Brownes have a spring in their step

There are easier ways to chase a Lexus Melbourne Cup dream than uprooting your family and starting from scratch. But for Emma-Lee and David Browne, the leap to Australia has brought them closer to everything that matters – a life in horses with their daughters, and now, a genuine Cup contender they raised themselves. 

Basilinna’s victory in the Listed Lexus Andrew Ramsden (2800m) and subsequent golden ticket didn’t just open the gate to Australia’s biggest race; it affirmed the gamble they took in 2022 when they packed up their lives in Cambridge, New Zealand and headed for Victoria, where they had been racing horses for some time. 

“We’d talked about it for years,” said Emma-Lee Browne. “And honestly, it’s the best move we could have made. David says we should have done it sooner.” 

They settled in at Pakenham and bought a farm at Garfield to spell their horses. Their daughters – Chloe (19), Lucy (17), and Annabelle (10) – are in boots and saddles every day. 

“The girls are a huge part of what we do,” Browne said. “Chloe and Lucy ride trackwork every morning. It means I can stay on the ground and see more of how the horses  recover, how they move. We’ve got a really good system now. The girls treat it like their own business and put in the hard yards.” 

Even young Annabelle’s involved, feeding, grooming, and giving the horses cuddles where needed. “She’ll make a brilliant foreman one day,” Browne laughs. 

Lucy also has an Off The Track horse, a reminder of the family’s passion for life beyond the track. Their Garfield property is home to a few retired campaigners who’ve simply never left. “We just couldn’t part with them,” Browne said. “That’s half the reason we got the farm.” 

And then there’s Basilinna (which means ‘queen’) – the filly with a name quickly chosen so that she could be imported to Australia, but who’s since lived up to her regal bloodlines, being by Japanese stallion Staphanos, out of Shinko King mare, So Royal. 

Bred by the Brownes from a $500 online purchase, she’s more than a racehorse. She’s the silver lining to one of their hardest losses – the passing of Monarch Chimes in 2019. The much-loved jumper had taken them across New Zealand and Australia, but when he passed away, the grief cut deep. 

“Monarch Chimes was so special,” Browne said. “We were devastated.” 

To lift her spirits, David bought a mare by the same sire – Shinko King – from Gavelhouse.

“We didn’t have many broodmares,” Browne said, “but he said, ‘I bought you a mare called So Royal for $500. She’s by Shinko King.’ I laughed and said, ‘You can’t replace him.’ But look what she’s done.” 

When Basilinna was a yearling and the family was moving to Australia, Browne made sure that they “bring the baby, too.” They did, and now that “fluffy weanling” has a ticket to the Lexus Melbourne Cup. 

“It’s a weird and pretty overwhelming feeling,” Browne said of the Ramsden win. “David and I looked at each other in disbelief. The owners were so excited. It means so much to be involved in a race like this.” 

She praised Dean Yendall’s 10/10 ride: “He got her to sleep straight away and popped her out at the right time. She’s not usually in front, but she really knuckled down.” 

Basilinna’s road to the Cup has been steady: Group placings, including a third place in the VRC Oaks in 2023, and a good autumn that has set up her breakthrough. “She’s really come into herself,” Browne said. “It’s given her confidence.” 

The stable is hitting form at the right time. Alongside Basilinna, they have a team with spring ambitions. They’ve had a lovely autumn with Mcgaw, a rising three-year-old with strong wins at Caulfield and Mornington.

Just Kick, a two-year-old filly, was bought off the back of Basilinna’s Oaks placing and has shown early promise. Scary, a three-year-old colt, ran a bold second in the 2024 Victoria Derby – and his best is likely still to come.

They also have Queensland Derby favourite, Statuario, who won the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) and finished second in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m).

Stalwarts like Rhinoceros, a powerhouse through the country cups series, have helped give the stable depth. Similarly, Le Zebra continues to deliver strong efforts. 

With 24 wins this season and almost $2.7 million in prizemoney, the momentum is real for Sparta Racing.

“We’re having a good run,” Browne said. “It definitely makes those early mornings in winter a bit easier.” 

Basilinna is spelling now, and the team is carefully mapping her path. “There’s pressure to get her there in one piece, but even to be part of it is amazing. It’s the race we all grew up watching.” 

Horsepeople through and through, the Brownes are raising the next generation in the same mould. Emma-Lee began her training career with her father, former Olympic showjumper Jeff McVean. David is the grandson of legendary New Zealand jumps figure Ken Browne, and now Chloe and Lucy are in apprentice pathways, already making their own mark. 

And Basilinna? She’s already earned her place in the story – not just as a Melbourne Cup runner but as a reflection of what the Brownes are all about: good horses, horsemanship, and family.