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Finding a Trainer

Ownership

For most first time owners, the easiest way to get into ownership is to get in touch with a trainer.

Trainers will usually go to the thoroughbred sales and buy a number of horses which they then sell shares in to others. Many trainers are great judges of horses and will be the people who spend countless hours with your horse and will get it to the track and hopefully winning some races for you!

Finding a trainer is easy but deciding which one is right for you is another thing. There are a number of ways to find which trainer may be best for you and all it needs is a little research. 

  1.  Track the Trainers Premiership Table to see which trainers are doing well both in Adelaide and around the state

  2. Where is the trainer based? If you live in the country, perhaps it’s best to choose a local trainer so that you can visit your horse and watch it run live more often

  3. How much are the trainer’s fees? It may be enticing to choose a big trainer with a lot of success and horses in work but sometimes their fees can be a lot dearer than a smaller trainer who only has a few horses

For a list of Trainers click here

So you’ve made a shortlist, checked strike-rates, figured out a budget and now it’s time to have a chat to some trainers. It’s important to ask lots of questions to find out whether a particular trainer may be the one for you.

Some good questions to ask are:

  • What is your communication method (emails, text messages, or phone calls) regarding the horse’s progress?
  • Can I see my horse when I like (e.g. before a race or when it’s not racing)?
  • Where do you prefer to race your horses?
  • Where will my horse be based when it’s a) in work, and b) spelling?
  • How many horses do you have in work?
  • What are your training fees?
  • Do you charge any extras, such as veterinary fees?
  • What type of horses (sprinters, stayers, jumpers, younger or older) have you had the most success with? 

 

Ownership