Media Releases and Articles

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.

They come from a wide array of backgrounds with degrees in finance, animal science, international relations and law with hopes they will be the future of the Australian thoroughbred and breeding industry.

For the first time, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia has helped mould the next generation of industry stars by taking on university graduates in an intensive training program to harness their interest in horse racing and breeding.

The group of 10 students has just finished an intense two-week course in which they heard from more than 30 guest speakers about the opportunities to work in the industry, which remains one of the biggest employers in Australia.

The course was housed out of the Victoria Racing Club’s Flemington headquarters and has been designed to fill a gap for university graduates with little or no connection to the racing and breeding sector.

“It’s a huge variety of students and some have never touched a horse in their life, but they’re so passionate about the industry and wanting to get involved,” said Maddy Tims, the education and project manager for Thoroughbred Breeders Australia.

“I’ve never seen a group so engaged with the speakers. Every speaker we had would say, ‘it’s such a great class’. I think it’s quite exciting for what the future holds for this group.”

The students were taken on tours of stud farms in Victoria’s Nagambie region including Darley, Yulong and Swettenham, visited the Racing.com studios, the home of the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley as well as Melbourne’s Inglis complex.

They also had the benefit of listening to talks from an adviser to Anthony Carbines, the Victorian government’s racing minister, and Racing Victoria integrity officials.

“The two weeks basically gave an overview into every part of the thoroughbred racing industry to give these students the best base and foundation for their six-week internship,” Timms said.

“TBA has a lot of pathways now for career progression within the industry, but that graduate level for people who might not have that horse experience but are really keen on the industry, it was almost a gap the entire industry was missing.

“It was something that was needed in the thoroughbred sector.”

Since finishing the training program, the graduates have now begun traineeships with some of the most recognisable brands in the industry, including stud farms Widden and Yulong, with trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, auction house Magic Millions, bookmaking giant Entain and Stable Financial.

TBA has also taken on a graduate, and they will continue to help the students find employment in the industry beyond their traineeships.

Applications for Thoroughbred Breeders Australia’s (TBA) latest Fast Track program are now open. 

The course offers a pathway into the breeding sector and the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification, while being paid full time. 

Developed in response to industry staffing shortages, the 12-month course targets people from outside breeding and racing and introduces them to Australia’s vibrant thoroughbred sector. It gives them the foundational skills and knowledge needed to build successful careers. 

Now in its eighth year, the program has proved to be a successful pathway, with 90 per cent of trainees continuing to work in the industry after completing the course. 

TBA’s education and projects manager, Madison Tims, said: “This course is great because it doesn’t matter whether you’ve experience with horses or not, on this course you get a chance to learn those skills from some of the best in the thoroughbred industry. We’ve had people from all types of backgrounds on the program before who’ve gone on to great things with their career. 

“Fast Track is also unique in that the trainees are working on a farm, so receiving a wage, while also studying for a Certificate III.” 

Among the diverse occupations of students from previous intakes are electricians, a beauty therapist, an army veteran, a cafe barista, and a cricket coach, all looking for a career change.  

Graduates have gone on to take up management roles on thoroughbred breeding farms, travel to Ireland to take part in the prestigious Irish National Stud course and participate in the Northern Hemisphere breeding and sales seasons. We’ve also had a student graduate from the Godolphin Flying Start course.

Successful applicants commence a full-time paid traineeship with a stud farm while studying for a Certificate III in Horse Breeding – a nationally recognised formal qualification. 

To complement the on-the-job learning, students attend two intensive learning blocks in Scone (six weeks in total), where they receive a mix of practical training and classroom theory and participate in various field trips and personal development workshops. 

Employers around the country have embraced the program. We are incredibly grateful for the support of Australian thoroughbred breeders, who have ensured the success of the Fast Track program over the last seven intakes.  

Any farm that is interested in taking on a trainee can get in touch directly with TBA.  

Applications close March 10th, and you can head to tbaus.com or email madison@tbaus.com for more information.  

