Our Trainers
Archie Alexander (VIC)
An exciting new chapter of Archie Alexander's training career commenced on July 1 2014 when Alexander Racing opened its doors in Ballarat.
With the experience gained under Nicky Henderson, Alec Head, Criquette Head-Maarek, Todd Pletcher, Mark Johnston, Aidan O’Brien and Robert Hickmott (with the Lloyd Williams team), Archie now has completed his 'apprenticeship' and is ready to mix the methods he's learned in Europe and Australia to create a winning formula.
In the peaceful surrounds at Ballarat, which Archie believes is ideal for a racehorse, Archie has the confidence in his ability to compete with the best.
Ryan Balfour (SA)
Ryan Balfour Racing is the largest and 2017 / 2018 Seasons Leading Trainer of racehorses from Adelaide's largest public training complex. RBR trains from the most modern of the precincts stables located at Park Tce next to the Magic Millions complex.
The Ryan Balfour philosophy is to treat each horse as an individual and our team prides ourselves on our ability to make the most of our horses and to engage our owners in their horses training and to enjoy raceday.
Damien Batters (Sunshine Coast)
Damien Batters is a young Queensland based trainer that has demonstrated success with a handful of current or former ATB racehorses that have come his way during the latter part of 2015, early 2016.
Based on the Sunshine Coast, where he works his horses daily, Damien has won with Already Leica under recent ATB ownership as well as having success with former ATB horses in Grand Arrow and Flying Paris formerly trained by Darren Weir and Matthew Williams respectively.
Along the lines of our initial association with Darren Weir over 15 years ago, we identified Damien as a very good horseman with the potential to reach great heights as a trainer.
His communication skills are at a very good level, something we pride ourselves on at ATB, and with his willingness to succeed we are very happy to have Damien and his family on board.
Daniel Bowman
Daniel is a young trainer that has taken big strides in his first few years as a trainer.
Based at Wangoom (near Warrnambool) Daniel gained plenty of experience having worked under names like Weir, Hayes, McEvoy as well as other Warrnambool trainers Ciaron Maher and Jarrod McLean.
With the beach at the stable’s disposal the Bowman team are able to provide plenty of variety for their racehorses. The farm also provides a relaxed and quiet atmosphere for the horses – based about five minutes from the Warrnambool racetrack and ten minutes from the beach.
Daniel’s final part of his ‘apprenticeship’ prior to gaining his full license in 2014 was as foreman for the powerful Weir stable at the Bool. With horses like Puissance De Lune, Signoff, Trust In A Gust, May’s Dream, Akzar as well as ATB champs in Platelet and Taiyoo under his care, winning results came thick and fast as the Weir domination gained momentum.
Aside from racing Daniel’s focus is on his family, including his son Charlie and daughter Annie. Daniel is supported by his wife, Denita, who is not only a fantastic homemaker but is the behind the scenes expert in running the business. With over 10 years experience in the racing industry Denita, happily assists in the many varied duties required in running a racing stable.
Daniel thoroughly enjoys his role of being a horse trainer but the ultimate highlight of that role is sharing the race day experience with his owners.
Alain Couétil (FRA)
"For a horse to express its best potential, do not burn the stages. Otherwise, you reduce the horse's performance." Hence the need to prepare a specific program, with objectives, for each horse."My goal is not to make as many winners as possible, but to take care of a horse's career to take it to the maximum of its possibilities" ... and thus to win great races.
Alain Couétil, born of a large family of horsemen, watches over the career of about eighty horses with a team working according to his principles.
In short, to summarize the philosophy of Alain Couétil, it would suffice to evoke the love of the horse and the spirit of competition.
Alain joins the ATB training team along with our 2017 Melbourne Cup entry Tiberian.
Matt Cumani (VIC)
Newmarket born and bred, the son of revered English Derby winner, Luca Cumani, and brother to renown racing expert & commentator, Francesca, Matt has racing in his blood.
Matt’s approach seamlessly blends the best of old school horsemanship with his own take on globally-informed techniques and up-to-the-minute industry advancements.
Having made his mark in the frenetic worlds of finance and British politics respectively it wasn’t long before Matt inevitably returned to the very passion he was born to pursue.
Matt boasts ten years of varied and intensive experience under the tutelage of some of the world’s most celebrated trainers, among them, Todd Pletcher, Paddy Gallagher, Chris Waller, Ed Dunlop, and of course, Luca Cumani.
