Waterhouse might be a household name but a win is a win no matter who you are and sometimes the wins are all the more sweet because they are the culmination of work by the whole team or they are a first of a kind. Here are some amazing moments from some of our miRunners trainers.
Gai Waterhouse: Trainer of Not a Royal Doubt
As the undisputed leading lady of racing, wins for Gai Waterhouse might seem like a weekly occurrence. However Gai has had to build her own reputation in a industry with few female participants and beside her incredible father – the legendary TJ Smith.
Related News: Winners are grinners! Our trainers top wins part 1.
1: Trifecta in the Golden Slipper in 2001 – Ha Ha, Excellerator & Red Hannigan
To be the best in the business you have to constantly challenge yourself to improve. And to do that you need to do something no one else ever has. Gai did exactly that – she completed the trifecta in the World’s Richest 2 year old race – the Golden Slipper. Yet to be repeated, Gai trained horses Ha Ha, Exellerator and Red Hannigan completed the trifecta in the 2001 Golden Slipper, which also marked Gai’s first Golden Slipper win. Ridden by Jim Cassidy, Ha Ha scored a decisive length and a quarter victory with her sire Danehill’s progeny equalling the legendary Star Kingdom’s record of five Slipper Winners.
2: All Our Mob return to winning the Newmarket in 95
Often considered the greatest sprint race seen in Australia, All Our Mob, came from a non winning year to the second fastest winning time since the switch to the metric system with his win in the newmarket Handicap – the premier open handicap sprint event of the year. Gai’s belief and support took an horse in good form on to win the MacKinnon stakes aka The Emirates Stakes in 1996, which is a 2000m, Group 1 race under Weight For Age conditions at Flemington.
3: Fiorente in the Melbourne Cup, 2013
You couldn’t leave Gai’s first Melbourne Cup off the list – a thrilling victory for Fiorente from Red Cadeaux and Mount Athos in 2013 Melbourne Cup. Gai ranks it as “One of the greatest thrills of her life,”
Finishing second in 2012, Fiorente showed greater stamina over the final 250 metres to hold out Red Cadeaux, the runner-up to Dunaden in 2011. And sometimes a win is best summed up by those involved, Damien Oliver, the jockey for the winning Fiorente post race explained, “I’m so rapt that I could be part of Gai’s first one. She’s done so much for racing and it’s a great honour for me to help bring home her first one.”
Kris Lees: Trainer of Saganaki
When you thrust in to the lead trainer role when your father passes you are challenged with more than any new trainer faces. Your work and your family are so tightly intertwined that it could consume you. But not Kris Lees, he won more than $2 million in his first season. Kris has had some great horses but most interestingly he has won with a wide variety of horses in every circumstance.
1: Le Romain in the Optic White Stakes 2018
Even though this is technically not a win, Le Romain stormed this race to take second to Winx. He has only ever raced Winx twice, and each time he has beaten the rest of the field just not the super mare. Some trainers would have pulled their horses from a race against Winx but Le Romain has 3 Group 1’s to his name and proved he is a horse for all conditions.
2: Lucia Valentina at the Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2016
The New Zealand-bred Savabeel mare appeared momentarily unsteady entering the stretch with Damien Oliver, bobbling before finding her feet. But when guided to clear running room, she unleashed a devastating turn of foot to defeat favorite The United States by 2 1/4 lengths. Lees knew she had a blistering turn of foot but she needed the room, so this win was one of complete faith between jockey, trainer and horse. What a win!
3: County Tyrone in The Metropolitan 2004
Only 12 months after taking over from his father Kris captured his first Group 1 success when stable favorite County Tyrone won the 2004 The Metropolitan at Royal Randwick. This was all the sweeter as his father Max’s final Group 1 winner in the 2002 Queensland Derby was with this incredible horse.
miRunners trainers deliver some of the most exciting wins to the Australian public, and with their innovative model of ownership all Australians can be a part of this incredible industry.
You can become an owner with miRunners today with available thoroughbreds in training in Queensland and New South Wales for just $275 per unit and $15 a month for the first unit and $5 for each additional unit.
Tony Gollan will train the stunning Your Song X Sheeznodoubt filly, full sister to recent winning Hollaback Girl, and you can purchase units in her here.
Bjorn Baker will train the Rubick X Slainte filly, out of the new season Sire on fire Rubick, and you can purchase units in her here.
