Yulong continues to invest in its future in Australia

A move from Godolphin to Yulong Investments is on the card for Vin Cox before the end of 2023

Not many people in any industry make headlines when they move jobs. Such is the body of work that Vin Cox has produced over the years that his move from the Godolphin operation to Yulong has been the talk of the town all week across the entire betting industry. 

After a long time as the man in charge at Magic Millions, Cox dove into Godolphin and made an immediate impact. He will be looking to do the same again when he joins the Yulong group before the end of 2023. The experience that Cox brings across the industry has the potential to take an already impressive organisation like Yulong into a global juggernaut.

Godolphin success 

Godolphin is currently the most extensive operation worldwide in horse racing. They have had success over many decades, but it was not until 2008 that they first tasted Group 1 success in Australia when All The Good landed the Caulfield Cup.

That was long before Cox joined, and Anamoe landed the most success for the Godolphin operation during Cox’s tenure. Nine times a Group 1 winner, he is now standing at stud with Godolphin, hoping to have as much success as a stallion as he did on the track.

Godolphin will be doubly represented in The Everest, which would be the perfect swansong for Cox. In Secret is in the slot held by Godolphin, while Cylinder is in the James Harron Bloodstock slot, formerly held by Giga Kick. It would be a fitting end to Cox’s tenure and some momentum to carry over into his new role.  

Yulong investing heavily

Very few people in horse racing are as ambitious as Zhang Yuesheng. The Chinese businessman has made a success of all that he has done in life, including creating one of the fastest-growing thoroughbred organisations in the world.

Not afraid to splash the cash on equine stars, the operation looks to not only buy the top performers but, more importantly, wants to set up a breeding dynasty that will serve as a foundation for many generations to come. 

Cox will step into a similar role to the one he enjoyed at Godolphin but with a global outlook rather than just an Australian focus. That will be a new focus for Cox and part of a challenge put in front of him some time ago, but Cox wanted to part with Godolphin at the right moment in the calendar to cause as little friction as possible.

How does the future look?

It is not only a statement signing from Yulong but also a huge decision from Cox to leave a top job at a more established company to join another. Yulong is hugely progressive in the industry and has some serious firepower, so there must be plenty of irons in the fire to assist this move. 

Buying Alcohol Free for telephone numbers as a future broodmare shows how serious Yulong is about setting down a strong foundation. Lots of money has been spent on stallions, with seven now in the ranks along with the vast raft of mares.

With such an expansion in the breeding side of the operation, it should mean that we see the green and white colours on the track for a long time to come. 

Success has followed Cox wherever he has been in the industry in the last 15 years, from Magic Millions to Godolphin. There is no doubt that Yulong is building a serious future, and doing that around the knowledge and leadership of Cox has the potential to be an excellent move for all involved.