It is this dynamic range of exposure and learned techniques that grants Matt a unique breadth and comprehensive depth unrivalled in the industry. We welcome Matt to the ATB team.
Shea Eden
Shea Eden is a trainer on the rise in the Victorian racing industry. With a proven record of success, a growing owner base, and a strong team of young horses, Shea is fast becoming one of the most respected young trainers in the State, if not Australia.
Amongst Shea's success stories are dual Group 3 and Listed winner Ocean Embers, a horse Shea bought for just $23,000 that now has over $450,000 in the bank. Three-year-old Apollo's Choice was another great bargain buy, selected for $40,000 before winning his first two starts and then a placing at Group 2 level - he was sold to Hong Kong for a huge sic-figure sum. $500 discard Rambert became a stable favourite when winning two city races, over $128,000 in stakes, and landing a few well-planned betting plunges in the process.
Shea trains from a unique two-property stable with his racing stable on course at the state of the art Cranbourne Training Centre and a beach side property at Corinella, 45 minutes south on the shores of Western Port Bay.
With an exceptional team of experienced support staff behind him and a talented crop of young horses, Shea Eden is a forward thinking horseman with goals to grow and achieve elite success.
Anthony Freedman
We are very excited to have Group One winning trainer Anthony Freedman as part of the ATB team.
An elite performing trainer who once formed part of the famous Freedman Brothers Incorporated (FBI) team, Anthony has been out on his own for the past decade with Mawingo his first G1 success in the 2012 Doomben Cup.
He has since trained twelve more G1 winners.
In recent years he has had super sprinting performers in Santa Ana Lane, Shoals and the 2019 Blue Diamond winner Lyre for the all conquering Godolphin team.
Anthony trains a conservative number from his Mornington & Flemington bases, but as his record shows above, his winners to runners strike rate is above average
Mitch Freedman
Mitch Freedman took a slight detour to his father and grandfather but racing was always in his blood.
Freedman’s grandfather was a bookmaker and his father worked for him, meaning Mitchell was always around horses and racing from a young age.
Mitch worked for some astute Victorian minds in the period before getting his licence, spending time with Kathryn and Craig Durden, Andrew Payne and Dan O’Sullivan before starting a lengthy period working in Warrnambool
Mitch also travelled overseas to gain some insight into European training techniques with top trainers David Simcock and Andrew Balding, which when added to his local education, gave Freedman a strong training philosophy that he follows to prepare his team.
Freedman and his wife Jenna, the daughter of the late highly respected Warrnambool horseman Mark Primmer, run the stable together with the help of close family and terrific staff that loves the horses.
Tony Gollan (QLD)
Tony had close ties to the stable run by his father Darryl while he was growing up and he had been a keen follower of form to give his penchant for a punt some hope of success. Despite some words of warning from his dad Tony took out a trainer’s licence when he was 20. He had a team of four horses and the confidence of youth.
His first winner was Carbon Shadow at Clifford Park. Katsidis, by then a close mate as well as doing a lot of riding for Tony, was the jockey when the young Toowoomba trainer secured his first metropolitan winner with Nova Serrure. At that time Tony, aged 22, let his natural ambitious instincts rule his head. He set up a stable in Brisbane and enjoyed some early success and soon had a stable of 14 horses. When advised his visitor’s permit had elapsed Tony made the decision to set up base at the Gold Coast. After six months he headed back to Toowoomba and renewed his close ties to Darryl. He spent the next year soaking knowledge and made very close observations of the way legendary trainer Jim Atkins.
Tony revived his own training business in 2003 and stroke of good fortune gave his return some early momentum. Eureka Stud father-son combination Colin and Scott McAlpine gave him a Special Dane filly which they named Temple Spirit. The filly was a great success on the track, wining eight races. The association with Temple Spirit has continued with Gollan Racing enjoying tremendous success with of the mare’s foal Spirit Of Boom and Temple Of Boom. The latter lifted Tony’s profile on to the big stage when he won a Listed Race at Flemington on Oaks day in 2010. It also whet his appetite for the major carnivals.
Watch Darren Dance as he gets to know Tony Gollan:
Robbie Griffiths (VIC)
Robbie was fortunate to be born into the Thoroughbred industry and destined to be involved in some way or another. He completed a successful apprenticeship as a jockey riding in excess of 250 winners both on metropolitan and provincial racetracks and included riding for the likes of the Late Colin Hayes, Bart Cummings, Lee Freedman. It was as a result of this that Robbie was able to outride his apprentice claim in his first 2 years of riding.
