Australia has a very remarkable history when it comes to horse racing. After all, it is the third most practiced sport throughout the Australian territory, with the other two being football and rugby. This sport first started in 1790, more than 200 years ago. Since then, we’ve seen different faces take the spotlight within the scene.
Throughout the years, different trainers have gotten into horse racing. Some of them have been forgotten, while others have become emblematic figures.
Horse racing implies building a reputation based on their skills as they are judged every time one of their trainees is on track. This is not an easy profession. It can be quite complicated due to the pressure, constant changes in location, and competition there is.
If you want to keep up with the history of horse racing in Australia, where we’ll tell you who the most successful horse racing trainers in Australia are and everything they did to reach that point.
Top Australian Trainers throughout History
Bart Cummings
If we’re going to talk about horse racing trainers in Australia, it is necessary to mention Bart Cummings. At the moment, he’s the most emblematic racehorse trainer in Australia. This man trained twelve Melbourne Cup champions to date. This cup is perhaps the most important championship within the Australian horseracing scene.
Cummings has become so famous among the Australian population that he has an award named the Bart Cummings Medal after him. The Racing NSW gives this award to those jockeys or trainers that have had a noteworthy performance during the season. You can say that Bart Cummings is a celebrity among celebrities.
Lee Freedman
Lee Freedman started as an independent horse trainer in the 80s decade. Like Cummings, Freedman has had a remarkable career, with some of his trainees being the champions of five Melbourne cups. Other notable championships include Golden Slippers and Caulfield Cups. In each competition, four of his trainees won the big prize.
Chris Waller
Back to the modern era, it’s necessary to talk about the top trainer at the moment, Chris Walker.
At the moment, Waller’s resume includes six different Group 1 winners of nine competitions, including Verry elegant. This horse has won four championships, including the Caulfield Cup and the Tranced Stakes. Furthermore, Waller had seven individual Group 2 champions of 10 races, as well as 46 black-type winners overall.
Nature Strip, Verry Elleegant, and Kolding are some of his most notable horses.
James Cummings
Here’s another “Cumming” entry on the list. James has been working along with Godolphin, and the results have been quite positive.
At the moment, James has trained 36 Stakes winners, being Bivouac one of his best-performing horses. Additionally, he has had three individual Group 1 champions and five in Group 2 company. He has had a very successful performance in the last few years.
Tommy J. Smith
Tommy Smith is perhaps the most successful horse trainer in Australia. His trainees were the winners of every Sydney Trainer’s Premierships between the years 1953 and 1985. Thirty-two continuous years is something quite outstanding.
Smith has 282 Group 1 winners, including four Caulfield Cups and seven WS Cox Plates. He also dedicated part of his life to training winners of Australian derby races, and some of his trainees became some of the favourites of the whole nation. Some of the horses Smith trained include Tulloch and Kingston Town.
Smith has had such a remarkable career as a horse trainer that he has a race in his honour, the $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes. This race takes place in autumn at Royal Randwick.
Colin Hayes
Colin Hayes comes from South Australia, and among other people from the last millennium, he has several records under his name. Perhaps one of the most notable is one from January of 1982 when there were ten individual winners on his name on the same day.
He collected an impressive quantity of 98 Group One championships throughout his career. He trained some of Australia’s most emblematic horses, including Almaraad and Unaware.
Is there a complete Australian horse trainers list?
Yes, there are several complete lists of Australian horse trainers available online. These lists typically include both well-known and up-and-coming trainers, and can be a useful resource for those interested in the Australian horse racing industry.
One popular source for a comprehensive list of Australian horse trainers is the Racing Australia website. This website provides a searchable directory of trainers, as well as detailed information on each trainer’s stable, horses, and performance statistics.
In addition, there are several other websites and publications that provide lists of top Australian horse trainers or famous Australian horse trainers. These lists often include trainers who have achieved significant success in the industry, such as Bart Cummings, Gai Waterhouse, and Darren Weir.
Whether you are a racing enthusiast or a casual fan, a complete list of Australian horse trainers can be a valuable resource for staying up-to-date on the latest developments in the industry and identifying top performers to watch.
Summary
Australia has had many remarkable horse trainers throughout its history. This article has mentioned some of the most successful horserace trainers in Australia. However, at the moment, there are tons of trainers of have found success in the horse racing industry. You can take a look at today’s top list to have an idea of who’s currently at the top – although the rankings fluctuate from time to time.
The list continues to grow as different horse trainers take over the market. This list has a combination of horse trainers from modern times, as well as some of Australia’s historic trainers that have had an impact on the industry.
