Hello Fellow Owners,
As the new racing season is about to start, I think it is important to factually relate to you the success of Fran & Brian’s season with their emphasis on nurturing younger horses, formulated some 3 years ago to concentrate on the purchase of athletic, sound horses with physical presence and foundation pedigrees at realistic prices.
From their judicious selection at Yearling Sales throughout Australia & NZ, supported by physical & x-ray examination of all prospective purchases by a world respected vetenarian, combined with stable expertise, the proof is starting to emerge. The brilliant TRUSTUS (VRC Derby bound) is an example of a band of some further 10 lightly raced or unraced youngsters who are either just about to turn 3yo’s or 2yo’s. All have been given the necessary education & training to match both their physical and mental capabilities at the time. The horses simply don’t run until they are right to compete.
The number of runners has been low, for the reasons outlined above, together with an obvious debilitating effect from the EI booster vaccines on the limited youngsters that did race over the Spring & Autumn. This stable are not alone in the EI aftermath.
On what the “new brigade” are showing on the track together with the emergence of TRUSTUS late in the season, Fran & Brian feel totally vindicated by their planning to develop young horses.
As a backup this year, their Jumping team of Jamraan, Bullecourt and On The Knocker amassed a fantastic sum of $217, 660 in prizemoney.
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Total 2YO wins this season - By Individual Horse :
| Horse Name | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Starts | Prize Money | S/Rate | |
| 1 | reaan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $747,950.00 | 75.00% |
| 2 | two hills | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | $61,450.00 | 28.57% |
| 3 | turquia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | $94,710.00 | 40.00% |
| 4 | carnero | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $357,900.00 | 50.00% |
| 5 | exceedingly good | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $270,000.00 | 50.00% |
| 6 | taameer | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $54,440.00 | 66.67% |
| 7 | all american | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $255,940.00 | 66.67% |
| 8 | tindal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $93,050.00 | 66.67% |
| 9 | whisper bay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $126,750.00 | 50.00% |
| 10 | cavalaire bay | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | $26,440.00 | 40.00% |
| 11 | kert | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | $71,850.00 | 40.00% |
| 12 | hips don’t lie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $141,500.00 | 66.67% |
| 13 | hull city | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $23,400.00 | 66.67% |
| 14 | bel shoes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $18,100.00 | 66.67% |
| 15 | ortensia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $34,750.00 | 100.00% |
| 16 | romneya | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $21,450.00 | 100.00% |
| 17 | cats whisker | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $42,900.00 | 100.00% |
| 18 | whobegotyou | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $40,950.00 | 100.00% |
| 19 | tossit around | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $23,450.00 | 66.67% |
| 20 | TRUSTUS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $50,700.00 | 100.00% |
| 21 | penny banger | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $75,340.00 | 100.00% |
| 22 | wilander | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $90,550.00 | 66.67% |
| 23 | oval affair | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $163,250.00 | 50.00% |
| 24 | marveen | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | $114,220.00 | 20.00% |
| 25 | dan baroness | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | $77,600.00 | 16.67 |
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From another perspective that relates to actual 2yo WINS this season, Fran & Brian are ahead of higher profile trainers as listed below, from very limited starts with a corresponding impressive strike rate.