Robbie's transition to Training commenced soon after he became foreman for Tony Vasil. Robbie spent 12 months in this role before spending time overseas observing leading European trainers training techniques. Robbie obtained his trainer’s license in 1991 and has earned the reputation as an innovative and successful trainer by achieving success in Group and Listed races.
Metropolitan success was achieved with the likes of Dandy Kid, (holds the Moonee Valley record for most flat wins at the course), Confederate Kid, Beltrois, not to mention the Group 1 placed Cocinero, Solar Antiquity & Cancanelle. Recent times have see the likes of Danzylum, Avionics, Mr Riggs, Dash to Viz.
Robbie has also won leading Super VOBIS trainer of the year for consecutive years.
Saab Hasan (VIC)
“I always maintain a horse doesn’t know what a $50 note is. If you give a horse love and give them passion, they will respond” – Saab Hasan.
Saab’s mantra comes from his extraordinary path to becoming a trainer, which started early in his childhood in the Turkish side of Cyprus.
War forced Hasan and his family to head to Australia for a better life but Saab had already told his grandfather he would become a horse trainer, despite not laying his hands on a horse on the family farm.
Saab’s family relocated to Australia in time for the youngster to see Van Der Hum win the 1976 Melbourne Cup in torrential rain but the newly-arrived Hasan was hooked on the great sport that is thoroughbred racing.
Saab tried every stable at Flemington at the time looking for a job in racing before Mick Cerchi gave the 15-year-old his first break in the game.
Hasan learned from Cerchi and other outstanding horsemen such as John Sadler, David Hayes and the master trainer Bart Cummings before branching out on his own.
Saab is now based at the famous Chiquita Lodge stables at Flemington where his horses get the best of everything at the world class training centre.
David Hayes, Ben Hayes & Tom Debernig (VIC)
From a young age, David followed his dad around constantly in the stables and at the track, observing and learning from him as much as he could. When he was old enough, he served a thorough apprenticeship by helping out in the stables where he experienced every aspect of the business. He spent time with the vets, and farriers, and he rode trackwork, strapped horses and mucked out stables.
David took over the training operation at Lindsay Park at the start of the 1990-91 season at the age of 28, following his fathers retirement. During this first season, David won the Cox Plate (Australia’s G1 weight-for-age championship) with Better Loosen Up, set a world record of six Group winners in a day at Flemington on Derby Day and then won the Japan Cup (the world’s richest race at the time) with Better Loosen Up a month later.
In 1994, he won the Melbourne Cup with imported galloper Jeune (for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum) and by the end of the 1994-95 season, David had won every Melbourne and Adelaide Metropolitan Trainer’s Premiership and racked up an amazing 31 Group One wins.
In 1996, David accepted an invitation to train in the world’s toughest racing environment, Hong Kong. He was an immediate success, winning two Trainer’s Premierships (in the top four in each of his nine seasons) and training 458 winners including the G1 Hong Kong International Sprint (All Thrills Too in 2002) and the G1 Hong Kong Derby (Elegant Fashion in 2003) and 15 other Hong Kong Group Ones.
David returned to Lindsay Park in 2005 and has since secured another two Melbourne Metropolitan Trainer Premierships, three Adelaide Metropolitan Premierships and trained a further 29 Group One winners.
In his 20 year training career, David has trained in excess of 2800 winners, including 78 Group One wins. He has won most of Australia’s major races including the Melbourne Cup (Jeune in 1994), Caulfield Cup (Fraar in 1993 and Tawqeet in 2006), Cox Plate (Better Loosen Up 1990 and Fields of Omagh in 2006) and the Golden Slipper (Miss Finland in 2006).
David is the youngest trainer ever to be inducted when he joined his father Colin in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2008.
Watch Darren Dance as he gets to know David Hayes & Tom Debernig:
Michael Hickmott
Michael grew up in a racing family and began his thoroughbred training career in August 2006 where he obtained his trainer’s license directly after his 18th birthday. It was an inevitable career step following in the footsteps of his father John Hickmott, a successful for trainer for the past 2 decades in Victoria and South Australia and his older brother Robert, a multiple Group 1 winning trainer of the Melbourne Cup, Sydney Cup & Caulfield Cup who is the head trainer of the Lloyd Williams Racing operation based out of Macedon Lodge, Victoria.
