 1800m Autumn Classic at Caulfield. He was beaten just over a length by Adelaide Ace, but got square three weeks later when he trounced the same horse in the Gr 2 Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley.”
Three years have since passed in which Nonconformist has had only nineteen starts. He’s won only three of those races, but has posted some cracking performances in top company. His record stands at twenty five starts for six wins and eight placings for a healthy $1.92 million in prize money. Saturday’s Gr 2 Blamey Stakes is his most important win to date, but he has a couple of Gr 3’s on the board - the Coongy Cup and Foundation Cup both at Caulfield. He was unlucky enough to strike Incentivise in the Caulfield Cup, at a time when the Queenslander was going as well as any stayer in the land. He was beaten over three lengths into second place but did a great job after racing wide with no cover for much of the journey. Another of Nonconformist’s best runs was a close second to Probabeel in the Gr 1 Might And Power Stakes with Zaaki in third place. Is it any wonder Grahame Begg has always believed there’s a very good race in the son of Rebel Raider. “He’ll go straight into the Australian Cup on March 25th,” said the trainer. “The three week gap is ideal. I’m hoping he gets a firm track with a little bit of give, and a strong pace on the day. He deserves his chance in such a prestigious race.”
Nonconformist wins the 2021 Foundation Cup at Caulfield from Delphi and Tralee Rose - courtesy Racing Photos.
Passive Aggressive won’t be the only Begg representative to appear during the Sydney autumn carnival. The trainer will be back on Saturday with the lightly raced Maharba for the Pago Pago Stakes. This gelded son of Pride Of Dubai was beaten only a length into fourth place in the Golden Gift last November when trained by David Payne. He joined the Begg stable at Cranbourne in the new year and scored an authoritative win in the recent 1100m Talindert Stakes at Flemington. “Unfortunately he’s not in the Golden Slipper but will be well placed in the Pago Pago,” said Grahame. “Michael Dee is making the trip to ride him.”
Grahame remains firmly focused on a Stradbroke mission for his talented four year old Cardinal Gem who resumed from a spell with an unplaced effort in a BM 90 at Flemington on Saturday. “I wasn’t too disappointed,” said Grahame. “He wasn’t suited by a slow pace but ran to the line nicely, only 3.4 lengths from the winner. He’s a really nice horse who should put it all together this time in.”
Now in his early sixties Grahame Begg was groomed for his current role from a very early age. He played a pivotal role at Baramul Lodge in the era when his father Neville kept Tommy Smith up to the mark in the trainer’s premiership race. Neville was never able to win the title, but finished second to the powerful Smith operation on no less than nine occasions. Now in his ninety second year the remarkable Neville Begg rarely ventures out, but was sighted casting his eye over a yearling or two at the recent Inglis Classic Sale. When Begg Snr decided to accept a training contract in Hong Kong in 1990, it was obvious his son was trained to the minute to face the challenge. Grahame currently sits on around eighty stakes wins including fifteen Gr 1’s. He’s hoping Nonconformist and Passive Agressive can add to that tally when they compete in some elite races in two states over the next five weeks.
Grahame with his father and life time tutor Neville Begg. Begg Snr, now 92, was spotted at the recent Inglis Classic Sale in Sydney - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
(Banner image - Passive Aggressive throws herself at the line to beat Eduardo by an eyelash - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)