Total 2YO wins this season
| Trainer Name | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Starts | Prize Money | S/Rate | |
| 26 | Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $51,900.00 | 50.00% |
| 27 | Rick Hore-Lacy | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 22 | $34,100.00 | 9.09% |
| 28 | Kane Harris | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $23,450.00 | 66.67% |
| 29 | Patrick Payne | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | $20,950.00 | 9.09% |
| 30 | Brian Mayfield-Smith | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17 | $23,250.00 | 5.88% |
| 31 | Greg Eurell | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 19 | $53,950.00 | 5.26% |
| 32 | Brian Cox | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | $17,380.00 | 12.50% |
| 33 | Andrew Noblet | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | $23,880.00 | 16.67% |
| 34 | Mark Riley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $78,500.00 | 33.33% |
| 35 | Clinton McDonald | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | $10,900.00 | 10.00% |
| 36 | Sean Mott | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | $15,860.00 | 12.50% |
| 37 | Sue Naylor | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | $15,300.00 | 14.29% |
| 38 | Neil Dyer | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 | $14,500.00 | 8.33% |
| 39 | Michael Kent | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $28,000.00 | 33.33% |
| 40 | David Racovolis | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 12 | $16,500.00 | 8.33% |
| 41 | John Wheeler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | $16,300.00 | 20.00% |
| 42 | Richard Laming | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | $6,300.00 | 20.00% |
| 43 | Ross Pecora | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | $16,500.00 | 25.00% |
| 44 | Shane Nichols | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $7,950.00 | 25.00% |
| 45 | Pat Hyland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $5,850.00 | 50.00% |
| 46 | Mark Jackson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $7,800.00 | 33.33% |
| 47 | Mark Stephenson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $5,850.00 | 33.33% |
| 48 | Lee Hope | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $5,850.00 | 50.00% |
| 49 | Leon Macdonald | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $56,100.00 | 100.00% |
| 50 | Tom Hughes | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 21 | $130,340.00 | .00% |
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As previously mentioned, from limited opportunities i.e. 165 starters…the results have still exceeded some prominent trainers.
Total wins this season
| Trainer Name | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Starts | Prize Money | S/Rate | |
| 51 | Nikki Burke | 19 | 26 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 118 | $412,005.00 | 16.10% |
| 52 | Colin & Cindy Alderson | 18 | 21 | 27 | 32 | 17 | 215 | $843,835.00 | 8.37% |
| 53 | Barbara Marshman | 18 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 118 | $226,695.00 | 15.25% |
| 54 | Brian Jenkins | 17 | 25 | 22 | 16 | 17 | 174 | $665,290.00 | 9.77% |
| 55 | Jarrod McLean | 16 | 27 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 156 | $568,970.00 | 10.26% |
| 56 | Heath Conners | 16 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 171 | $432,550.00 | 9.36% |
| 57 | Terry Kelly | 16 | 14 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 190 | $335,420.00 | 8.42% |
| 58 | Bevan Laming | 15.5 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 96 | $287,580.00 | 16.15% |
| 59 | Bruce & Jean Purcell | 15 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 154 | $301,340.00 | 9.74% |
| 60 | Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston | 15 | 24 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 165 | $466,280.00 | 9.09% |
| 61 | Daryl Cannon | 15 | 14 | 5 | 17 | 9 | 119 | $239,845.00 | 12.61% |
| 62 | Dan O’Sullivan | 15 | 14 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 230 | $300,785.00 | 6.52% |
| 63 | Alec Manning | 15 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 86 | $14,375.00 | 17.44% |
| 64 | Eric Musgrove | 14 | 24 | 26 | 36 | 25 | 300 | $341,810.00 | 4.67% |
| 65 | Allen Browell | 14 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 133 | $245,345.00 | 10.53% |
| 66 | John Hawkes | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 143 | $692,210.00 | 9.79% |
| 67 | Steve Richards | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 101 | $573,690.00 | 13.86% |
| 68 | Austy Coffey | 14 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 169 | $119,320.00 | 8.28% |
| 69 | Wendy Kelly | 14 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 20 | 137 | $549,455.00 | 10.22% |
| 70 | Peter Healey | 13 | 15 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 129 | $240,870.00 | 10.08% |
| 71 | David Noonan | 13 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 110 | $232,830.00 | 11.82% |
| 72 | Peter Gelagotis | 13 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 114 | $215,140.00 | 11.40% |
| 73 | Bill Cerchi | 13 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 50 | $184,125.00 | 26.00% |
| 74 | Chris Wood | 12.5 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 96 | $144,110.00 | 13.02% |
| 75 | Ray Cleaver | 12 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 93 | $169,640.00 | 12.90% |