I’ve had several emails requesting a podcast with Gratz Vella in the wake of his thrilling third placing in the TAB Golden Slipper with Music Time. The Maltese born trainer drifted into the racing game by pure chance and has held a licence for more than three decades. He’s enjoyed a notable measure of success from his Canberra base and is widely respected by all sections of the industry. Gratz secured Music Time for just $45,000 at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale and soon discovered that he’d bought a very promising young horse for long established clients. Music Time probably cost himself a win at his first start but quickly made amends with a hat trick, culminating in the Black Opal on his home track. The Gratz Vella story is one that needs to be acknowledged on our podcast.

The trainer says he’ll be pinching himself for quite a while yet.

Gratz says he asked his jockey Pierre Boudvillain to ride Music Time as close as possible without overdoing it.

He explains the reason why the gelding got a little bit lost in the closing stages.

The trainer acknowledges the support of six owners, some of whom have had horses with him for many years.

Gratz goes back to the Inglis Classic Sale of 2023. He recalls being “blown out of the water” on a few early lots, and says his confidence had been dimmed by the time a certain All Too Hard colt came into the ring.

He believes the youngster’s immature appearance put a few buyers off.

Gratz says the All Too Hard colt quickly signalled his talent. He was given a nickname in his first preparation.

The trainer says his Golden Slipper placegetter has already developed one unlikely taste.

Vella says he wasn’t tempted to run him again this preparation.

Gratz discusses his burgeoning partnership with French born jockey Pierre Boudvillain, currently one of the most talked about riders in the nation.

The Canberra horseman takes us back twenty years to his first Golden Slipper start with a $300.00 “pop”.

Gratz talks about his late father’s arrival in Australia sixty years ago. Michael Vella found a job in Canberra and a suitable house before bringing his wife and eight children to a new land.

The trainer pays tribute to his remarkable mother who died only recently at 95 years of age.

Gratz Vella’s business acumen was on display at an early age. He, two brothers and a handful of mates collected horse manure from a nearby pony club and carted it around the district in home made billy carts. When the concept became popular with backyard gardeners, the boys investigated bolstering supplies from Canberra racing stables. Gratz says his love affair with thoroughbreds began there and then.

He says Robbie O’Sullivan was the trainer to teach him the basics of horse management and would later encourage him to take out his own licence.

Gratz says he kicked off at amateur meetings but quickly made up his mind to progress to the professional ranks.

He explains the derivation of his rather curious christian name.

Gratz talks of the amazing offer he received from highly successful Canberra trainer John Morrisey. He was destined to stay with Morrisey for twenty years during which time he had the opportunity to prepare a small team of his own.

He says Morrisey’s later move to the Gold Coast prompted his decision to go it alone.

Gratz looks back on the horses to help him along the way. He’s got a story or two about a few stable favourites.

His story about the acquisition of his current stable colours is a very entertaining one.

He talks of his Aussie born kids and the five grandchildren who’ve come along in recent years.

It’s a laid back chat with the kid from the historic township of Zabbar in Malta’s port region. He’s a highly respected and universally liked member of the Canberra training ranks and has no intention of leaving the city adopted by his father six decades ago.

Kris Lees was thirty three years old when his father Max passed away in 2003. He’d been training a handful of horses in his own right while working as stable foreman for his very respected trainer/dad. He was left reeling when a sudden illness claimed Max’s life at just 63 years of age. Kris made the instant decision to carry on where the multiple Gr 1 trainer had left off. The team totalled 50 horses and Kris was humbled to learn that almost every existing client had decided to leave their horses exactly where they were. Twenty three years on Kris has established a stellar training record and boasts some amazing season by season statistics. It’s seven years since Lees Jnr has been a guest on this podcast and it’s high time we invited him back.

The trainer says very few call him by his birth name of Kristen.

He talks about his horse numbers at Newcastle and on the Gold Coast with acknowledgement of the people who look after his Queensland operation.

Kris is justifiably proud of his training stats over more than two decades.

He takes us back to early days when he went to work for his father after getting an exemption from school. He talks of an ambition to be a bookmaker and his friendship with neighbour Ray Wallace, one of Newcastle’s most astute trainers.

Kris looks back on his decision to train a few horses in his own name while working for his father.

He remembers Max’s sudden illness and a premature passing that would deeply sadden the racing world.

