Charlie Ferguson

The Stud And Stable Staff Awards are excited to announce the shortlist of nominees for the 2025 edition. These individuals have been carefully selected by the shortlisting committee led by Mary Capuano for their outstanding contributions and commitment to excellence within the thoroughbred industry.

In certain categories, the quality of nominations was so high that the Shortlisting Committee decided to include additional nominees: six in Admin & Ancillary, six in Horsemanship and seven in the highly competitive Newcomer category.

On behalf of Racing Australia, Thoroughbred Breeders and Godolphin, we extend our congratulations to the following nominees for each category:

“Once again, the quality of nominations for the Awards has been exceptional, with a particularly high standard across all categories. Notably, the Newcomer category stood out, as many of the nominees were of school age.” remarked Mary Capuano, Chair of the Stud And Stable Staff Awards shortlisting committee.

“Now, the judging panel is diving into the tough job of going through the shortlisted nominees to pick out the two finalists. It’s a thorough process because all the nominees are so impressive.”

With the recent passing of Peter Heagney – an avid advocate and judge of the Awards since its inception the Steering Committee welcomes Mr Trevor Lobb to the judging panel.

The two finalists for each category for the 2025 Stud And Stable Staff Awards will be announced early April and the ceremony to celebrate these finalists will be on Monday 26 May 2025 at QT Hotel Surfers Paradise.

These Awards are proudly sponsored by Victoria Racing Club, Australian Turf Club, Queensland Off-The-Track (QOTT Program), Inglis, Magic Millions, Yulong, Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders and Thoroughbred Breeders NSW.

Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) and Aushorse have engaged leading recruitment firm u&u to help find their new chief executive, after incumbent Tom Reilly was appointed to run the Melbourne Racing Club.

The firm, which was founded by racehorse owner Craig Sneesby, has significant experience in the thoroughbred industry having recently run the processes to find the CEOs of the Brisbane Racing Club, the Victoria Racing Club and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

Aushorse chairman Antony Thompson thanked Mr Reilly for his service and said he was confident the role would attract a strong field of candidates.

“Myself and all the board of Aushorse are very grateful for Tom’s hard work in the past 10 years, he and the team have done a great job for the industry,” said Thompson. “The strategy Tom put in place and delivered through projects like the annual Investor’s Guide have created a strong narrative that Australia is the best place to buy and race a horse.

“Both Aushorse and TBA are in a very strong position as a result of Tom’s work and this role will give somebody the opportunity to come in and build on that legacy. This is an exciting opportunity for anybody who is keen to make their mark in the thoroughbred industry.”

TBA chairman Basil Nolan also thanked Mr Reilly for helping the industry through so many challenges.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have Tom leading TBA for so long. I don’t think anyone has worked harder in the past decade for the benefit of the industry: whether it was ensuring breeding continued in COVID, starting our education programs like Fast Track and TBA Learning, through to providing the strongest representation for breeders with politicians and racing administrators. A lot of that work might not be seen by all, but the difference in the standing of TBA and Aushorse from when he started to now couldn’t be bigger.

“On behalf of the TBA board and all breeders I’d like to acknowledge his hard work and dedication and wish him and his family well for their move to Melbourne. He leaves some big shoes to fill but we are looking forward to finding someone to take TBA on and work with the great team that are in place.”

Details of the role can be found at uandu.com and people interested in learning more can speak to James Lazarus (0400 929 629) or Craig Sneesby (0417 007 105) from u&u.

Thoroughbred Breeders Australia is excited to announce the release of TBA Schools, a new educational hub designed for students and teachers. TBA Schools provides free access to curriculum-aligned educational resources that draw upon the Australia’s thoroughbred industry.  

These resources have been designed in collaboration with Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia(PIEFA) and integrate multimedia content, real-world case studies, and cross-curricular activities that can be used by teachers across a range of subjects, including English, Geography, History, Science, Mathematics, Design and Technologies.  

Madison Tims, TBA education and projects manager, said, “The new program was designed to connect the industry with schools and students through the Australian school curriculum, giving teachers and parents the confidence that there are career pathways and opportunities for students to work with the horse.”

TBA Schools engages students in meaningful learning; these resources showcase the industry’s careers, sustainability initiatives, and the role of innovation and technology, offering students practical insights into breeding/genetics, anatomy, nutrition, welfare, and performance management.