Michael began training and had excellent success with his horses in Darwin, the 2007 and 2009 Darwin Cup victories of General Market and Activation being highlights. After analysing his business options, August 2011 saw an exciting new change made with Michael transferring to South Australia.
Based at Murray Bridge, he has foresight and a fresh approach to his career in racing. His motivation is that of a professional businessman, who identifies his role as a business operator as well as a trainer. His progressive insight is a fresh approach where he strategizes to obtain the maximum return for his client. Careful placement and selection is paramount in his success. He has an eye for talent and gaining returns for effort.
Michael looks forward to a continued career with the thoroughbred and has a vast and expanding education in the Austral Asian racing industry. Following trends, utilizing a network of professional services and a transparent relationship with his clients are commending traits. Michael looks forward to his future in racing and providing a unique service to his clients.
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace (VIC)
Cairon Maher and David Eustace join the ATB training team for the 2018/19 season. At just 37 years of age, Ciaron has established himself as a rare talent in Australian racing. Ciaron tasted Group 1 glory at just 26 years old and has consistently built upon that success to now having the best winners-to-runners strike rate in Victoria. Ciaron’s rare gift for preparing his horses to peak at the right time is born from his attention to detail and individual approach to each horse.
David Eustace joined Ciaron Maher Racing in mid-2016 and was performing the role of Assistant Trainer prior to the announcement that he would be training in partnership with Ciaron recently.
"He has proven himself as a hard-working professional, learning the Ciaron Maher Racing way but also bringing new ideas to the fore."
"David has been instrumental in the growth and success of the stable over the past 12 months," Maher told Racing.com.
ATB welcome the Caulfield-based team of Maher and Eustace.
Tony Martin (IRE)
A top class amateur rider, Tony Martin has been considered one of the shrewdest trainers in Ireland for well over a decade. Martin has earned a reputation for getting the very best out of his horses, regardless of the level they operate at.
But behind the caricature, and the blunt speaking, there are plenty professionals within racing who rate Martin’s ability to subtly extract the maximum potential out of any horse in terms of the very best there is – flat or jumps. The difference now is in the raw material he gets to work with.
Tony Martin saddled his first ever runner in the 2016 Emirates Melbourne cup at Flemington.
Heartbreak City was inches away from becoming the 3rd Irish trained winner of Australia’s most famous horse race and came into the race after a stunning win in York’s Ebor handicap in August.
Martin himself comes to Australia with a reputation as a smart trainer with an eye to beating the bookmakers.
‘’I think that can be a trainer’s job,’’ Martin said. ‘’It’s whatever owners want. Some owners just want their horse to run every other day and are not interested in the gambling.
‘’But most of my crew like a little punt.’’
The County Meath handler was proud in defeat after the six-year-old gelding, winner of the Ebor at York in the summer, came so close in the big race at Flemington.
But Martin now wants to attempt to go one place better in 2017 with a horse who did brilliantly well to even get in contention from a wide draw in stall 23.
Tony Noonan (VIC)
When he gave up his job as a high school teacher to become a thoroughbred trainer, some might have called Tony Noonan a little bit crazy.
But those people need to look beyond the time a police squadron chased him down the highway after the Straddy and the time he turned up to Mornington trials in his underwear.
Forgetting those moments however, crazy may still an accurate word to describe the meticulous nature which Tony approaches his training with.
Through his love of the horses, he thrives on the opportunity to nurture, educate and develop thoroughbreds to reach their full potential.
Tony prides himself on the excellent relationships he maintains with owners through honest communication, regular updates and a personal touch. By taking owners through their Owner’s Journey, Tony is able to share the joys he experiences every day whether it is at the races, at the stable or on the overseas trips he organises around international racing events.
When questioned about his greatest achievement, it wasn’t winning three Mornington Cups with Gunnamatta, or countless stakes victories. Instead, it is Tom, Sam, Jake and Laura – his four wonderful children whom he shares with wife Gabriel – who inspire him to wake up each morning for work at 4am.
Paul Preusker (VIC)
First started in 1996 Paul Preusker Racing is located in McKenzie Creek, near Horsham Victoria. situated on 44 acres, it is home to up to 35 horses in training at any given time. Our employees all pride themselves on being dedicated to the training and to maintaining the health and wellbeing of our horses on every level. We offer a range of services to benefit every equine athlete entering our stable, ontop of Race Training we offer Pretraining, Breaking and Rehabilitation.
