From Bart to the Everest: The $20M dream of an 85-year-old true believer

Ian Johnson has a special place in Australian racing history as the breeder of Bart Cummings’ last Melbourne Cup winner Viewed in 2008, but Saturday might bring his best moment in the sport.

The small breeder produces two or three horses a year these days, mainly to race in his colours rather than to sell as he did with Viewed.

He dreams, like everyone, of getting that horse – and that horse is Briasa.

The powerhouse sprinter has already won a TJ Smith and a Premiere Stakes over the Randwick 1200m, fulfilling a prophecy from trainer Michael Hawkes after having the horse for just a couple of weeks.

“They gave us a couple of horses and came to the stables to see them,” Hawkes remembered.

“The big fellow came out and Mr Johnson said, ‘son, is this the horse I have been waiting all my life for?’”

“I knew he had bred a Melbourne Cup winner, so what do you say?”

“I said ‘Mr Johnson, this will be the best horse you have ever owned and it will win Group 1 races’ and I truly believed it.”

The confidence from Hawkes shocked Anthony Johnson, who accompanied his father to the Hawkes family stables.

“I’m relatively new to this ownership thing, and we went there because Dad wanted to see the horses,” he said.

“The first one came out and Michael was like ‘here is this horse’, but as soon as Briasa walked out, you could feel his excitement.”

“I was thinking ‘wow, this horse can’t be that good’.”

A couple of years later, Anthony Johnson was trackside as Briasa won the TJ Smith in April and he found Michael Hawkes near the winner’s stall.

“Michael just hugged me and wouldn’t let go,” Johnson said. “He is so proud of Briasa, I like that about him. He is more than just a horse to him.”

“It has been so exciting for my Dad.”

Mr Johnson turned 85 last week and can’t get to the races now.

However, it wouldn’t lessen an Everest win, which would top the Melbourne Cup.

“I’ll go to the races and one of my sons will go and watch the race with Dad at his place,” Johnson said. “Hopefully it will be exciting.”

”He just can’t get to the races now but he is always watching.”

John, Wayne and Michael Hawkes have timed the preparation of the five-year-old to peak for one day, which has been 12 months of planning for The Everest.

This time last year, Briasa was an emerging sprinter that scored his biggest win in The Hunter.

“When you have been around horses for a long time you know, and sometimes you get it right,” Hawkes told Betsy.

“After The Hunter we sat down and planned to be in The Everest.”

“I never had any doubt he would be here. We told [the Johnsons] the plan and it has worked out.”

The TJ victory meant the deal for a slot was done early with Max Whitby and allowed the building of a three-race campaign to end on Saturday.

And, in true Hawkes fashion, every run was a building block, starting with a second to Joliestar in The Shorts, where they gapped the rest.

“We had him ready first-up but he just blew out late,” Hawkes said. “It was about making sure he came back and getting him back racing.”

Briasa came back to Randwick two weeks later, a fortnight out from the Everest, and this time he won the Premiere Stakes from a charging Jimmysstar.

“He had his match practice and was a little more solid and you saw that,” Hawkes said. “It was about giving him that 1200m and getting him to come along again.”

“It has all been about Saturday and that’s when he will be at his best.”