Lees Jnr speaks with great affection of the “iron gelding” County Tyrone who provided his first Gr 1 win. By an eerie coincidence the horse had been Max Lees’ final Gr 1 winner.

He looks back on the privilege of being given a $1.5 million dollar filly very early in his training career. Kris would win seven races including three Gr 1’s with the star filly Samantha Miss. He talks of the mare’s subsequent stud career and reviews the racetrack deeds of her six foals.

He looks back on the surprise phone call from NZ advising him that a hugely talented mare was on her way across the Tasman. He was horrified to see her fall in a race at Ellerslie before being sent to Australia. Lucia Valentina reached dizzy heights for her Aussie trainer.

Kris doesn’t hide his affection for the evergreen Le Romain whose 7 wins and 18 placings netted $4.3 million dollars.

The trainer pays tribute to Gr 1 winners like In Her Time, Sense Of Occasion, Vitesse Dane, Amokura, and Kalapour.

He talks of his winning associations with father-son jockeys Andrew and Dylan Gibbons.

Kris looks back on his extraordinary record in the Provincial Championship Series since its inception in 2015. He’s qualified a whopping 56 horses for 11 Finals for five winners and seven placegetters.

Kris says you don’t need a champion to accumulate mind boggling prize money. He talks of two big earning stable warriors.

The trainer talks about the gradual expansion of his Broadmeadow training base.

He discusses the importance of barrier trials in the modern racing world.

Kris talks about the selection of jockeys for his huge number of runners.

He pays tribute to wife Christie, daughter Emerson, and sons Marshall and Manning.

A laid back chat with one of Australia’s best horse trainers.

With another edition of the historic Sydney Cup coming up on April 11th, it seems an appropriate time to catch up with a man who won it twice as a jockey in 1959 and 1961. Bernie Howlett’s riding career lasted only seven or eight years but was followed by a long innings as a successful trainer. In more recent times Bernie has earned recognition as a very astute breeder of horses. In fact he’s one of a chosen few to have ridden, trained and bred Gr 1 winners. He’s now a healthy eighty eight year old, living in Canberra and content to reflect on his very rewarding life in racing. Bernie does us the honour of joining this week’s podcast to take us on a trip down memory lane.

He brings us up to date on plans for his future in racing.

Bernie goes right back to childhood days in Tamworth and many trips to local race meetings with his dad Jack.

He acknowledges the deeds of older brother Arthur, himself a talented jockey and trainer.

Bernie recalls the early tuition he received from legendary country trainer Arthur Gore and his apprenticeship to Eric Flett at Manilla.

The veteran recalls his first ride in a race at Quirindi and his first win at Barraba.

With ten bush winners under his belt Bernie made the decision to seek an apprenticeship in Sydney and literally knocked on the doors of several Randwick trainers. Finally a trainer called Frank McGrath agreed to sign him up.

Howlett reflects on his first city win on a hulking two year old owned by an AJC Committee member. He won another one on the same horse a few days later.

He looks back on the thrill of being selected Dux of the AJC Apprentices School in the 1957/58 season.

Bernie says his golden run was halted by a nasty fall at Warwick Farm. Head injuries kept him out of the saddle for several months.

He looks back on an association with dour stayer On Line which would lead him to a Sydney Cup win and a ride in the Melbourne Cup the following year.

Bernie was to repeat his Sydney Cup win just two years later. This time he relegated an Australian turf idol into second place.

He talks of the “return bout” with Tulloch in the Brisbane Cup less than three months later. This was to be the champion’s swan song.

Bernie remembers the support of several trainers who helped him along the way during his time in Sydney.

The former jockey and trainer clearly recalls a second placing in the Caulfield Cup and the suspension that cost him the ride on the same horse in the Melbourne Cup.

He takes us back to 1964 and his low key start as a trainer.

Bernie reflects on a fruitful decade training out of Kembla Grange during which time his only Gr 1 winner came along.

He makes mention of some other smart horses he got to train.

The veteran pays tribute to several talented young riders to spend time under his tutelage.

He talks of his keen interest in the breeding of thoroughbreds and the colt destined to give him Gr 1 success in another phase of his career.

Bernie is justifiably proud of his contribution to the Australian population- 6 daughters, 1 son and 14 grandchildren.

Great to catch up with a man who achieved the rare distinction of riding, training and breeding Gr 1 winners.