“These educational resources allow teachers from primary school through to Year 12 the ability to incorporate the thoroughbred industry in the classroom. We are excited to have created a new site where these can be accessed for free and we have already had a lot of interest in the teaching materials from educators,” said TBA chief executive Tom Reilly.

Alongside PIEFA, TBA has received significant input from the wider thoroughbred industry in developing the resources, including the likes of AgriFutures Australia, Ciaron Maher Racing, Chris Waller Racing, Godolphin, and Racing Queensland, who have contributed time,  information, images and their research.

“TBA is very grateful to all those who have assisted in this project and look forward to working collaboratively with other parties to ensure these resources are used at schools across the country,” added Ms Tims. “We encourage all thoroughbred industry participants to engage with their local school communities through their children, peers and local teachers to use these resources to help teach the next generation of breeders.”

Visit tbaschools.com.au to access curriculum-aligned student fact sheets, supplementary learning materials and accompanying learning tasks for primary and secondary school students. 

For more information on TBA Schools or to access digital social assets, please contact Maddy Tims at madison@tbaus.com or 0405 535 436.

AgriFutures and Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) have engaged IER to provide an independent and reliable assessment of the Size & Scope of the Thoroughbred Breeding sector in Australia. The study will look to quantify the economic and social impacts of the thoroughbred breeding industry as well as understanding breeders’ motivations, involvement and future aspirations.

The survey results gathered through this work are very valuable in allowing TBA to explain how important our industry is to the Australian economy to politicians at both the Federal and State level.

Please find below a link to an online survey where you can provide details on your connection to and experience within the industry. This survey will take around 5-10 minutes and can be completed until 11:59pm on 1st December 2024.

You can complete this survey on a mobile device or desktop. If you start and wish to come back and complete it at a later time, simply return to the link below.

A new pathway for young people to enter the thoroughbred industry has been established with Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) launching a graduate program.

The scheme will give university- leavers the opportunity to learn from some of the biggest names associated with racing, breeding and wagering. Those accepted on to the course will undertake a two-week learning block based at Flemington racecourse, before starting an internship with a major employer.

Among the companies supporting the program are Entain, Godolphin, Waterhouse and Bott Racing, Magic Millions, Melbourne Racing Club, Inglis, Yulong and the Victorian Racing Club.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone hoping to work in the thoroughbred industry,” says TBA chief executive Tom Reilly.

“We have a huge industry, employing around 80,000 people, but until now there hasn’t been a pathway in place for us to try and recruit talented young people who can progress into leadership roles. The aim of the learning block is to open the graduates’ eyes to all aspects of the industry and show them the different career options open to them.”

The learning block will feature lectures and workshops on everything from creating a wagering market, selecting a yearling, through to marketing a racing carnival and learning how the handicapping system works.

In the UK the British Horseracing Authority has run a highly successful graduate program for 30 years, with many executives across the industry having completed the course.

TBA aim to attract 10-12 graduates in the first year, with the learning block starting in late January 2025. After this fortnight, graduates will join an employer for a paid internship of at least six weeks.

Entain Deputy CEO and CFO Lachlan Fitt said: “This program offers young people a unique chance to see every side of the racing industry, from breeding to race-day operations to wagering. At Entain, we know the value of fostering new talent, and this program is a real game-changer for anyone serious about a future in thoroughbred racing.”

He added: “In today’s industry, hands-on experience and mentorship from leading organisations are key to building the next generation of racing professionals, and that’s exactly what this program offers.”

Another supporting the initiative is Australian training legend Gai Waterhouse, who is well known for mentoring young people. She said: “We have to keep looking at how we bring young, talented people into the industry and I think this is a wonderful way to do it. We are very much looking forward to having somebody join our team on their internship.”

The graduate program builds on TBA’s established education and training programs, such as the national breeding traineeship, Fast Track, and TBA Learning, a free online platform that has more than 1,000 students enrolled on its courses.

“I’m very grateful to Kylie Rogers and the VRC for jumping on board and providing space for the learning block. I’m sure being based out of Flemington will be inspiring to the graduates,” added Reilly.

Applications are open now and can be completed at: Apply Now – Thoroughbred Breeders Association

Those applying need to have graduated in 2024 or 2023.