You can begin your application here.

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.

The Nolan Scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate of the TBA Fast Track program in memory of the late Basil Nolan Jnr, a highly respected and much-loved member of the Australian breeding community.
 
The successful graduate will travel to Ireland for six months to take part in the Irish National Stud Breeding Course.

Pictured is 2023 Nolan scholarship recipient, Jamie Griffin, receiving his certificate after successfully completing the course earlier this year.

“The Irish National Stud has been an amazing experience for me, and it’s provided me with a great step in my career. I have learned a lot and have taken everything out of it that I possibly could. I recommend that anyone considering applying do so as it will also provide them with the next step in their equine breeding career; they will meet some great people and learn from some of the best breeders or trainers in the country,” explains Jamie.

The Irish National Stud Breeding Course

The Irish National Stud Course was established in 1971 and is regarded as the best-known equine training program within the thoroughbred industry. Many graduates have gone on to hold prominent positions on farms and within organisations around the world.
 
Unlike university-based programs, the training is mainly of a practical nature and is designed to provide students with a hands-on approach to every aspect of horse breeding. The course is full-time residential and starts mid-January each year and runs for the Northern Hemisphere breeding season.

Learn more about the Irish National Stud here.

The Nolan scholarship will be awarded to the student who best displays the qualities that Basil Jnr himself was so widely admired for.

Nolan Scholarship Criteria

Applicants must have successfully completed the TBA Fast Track program. This includes graduating with a Certificate III in Horse Breeding from TAFE and having their formal traineeship signed off by their employer. Students who were not eligible for formal traineeships (i.e. those based outside NSW) must have completed a minimum 12-month employment with their farm.

Prior knowledge and/or industry experience will not be taken into account during the selection process. The scholarship will be awarded based on what the individual has achieved since commencing the Fast Track program and the contribution they have made to their workplace and/or the industry during this time.

Although academic ability isn’t the sole focus, applicants will need to have displayed a level of dedication and a positive attitude towards their studies and have been a courteous member of the classroom during their time on the program.

In the workplace they must have consistently demonstrated an excellent work ethic and have been a team player; someone who is kind and supportive and always willing to help others.

They must demonstrate a genuine passion for the thoroughbred industry.

The successful applicant will be the person who best fulfills the above criteria and who the interview panel believe will be a great ambassador for the Australian breeding industry and honour Basil Jnr’s legacy.
 
The following attributes were central to Basil and what he most looked for in staff members of his own:

• Honesty
• Enthusiasm
• Motivation
• A strong work ethic
• A passion for learning more on the job

The Application Process

To apply for the Nolan Scholarship, you must complete an online application form.

You are also required to send a letter of support from your employer and/or an industry referee (someone who currently works in the thoroughbred industry).

The letter should outline why they think you are a deserving recipient of the scholarship with particular focus on your attitude towards learning, contribution to the workplace, your relationships with your peers and colleagues, and your passion for horses.

Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to sit an interview via Zoom, with a panel of TBA representatives and members of the Nolan family. 

Successful Fast Track graduates are eligible to apply for the scholarship at any time. You are not restricted to applying in the year that you graduate and if unsuccessful, you can always reapply the following year. There is no limit on how many years you can apply. 

Click here to begin your application.

Applications for this year’s scholarship close on Sunday 28th September at 11.59pm. Those shortlisted will be contacted shortly after to arrange a suitable interview time. 

The successful applicant will need to arrive in Ireland in early January 2024 and remain there until the end of June, when the course finishes.

The full cost of flights and tuition will be covered by Thoroughbred Breeders Australia. It will be the individual’s responsibility to cover the cost of the travel insurance for visa requirements. 

This is an incredible opportunity for anyone looking to develop their career in the thoroughbred sector. The Irish National Stud Course is world renowned and many of Australia’s industry leaders are successful graduates of the program. 

For more information, contact Madison Tims at madison@tbaus.com.