Tom Samatidis loves two things in life – horses and Greece.
Horses as in racing horses. He is the owner of four horses, two harness racers – Hellene and Spartan Shield, and two thoroughbreds – Star Buyer and MegaFlash.
And while he isn’t that interested in other sports outside the racing, other than Greyhounds, having previously owned a dog too, as a proud Greek he supports the national team in soccer and basketball.
That love of the blue and white carries over to his horses, having his racers and jockeys wear silks of the colours that also have an ancient Greek helmet printed on them.
“There was no other colour that could possibly be used for my silks. Blue and white were the right colours,” Samatidis told Neos Kosmos.
“That ancient helmet, to me, symbolises strength and when I look at it, I feel strength.”
He said seeing the blue and white finish first across the finish line brings a whole other level of joy, because it’s almost as if it’s Greek representation.
While Samatidis’ initial interest in horses was from the punting side, he more was interested in the owning capacity of it.
“I would go to the tracks and I’d see them presenting cups to the owners. I’m sitting there thinking one day that’s going to be me,” he said.
“I’m going to win the cup, I really want to have a horse that wins a cup and it’s been achieved now. And I just want to win more.”
He said he would go on to work the hard jobs no one else wanted, digging holes etc, and saving his money to get a horse.
Fast forward to now, with four horses, his goal is to one day own ten.
The next horse he plans to get will be young, without a name, so he can name it – something Greek related he said.
Samatidis’ parents, Demetrios and Stella, have always been supportive of him chasing his dream of being a race horse owner.
Enough so that they too celebrate and take pride in his victories.
His father, now 85 and with health issues, still goes to most of the races, even driving all the way from Melbourne to Burren Junction NSW recently to watch his son’s horse come second.
“I know the joy that man gets and when my horse Star Buyer won his first race he was with me. While I was jumping up and down, screaming off the top of my head, he was crying -tears coming out of his eyes,” Samatidis said.
One time when he couldn’t make it to winning race, he was the first to call his son from a hotel/pub. He was screaming and telling everyone that’s his son’s horse.
Another time, when they won a Country Cup, when he got the routine call from his dad, Samatidis told him “I can go out now and celebrate but you know what? I’m gonna drive 300 kilometres now to get this cup to you so you could walk into the house and show your wife”.
“When I got there, I gave him the cup outside. I walk in and my mum goes where is it? Then the gero (old man) comes in… ‘champions!'”
“To me the prize money is awesome, the winning is awesome, but that I can never forget.
“That’s gonna remain with me till the day that I die.”