By Duane Fonseca One per cent, every day. That’s all the improvement Michael Costa wants from the horses in his care at Jebel Ali Stables. “We can over complicate things, but the basic thing is they need to be fit and well,” Costa told Adiyat Racing Plus.
“You do the basics well. Feed them the best way you can, have the best work riders you can and you train each horse as an individual. You don’t want to over complicate them.” Costa should know. He has spent his time in racing well and worked his way up the ladder, going through some testing times. But what would gold be if not purified by fire.
And that’s why this Queenslander, who learned his trade and honed his skills on the east coast of the Sunshine State, is perhaps ideal for the role. Costa has a sizeable population under his tutelage, with many newcomers from the US and Britain joining a yard that was pruned tactfully under his supervision during the off season.
The results have shown the benefit and are promising despite Costa admitting these early days to be nothing more than a rebuilding phase. Which would mean the four wins, five seconds and four thirds he’s enjoyed in 29 dispatches so far are a massive bonus.
Early dividends? Perhaps, but then it’s all down to the 35yo Australian’s meticulous approach to training and his mantra of keeping things simple. “At the moment, this first season, we are just trying to get the best out of the horses we have as we are in a rebuilding phase in which we will be looking to implement a lot of new horses next season which we need to do,” Costa said. “Look, it’s definitely different than back home, where you can go to your first run needing fitness and looking to improve.
There’s nowhere to hide here so you either have the hill or the Meydan dirt so they have to be fit. “I’ve taken it steady at the beginning of the season wanting to build them up and not get them rock hard fit not knowing how they’ll progress through the season.
So, they’ll improve and we’re learning. So, we’re just looking for that one per cent improvement every day!” Costa inherited a massive facility when he replaced Frenchman Nicholas Bachalard. And it was not just Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s horses that were passed on to him but an armada of permanent staffers.
Additionally, made available to him, was jockey Jean van Overmeire, who has ridden extensively in Australia and is a dual Group race winner ‘Down Under’. Van Overmeire has ridden all four winners for Costa to date, with an additional fifth success secured in a Purebred Arabian affair.
And Costa does think of his jock as some kind of a superstar. “I think he’s top class and I think he’ll do a lot of damage come the Dubai World Cup Carnival if he gets the opportunities,” Costa added. And Costa would surely love to gain from Van Overmeire’s Meydan exploits after numerous close calls.
The pair have had three runnersup and a third place finisher among seven runners at Dubai’s marquee race facility, with Costa expecting better nights in the coming months. “We’ve learned a lot from all those horses and I believe we will have a lot of good Fridays coming,” he said. When it comes to learning, Costa is an absolute student of the sport and will not leave any stone unturned in his quest for success.
Bachalard’s former Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas winner from 2021, Mouheeb brought Costa a first victory in the UAE on 29 October, with Yojaari helping double his tally the same afternoon. Late bloomer Mersaal, however, has been a thorough revelation and is unbeaten after two career starts under Costa, the 4yo Ghostzapper gelding’s performance ‘at home’ last Saturday terrific under Van Overmeire, the pair outdoing 2020 Group 3 UAE Oaks heroine Down On Da Bayou in the climb to the finish.
Costa added: “I did think the race could have been a bridge too far for Mersaal going into a handicap against some decent horses. I think we’ll look to stretch him out a little bit more. “He is a little bit older, but he’s only slightly raced and he is a horse that will improve from racing so we will more than likely just try and find another handicap race for him; and after that we will look to throw him in the deep end if he continues to improve.” He seems to be on course for a fairly good career, just like the man who oversees his progress.
