Forsman arrives at Flemington

“It's great to have access to Australian racing. I love Melbourne and Victorian racing. We’ve been able to come over and be competitive before and to have a permanent base is something I’ve always wanted. We’ve got a good client base here and I can come and catch up with people. The horses are close, and it’s very convenient.” Forsman said.

Forsman noted the similarity between his training setups in Melbourne and home in Cambridge, New Zealand. This familiarity, he believes, plays a crucial role in helping his equine athletes adapt effortlessly to their new environment. “It’s very like-for-like, for where we train in Cambridge back at home. They are very similar type training set ups and I think the horses adapt a lot better to that scenario.”

Forsman is of course no stranger to Flemington and Melbourne, having had many successes with horses such as Aegon, Riproar and Mr Maestro, as well The Chosen One who competed in multiple Melbourne Cups. He highlights Mr Maestro as “one to watch”, among many other prospects.

Spring is already on Forsman’s mind and he says he can't wait to compete out of Flemington, stating that it’s the pinnacle of racing. “As a trainer you look forward to doing the hard yards through the winter and preparing those horses to have them ready for racing in the spring. If there’s a little bit of moisture around, that certainly helps us, and that can often be the case here in Melbourne.”