Mick Price Trainer (VIC)
Since taking out his license in 1991, Mick Price has firmly established himself as one of the leading racehorse trainers in Australia.
In 2003 Mick trained the trifecta in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview with Halibery, Gaelic Princess and Roedean, while World Peace took out the race for the stable in 2004.
Mick kept his fantastic record with two-year-olds intact by winning both the colts and fillies divisions of the Blue Diamond Preludes in 2005 with Perfectly Ready and Doubting.
In 2007 he continued his stakes winning trend by taking out the Group 1 Underwood Stakes with Rubiscent, the Group 2 Sandown Guineas with Schilling and the Group 3 Sandown Stakes with Gotta Have Heart, just to name a few.
In 2008/2009 the season started off in terrific style with Light Fantastic winning the Group 2 JJ Liston Stakes. The South Yarra Stakes Group 3 was won by Vivacious Spirit. Group 1 New Zealander Alamosa won the Group 1 Toorak Hcp and Damselfly won the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club. In total, Mick won six Group 1 races, five Group 2 events, five Group 3 events and six Listed races for the season among his massive total of 124 winners for the racing year.
The 2009/2010 season saw Mick train his 16th Group 1 winner with Velocitea taking out the Goodwood Handicap.
Group One Blue Diamond success was around the corner in 2011/2012 when a smart filly called Samaready came out and won the Group Three Blue Diamond Preview. The filly then backed up and smashed her rivals in the Group One 2012 Blue Diamond. The More Than Ready filly then went on to complete a winning hat trick taking out the Group Two Reisling Stakes at Rosehill. Other Stakes success throughout this season included multiple wins to Instinction and Malasun.
Price has prepared more than 100 winners a season for the past 10 seasons, a position that puts him in rare company.
Jason Warren
Jason Warren’s experience in racing belies his years. As a trainer, Jason’s greatest asset is a complete understanding and love of thoroughbred horses.
Jason gained his extensive experience working with horses at the revered Eliza Park Stud where he broke in and pre-trained Eliza's young horses. He then set up and ran a highly successful business from Coral Park in Moorooduc where he had a small team of racehorses plus breakers and pre-trainers.
Jason then made the decision to leave behind his business at Coral Park and take up a position with Hall of Fame trainer Lee Freedman.
“ I decided to take a step back. I had a good little business going, but I wanted to learn more. It was a golden era at Markdel with Makybe Diva winning the Melbourne Cups and horses like Benicio winning the VRC Derby".
"My time at Markdel showed me that I had basically been doing the right things in terms of training and feeding the horses. One of the big things I learnt was that the good horses require more hard work than average ones. Lee worked his better horses harder and those horses would come home and eat up, and then he would work them harder the next time. I learned how much you can push a good horse and get the best out of them".
Armed with greater knowledge and renewed confidence, Jason branched out on his own in 2010 purchasing Denistoun Park, a world class private training facility. The winners have flowed and Jason now sits in the top 15 trainers in the State. He has produced a string of good horses headed by his star performer Bel Sprinter.
Matthew Williams (VIC)
Matthew Williams has been working with horses for the past 20 years, and more formally, training horses for the past 15 years. Located at Wangoom Lodge, Matthew has established an exceptional training complex that accommodates up to 40 horses in training, with an additional agistment property housing up to 40 horses. With the availability of the local beaches, Matthew was initially given the opportunity, through Brian Mayfeild Smith, Quinton Scott, Tony Noonan and Darren Weir to rehabilitate injured horses.
With successful results the business grew to the point where some of the country’s most talented gallopers come to freshen up and rejuvenate before returning for their next racing campaign. Over several years Matthew built a strong working relationship with trainers such as Brian Mayfield-Smith and Colin Little, consistently having many of their top horses in his care.
Over the last few years Matthew has branched out into the training industry in his own right, with a team of around 40 horses in work. Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock have come on board and had many winners since joing the team. Horses like Thundahar, Sera Ceilo, Dashatin, Group winner Uxorious and the duel stakes placed Melbourne Cup Day winning Flying Tessie have given Matthew metropolitan success, with Thundahar taking out the Yarra Glen cup in 2004. Matthew has trained over 100 winners, several being at the Warrnambool May Cup Carnival.
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