Our Trainers

CIARON MAHER

Australia's leading Trainer.From six boxes on his dad's dairy farm to one of the best training facilities in the world, Ciaron Maher has come a long way in ten years. Ciaron's early promise as a jockey was ended because he grew too big but not before he had led the Australian Jockeys team against the Irish in the International Challenge. His size could not stop or diminish his love of horse racing and so he threw all his energy, enthusiasm and intelligence into becoming a trainer. From CS Hayes to Bart Cummings, from Aidan O'Brien to Willie Mullins – he studied under the best and took aspects of training from them all and moulded them into his own unique method. Ciaron firmly believes you only get better by learning from the best and recently spent time with Wesley Ward (USA), Roger Charlton and Richard Hannon (UK), Joseph 0’Brien (IRE) and André Fabre (France). The opportunities to acquire Peter Moody’s and Darren Weir's stables were too good to miss and because Ciaron always had a plan, both operations were smoothly absorbed. This was achieved by the combination of the brilliant young team of highly intelligent and outstanding horsemen and women who have been trained in his methods and the excellent personnel already operating in those two stables. With the Ballarat training facilities (that he believes to be amongst the best in the world). Cranbourne and Sydney. A custom-made pre-training and spelling operation at Pakenham and hand-picked beach facilities at Balnarring, he truly believes he has the team and the facilities to be among – if not the – best training operations in Australia.

GERALD RYAN & STIRLING ALEXIOU

Trainer

Gerald Ryan was a former top jockey and has vast experience as a trainer also preparing feature race winners.  Considered by most as not only one of the best trainers, but one of the best horseman in Australia. Above all Gerald Ryan has trained many racehorse’s to Group One success including TRAPEZE ARTIST (Golden Rose, TJ Smith, All Age Stakes), SNITZEL (Oakleigh Plate), MELITO (TJ Smith, BTC Winter Stakes), HURRICANE SKY (Blue Diamond Stakes, AJC All Aged Stakes), CLANGALANG (AJC Derby, Epson Handicap), SNITZELAND (VRC Lighting), MON MEKKI (Queensland Oaks), PAINT (Blue Diamond), ARCTIC SCENT (Caulfield Cup, Queensland Oaks) and RECURRING (ARC Railway Stakes). Furthermore Gerald Ryan has successfully trained many horses that have stood at stud. Sires including SNITZEL, RUBICK, ROTHESAY and TIME OF WAR. Gerald Ryan has also won the Brisbane Trainers’ premiership, South East Trainers’ premiership (twice). Similarly finished in the top 5 of the Melbourne trainers’ premiership on 3 occasions and has been in the top 10 of the Sydney trainers’ premiership 6 out of the past 7 years. “One of the most important aspects of training is placing the horses where they can win” – Gerald Ryan.

GAI WATERHOUSE AND ADRIAN BOTT

Trainer

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott are one of Australia’s leading horse trainers with facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. It’s a partnership which was formed in 2016 between leading Trainer Gai Waterhouse, daughter of racing legend TJ Smith, and Adrian Bott, who grew up in the racing world and has created a well-respected name for himself in the industry. Adrian and I are consistently one of the top among Australian trainers, in terms of strike rate both in NSW and VIC and prize money earned. I have trained over 130 Group 1 winners, including six Golden Slippers, eight Metropolitan Handicaps, nine Flight Stakes’ and a Melbourne Cup. Two of my Golden Slipper winners won the two-year-old Triple Crown, Dance Hero and Pierro, and I attained a trifecta in the prestigious Golden Slipper in 2001 (a feat never before achieved in this race). Adrian and I have already produced five Group 1 winners as a partnership, including Global Glamour who won the Flight Stakes and the 1000 Guineas seven days apart. We also trained our first Group 1 Kennedy Oaks winner with Pinot in the Spring of 2017.