John Singleton set for colourful Stradbroke day with Hawaii Five Oh
John Singleton will be happy to shout drinks if Hawaii Five Oh wins the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Hawaii Five Oh's larrikin part-owner John Singleton says he will shout the bar if he wins the Stradbroke Handicap – but only if co-owner Gerry Harvey ponies up and pays half.
The flamboyant ad man said he will turn up at Eagle Farm on Saturday wearing a colourful Hawaiian shirt to cheer on his expensive three year-old colt in Queensland's most prestigious race.
Singleton paid his mate of 60 years Harvey, the billionaire businessman and horse breeder, a cool $1m for a share in Hawaii Five Oh who is now the second favourite in betting for the Group 1 Stradbroke.
The beers will be flowing freely if boom colt Hawaii Five Oh scores the Stradbroke, with Singleton estimating the colt could then be worth $40m.
"Bloody oath I will shout the bar if he wins – but only if Gerry shouts half," Singleton told Racenet.
"If it doesn't happen, it will be because Gerry hasn't ponied up. If we win, I'm planning to give Gerry the Stradbroke trophy and then I'm off with the money.
"I first saw this horse when Gerry and I were having a social day, just bullshitting, going around looking at horses, colouring in the day.
Gerry Harvey (left) and John Singleton at Royal Randwick. Picture Chris Pavlich-The Australian
"I saw this beautiful horse. So I told Gerry, don't sell that horse, I will buy it.
"So being mates for 60 years, he charged me full freight.
"I wanted no deposit, interest free. Gerry got more off me than he would have got at auction.
"He charged me a million bucks for half of the horse. What a way to rob your mate, he's only got one mate. But if it wins the Stradbroke, it could be worth $40m."
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Hawaii Five Oh is well fancied to win the Stradbroke, a $5 chance who will be ridden by Rachel King who is aiming to become the first female jockey to win the race.
Carrying just 49.5kg, the full brother to former ace performer Libertini will give the $3m race a mighty shake.
John Singleton with Hawaii Five Oh's co-trainer Gai Waterhouse. Picture: Richard Dobson
If Hawaii Five Oh wins the Stradbroke, Singleton said he was keen to sell the colt as a stallion while co-owner Harvey was keen to race in the $20m The Everest in Sydney later this year.
"The Stradbroke and The Everest are getting a bit of a formline together," Singleton said.
"So Gerry is very keen to run it in The Everest but I am very keen to sell it as a stallion if it wins the Stradbroke.
"That's the trouble with having a business partner who thinks money is confetti.
"Ah, ‘it's only money' Gerry says. But Gerry has a lot more money than I have.
"Never play cards or do business with a billionaire, ever!"
Singleton feels Hawaii Five Oh couldn't have done much more to stake a strong Stradbroke claim – producing sensational wins in Group 3 races at his last two starts.
But he revealed the Hawaii Five Oh tale could have been very different.
A big, strong and imposing horse, there was a time when it was suggested to Singleton that the colt might need to have the unkindest cut of all.
Imposing colt Hawaii Five Oh booked his ticket into the Stradbroke Handicap when winning the Fred Best Classic. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography
"When we first got this horse, they all said it was a beautiful big horse," Singleton said.
"It was actually called ‘the big horse'.
"Then I got a series of emails trying to soften me up to geld it.
"The emails said this horse might get a bit too big, maybe we might have to give it unkindest cut. But I said I didn't need a gelding.
"This horse really is Goliath among the Davids.
"But if he ran two lengths slower, he would be two stone less (would have been gelded)."
Brisbane Racing Club chief executive Tony Partridge said the club was looking forward to welcoming Singleton and other owners on Saturday.
He said Singleton has been given special dispensation to wear a Hawaiian shirt in the Eagle Farm enclosure and members' areas.
