Victorian owner-breeder Ray Sellwood loved his first TAB Eureka experience so much he’s desperate to have another crack.
And he’s adamant he’s got the right horse to give the world’s richest pacing race a shake in The Art Of Success.
The daughter of Art Major made it 10 successive wins when she scored her most impressive and important victory yet in last Saturday week’s Group 2 Vicbred 4YO Mares’ final at Melton.
Now Sellwood is ready to negotiate with slot owners for the $1.5 million race at Menangle on November 21.
He’s hoping to snare a slot earlier than Miki To Success’ last-minute ticket into last year’s race.
Miki To Success, the older half-brother to The Art Of Success and also bred by Sellwood and some friends, burst his way into the TAB Eureka by winning the Discovery a week before. It effectively brought with it the John Singleton slot into the Eureka.
“It was just the most fantastic and fun experience to be part of,” Sellwood said. “Even though we didn’t win, it was such a great event, not just the racing, but everything around it, too.
“We’d love to have another go at it and this mare certainly deserves her chance. She’s just kept finding another length or two every time we’ve stepped her up.
“Look how she dug in to win that (Vicbred) final when it looked like Miss Ari had the cold sit on her and was going to run her down.”
The Art Of Success also has a bit of history on her side with the inaugural 2023 TAB Eureka winner Encipher being a four-year-old mare and trained by Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin, like Encipher was.
The Art Of Success showed loads of talent from day one but had a niggling throat infection at two and didn’t race until March of her three-year-old season.
“Clayton (Tonkin) thought she was as good as ‘Miki’ (To Success) at two, but when we couldn’t get her throat right, we just tipped her out to give her time,” Sellwood recalled.
“Then she won her first start easily at Kilmore and we thought we were away and running, but fractured a pastern, had screws put in and 12 months out. That’s why she’d barely raced before this season.”
After seconds at Geelong (beaten a whisker) and Terang, The Art Of Success won a heat-and-final series at Mildura to start her 10-race winning streak.
Her Vicbred final win continued Sellwood’s biggest year as an owner, having also teamed with his mate, Danny Zavitsanos, to win the Group 1 NSW Oaks with Arrhythmia in May.
But there have been ups and downs.
Arrhythmia, who won eight on nine starts last season, managed just three starts for two wins and a second this term before injury struck and ended her 2026 racing plans just days before a planned trip north for the Queensland Oaks.
“She had a slight tear in both front tendons, but it’s not serious,” Sellwood said. “She’ll go back into work next month.”
It’s been a similarly frustrating year with Miki To Success, who looked set for a huge campaign when an eye-catching fourth to the great pair Swayzee and Leap To Fame in the Hunter Cup back in February.
He had just another two starts before “losing his mojo”.
“We’ve gone right over him and done all sorts of checks and tests, but couldn’t find what it was,” Sellwood said. “So, Clayton (Tonkin) said to just tip him out for a long break.
“He had three-and-a-half months out and is on his way back now.
“Clayton has a huge opinion of him, and we got a glimpse of that in the Hunter Cup, so we’re happy to take out time and get him right again.”
Between Sellwood “big three” – The Art Of Success, Miki To Success and Arrhythmia – they have won 10 Vicbred heats, semis or finals.
And all were bred by Sellwood.
The Art Of Success has an extra special layer for Sellwood with his close friend Mark Winterton in the ownership.
“Mark said no to a share in Miki To Success, but went into this mare,” Sellwood said. “It’s great because he had a stroke a while back and has been struggling a bit health-wise since.
“He was at Melton the other night to see her win the Vicbred final and it gave him a great kick-along.
“Hopefully we get a ticket into the TAB Eureka and we can all head up and cheer for her in that.”
