Mighty Margaret De Gonneville still training winners as she nudges the ripe age of 90

Trainer Margaret De Gonneville has had an extraordinary career in racing after moving from New Zealand to Sydney in 1956 before she started riding trackwork for the great Tommy Smith at Randwick.

Margaret De Gonneville in 2007.

The remarkable Margaret De Gonneville is still training winners at the age of 89.

De Gonneville, who has only three horses in work at Port Macquarie, prepared $61 outsider Golden Galaxy to win at a Taree TAB meeting last Saturday.

The trainer has had an extraordinary career in racing after moving from New Zealand to Sydney in 1956 before she started riding trackwork for the great Tommy Smith at Randwick.

De Gonneville also rode in the inaugural ladies-only race in Australia and in 1977 was the first female jockey to win a registered race.

Then in 1981, she started training, initially at Canterbury before moving to Rosehill prior to relocating to Port Macquarie nearly 20 years ago.

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Margaret De Gonneville (right) in 2019.

Her biggest win was in the Group 3 Breeders Plate in 1983 when My Mate Zero defeated that season’s Golden Slipper winner, Inspired.

De Gonneville has nominated Golden Galaxy and Gold Something for races at Taree next Tuesday.

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Margaret De Gonneville in 1978.

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GOLDEN Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot is likely to be given her chance at weight-for-age against older sprinters before the $20 million The TAB Everest in spring.

Adrian Bott, who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse, is keen for the brilliant filly to be set for the world’s richest turf race at Royal Randwick on October 19.

But to convince an Everest slot-holder to go with Lady Of Camelot, Bott has revealed plans to start the filly in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) in early September.

She Will Reign, the 2017 Golden Slipper winner, won the Moir Stakes first-up as a three-year-old before out of the placings behind Redzel in the inaugural The Everest.

Bott also revealed another of the stable’s promising rising three-year-olds, Silver Slipper winner Straight Charge has had a setback and won’t race this spring.

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MIGHTY mare Winx’s fame knows no borders.

In Bali, there’s a club named after the all-time great mare called the “Winx Sports Bar” which is particularly popular with Australian tourists.

Winx Sports Bar in Bali. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile, the last horse to beat Winx before she went on her famous 33-race winning streak to close out her career, Gust Of Wind is the dam of first-starter, Sensational Wind who is in the Precise Air Handicap at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Gust Of Wind is best known for holding off Winx’s challenge to win the 2015 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m).

Remarkably, although Winx never lost another race, Gust Of Wind was unplaced in her next nine starts before being retired to stud.

Tune in for rare footage of the great mare Winx running second!

How good was Gust Of Wind in the 2015 Australian Oaks? pic.twitter.com/iS4ICN3cxt

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2023

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NSW jockey premiership leader Aaron Bullock is likely to be out of the saddle for up to eight weeks after a fall at Newcastle last Saturday.

The talented jockey suffered a fractured collarbone and sternum in the incident and on Monday is due to have surgery on his shoulder.

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Bullock’s injury is likely to cost him a second successive state premiership title. He has ridden 137 winners but rival Ashley Morgan trails by only 1½ wins with the season concluding at the end of the month.

Morgan has eight rides at the Tamworth meeting on Friday and five mounts at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Originally published as Mighty Margaret De Gonneville still training winners as she nudges the ripe age of 90