The top 15 racehorse trainers in South Australia revealed
The 2022-23 horse racing season is up and running and as Australia’s best blitz the track, we’ve listed SA’s 15 best trainers. See who made the cut.
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The spring racing season is up and running with some of the nation’s best horses, jockeys and trainers blitzing track meets across SA and Australia.
To mark what should be a thrilling 2022-23 season, we’ve listed the 15 best trainers our state has to offer.
The list was compiled based on recent form, win and placement percentages and with the help of Racing SA.
Most trainers featured are based at Morphettville, while various others hail from the country or even overseas.
See who made the cut.
RICHARD AND CHANTELLE JOLLY
South Australia’s leading stable last season in which they claimed their first Adelaide Premiership.
Richard Jolly and daughter Chantelle have trained an impressive crop of horses and boast an elite strike rate with their team.
The Jollys have placed at least 40 percent of the time in all their races and have finished first in four of six international meets.
Have found major success through horses such as Kemalpasa as well as Alleboom and Aitch Two Oh – horses which look set to light up courses around Australia through 2022-23.
LEON MACDONALD AND ANDREW GLUYAS
Placing nearly 40 percent of the time at venues courses across SA, Hall of Fame trainer MacDonald and son-in-law Gulyas have been among the best in SA racing for a long time and boast a smart stable of horses capable horses which will undoubtedly step up during spring.
The partnership’s first major win came at the 2011 Caulfield Cup with Southern Speed and will look for some upcoming success through Big Shaq, Colour Me Gone, Go Artie, Just Joking and Urripie.
WILL CLARKEN
Clarken has enjoyed success at the highest level and his stable is one of the fastest growing in the state, seeing an expansion from its Morphettville base to Sellicks Beach and soon to Murray Bridge as well.
A group one 1200m win at Morphettville in 2020 with the now retired Bella Vella remains Clarken’s standout achievement and he has also produced well-known horses such as Agreeable – often ridden by iconic SA jockey Jamie Kah – Beau Rossa, Ironclad and Noname Lane.
DAVID JOLLY
Jolly is a four-time group one-winning trainer who works out of the Fleurieu Peninsula, using Goolwa Beach as the backdrop for his success.
Is best known for his success with horse Behemoth, which won the 2020-21 and 2021-22 South Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year.
Jolly has also experienced success at national and international level with horses Final Reign, Moscow Red and Calypso Reign.
PHILLIP STOKES
Stokes is a veteran trainer who boasts three group one wins and still has a stable in South Australia.
His victorious group one runners have been Marju Snip and Maybe Discreet at Australasian Oaks, and Hucklebuck’s Emirates Stakes win during the Flemington Spring Carnival in 2014, while he also won last month’s Smith Highland Foundation for NJT Hcp at Caulfield.
He was also the trainer of standout group one winner Mr Quickie before the horse’s retirement and will be racing through Murray Bridge and Moe, Victoria through the coming days with Cashmere Inn, Wyatt Earp, Wanaloan, Jenkins, Tobaysure, Sacred Lass, Sea of Secrets among others.
MICHAEL HICKMOTT
Hickmott is the leading Murray Bridge trainer and a past recipient of the Adelaide Trainer’s Premiership.
The 33-year-old trainer made a name for himself in 2007 when he won the Darwin Cup with horse General Market at just age 18.
He now trains highly-rated horses Solar Gale, Lake’s Folly and Lord Bouzeron and places in around 40 percent of his races.
TRAVIS DOUDLE
Doudle is a young gun trainer who finished 10th in the Adelaide Trainer’s Premiership last season after a highly successful campaign.
Doudle has won 174 starts through his career with his most successful horse being Countofmontecristo out of New Zealand, which has won over two million dollars in prize money.
He has also recently seen success through various other horses such as Jaguary, Spanish Heirloom, Not Usual Glorious and Struck By.
GORDON RICHARDS AND DAMIEN MOYLE
While Richards and Moyle experienced a reasonably slow 2021-22 season, they have hit the ground running for season 2022-23.
Group one winning trainer Richards joined forces with Moyle last year and has continued to run an efficient and successful stable.
The most notable success story has undoubtedly been sprint star Gytrash, who defeated Nature Strip to win the group three Concorde Stakes in 2020 before finishing third in The Everest meet in Sydney.
GARY AND DEAN ALEXANDER
Top trainers from South Africa, Gary and Dean Alexander are slowly making the rounds in South Australia and should be a force during the 2022-23 season.
The brothers produced over 100 group and listed races through their 80-horse stable in South Africa before moving to Australia late last year.
They achieved their first win in the state at Morphettville with Brazen Force and look set to continue the winning trend into next year.
RYAN BALFOUR
Son of former top jockey and trainer David Balfour, Ryan has consistently made a name for himself as one of the state’s best trainers.
In 3765 starts, Balfour has won 374 races and placed a total of 1228 times.
The trainer’s current top horse is Outlaws Revenge which has won seven of its 20 races and last raced in mid August.
Viduka and Busker’s Ballad are also horses to look out for.
WAYNE FRANCIS AND GLEN KENT
Successful trainers out of Finniss Lodge Thoroughbreds in Finniss, Francis and Kent have decades of experience between them.
Through their time together, the pair has placed 535 times in 1589 races and won 175.
Their leading horse is Extreme Thrill, and they have also produced multiple wins with Skid Lid and Patch Hero – both ridden by Jamie Kah.
GARRET LYNCH
Lynch is one of the fastest rising trainers in South Australia and is coming off of a career-best season in which he won the Country and Provincial Trainer’s Premiership.
Based in Murray Bridge, Lynch has a career win strike rate of 14 percent and has won 59 of his 459 starts in the last year.
Smiling Assassin has been Lynch’s most successful horse, while Exalted Ruth and Prince Joffra are also ones to keep an eye on through this season.
JON O’CONNOR
O’Connor leads a small team but boasts an impressive strike rate and a number of promising horses, prioritising quality over quantity.
The Morphettville-based trainer has won 34 percent of his starts – his first coming with Sebrle in 2004.
He has won six of his last 50 starts and his three highest rated horses this season are Great Leveller, Left Hand Man and Smokin’ Val.
JOHN HICKMOTT AND CARRINA RIGGS
Also based in Murray Bridge, Hickmott and Riggs are always running their horses and have earned over 13 million in prize money through the last 22 years.
They have a career win percentage of eight and a 27 percent placement rate.
Crown Fontein and Magnetic Edge are currently Hickmott and Riggs’ highest rated horses, while 13-year-old gelding Flow Meter is still racing, his most famous of 20 wins being at the 2016 Open Hcp in Gawler.
SHAYNE CAHILL
Cahill, much like Garret Lynch, is a trainer on the up in SA.
Based in Strathalbyn, Cahill boasts a stable with high potential and has won 89 of 770 starts while placing 288 times.
Stable veteran Two Odd Sox has been the most successful for Cahill throughout his career so far, while Morty and Point Blaze ae also ones to watch this season.
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