The Road to Racing: Against the Odds

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Against the Odds

Along the Road to Racing I would never envisage about taking one of the biggest gamble ever in my life. It’s completely too good to be true; the influx of my younger brother Stephane into the real world of ‘Sport of Kings’ in Sydney almost 19 months ago.

Within one mark of a pen, he went from being the most glumly teenager to a happy young man. I have to admit he was so thrill to be here with me for a new chapter of our life miles away from home. He was as ecstatic and happy as a pig in mud the day I picked him up at the airport. It’s been quite a while since I have not seen such a huge reflect of happiness on his face. I truly find it so fascinating to team up with him for a career in racing: he always bring something new to me and have interesting things to say and often have a different slant on life though his young age.

Indeed it began when I flew back home for the first time in 5 years I have been to ‘Down Under’. I was finally home with mum, dad and stephane just for a stint whilst waiting for my new working visa to be granted. As impatient as they were…I had to dredge up the whole story of my life ‘Down Under’ the night I got home. And that night the main topic of our family reunion was entirely about Horse racing…photos, horses, jockeys, winners anything that could have involve me with thoroughbred.

One day…stephane and I got caught up into a deep and significant conversation of how his life is so depressing and unknown. There was no light through the tunnel regarding his future endeavors. No absolutely prospect of living his dream to become a jockey. In fact, personal issues were continuingly flowing in his life…in every direction. So he turned to ‘Big Brother’ for help and advice as the situation was getting quite critical. Being graduated from college…working on and off in a call center…doing his riding lesson which was very costly (which at some stage my parents could not afford to pay which pushed him to quit riding)…could not meet the requirement of the Mauritius Turf Club to become an apprentice-jockey…barely having a social life due to financial hardship…could not afford things what a young teenager could at his age…he became a kind of a nerd young man…spending time most of his at home at a lonely pace. As such life was quirky and hit him quite bad right away. And all of a sudden he found himself in a dark hole…with depression on his plate.

He made it clear to me that day, he wanted to get his own getaway and can’t wait start a new chapter of his life overseas. He actually desperately begged me to get him out here as soon as possible. Considering my knowledge and experience I have achieved within 5 years working in racing, still struggling with the hustle and bustle of making a career out of racing, I took a gamble. That day I vowed that I will do my best to get him on a plane, sign him up in an equine course and get him a job in a stable at the Royal Randwick Racecourse, my actual workplace.

But under one condition; he has to forget about the Mauritian self-enslaving mindset, the languid poise of class division, ethnicity and prejudice he was living in Mauritius. One thing I know for sure is; that the Mauritian mythology has been crafted as much as by acolytes as by antagonists all over Australia. I said to him the true meaning of taking up a new challenge is: ‘you have to be so determined in what you are going to do just like a digger, to fight for every abutment in your new life’. Motivation, determination, sacrifice, focus, success, failure, stress, pressure, passion and common-sense will be his trademark all the way through his racing journey. At the end of our conversation he was quite relief about my condition and advice.

Few months later down the track he saw himself in Sydney ready to tackle the toughest part of his ambition and ready to take on the big wave. Thus I see myself with a huge responsibility on top of my shoulder having him here with me. Somehow it was all against the odds in regards to my professional commitment, life style and financial responsibilities which I could not unleash. But it did reinforce our union by working our way up within the industry.

Presently, I’m proud to see him on a horse every single morning, riding track work for his master, David Lee who has been from day one and is still a massive support into his ongoing apprenticeship as a young apprentice- jockey in the making. Being a happy young man in his own right now; travelling with horses for racing around NSW, working hard on his apprenticeship course at TAFE, having a normal and affordable social life. Let the scene begin within an act.

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Biography

Time has flown so fast these last decades. On the 14th September 2004, I found myself in a new country, with a different culture and different lifestyle. After spending twenty-four years going with the flow of life in Mauritius, now I find myself ”swimming in the vast ocean” in Sydney.
I wasn’t randomly chosen to be here in Australia. But the fate decreed that I should be here instead of somewhere else. Even though I had missed my chance of being in France or Reunion Island in the past but I don’t regret the move towards partaking the Aussie culture. Since October 2004, one dream has come true; being at the University of Technology of Sydney (UTS) by undertaking a degree in Journalism. Merely to become a professional ‘Sport Writer’.
As a matter of fact, it took me years to achieve what I have always wished in life – going to University. Now, I’m re-arranging the puzzle of my achievement so that I can complete the whole part of the puzzle in Sydney nowadays. The long trip I navigate before the plane landed the tarmac of SIA, however, was far more awe-inspiring.
My horizons were limited during 23 years I spent in Pointe-Aux-Sables; a small village on the west coast of Port-Louis, the Capital of Mauritius. My roots, which I take care of, come from this suburb where I was born on 12 March 1981; the Independence Day of Mauritius.
I have grown up in a small family with my dad, Roland, my mum, Monette and my younger brother, Stephane. At the time we were living in a typical modest house in the 80’s, it was such a model family living in a perfect communion of dialogue. During these years, it was such a formal and informal education. I won’t forget along side the ‘street education’ I have internalized so many years ago as a means of experiencing life in its entire dimension. I have shared my whole entire life with them full of happiness, joy, feelings, and compassion in a way of complacency as well as disagreement and arguments.
And I realize now how the success has come to me after a long battle. Finishing my HSC Advanced-level at the age of 20, reaching my best athletic performance at 21 and embracing a career as ‘Sport Journalist’ at 22 in 2002 working for a weekly newspaper, 5-Plus Dimanche and Racetime magazine. The mad thing was having a high status and famous personality where people recognize me through my articles and their impact in the Sports and Horse racing industry. It was the pinnacle of my career.
Knowing how tougher and tougher it was to ‘reach the top’ in a couple of years, but it wasn’t an easy things to achieve. Behind this success, there’s a family; the Jeanne’s family including Sylvio, Annette and their daughter Priscilla has been the catalyst of a massive contribution and devotion throughout my life. Their help, support and guidance have helped me to excel my qualities of making things better and better.
Contented with today and excited about tomorrow, I feel as happy right now as I ever have in nearly twenty-six years. I’m extremely happy about my life here in Sydney, my studies at Uni and my job at the stable...John O’Shea Racing Stables. Who knows I’ll end up like John O’Shea one day! It goes against the grain with me to even have to mention it: what goes on at the heart of my life in Sydney is no-one else’s business, but mine after all. I have proved myself in a way that people haven’t expected things will be a success for me. Now there are a lot of things to be learning yet and I’ll dedicate myself to it. A lot of living for me to do too, I can’t wait to find out what the next twist in my story – will be.