Racing royalty Gai Waterhouse AO crowned as VRC ambassador

Gai is one of the most successful trainers in Australian history with more than 7000 winners throughout her career including 160 at Group 1 level.

In 2013 Gai celebrated her landmark Lexus Melbourne Cup when Fiorente stormed home to win the 153^rd  running of the race that stops a nation ®.

The daughter of legendary trainer T.J. Smith, Gai was granted her training license and took control of Tulloch Lodge, her father’s training facility at Sydney’s Randwick racetrack in 1992.

Today, she trains in partnership with Adrian Bott with the duo also boasting stables at Flemington.

This year she has already secured at least one starter in the 2024 Group 1 $8.56 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) with seven-year-old gelding Just Fine, who won his place in the final field via automatic qualification through the Lexus Bart Cummings at Flemington earlier this month.

As part of her role with the VRC Gai will continue to showcase her enthusiasm for the sport of racing through attending events including the Melbourne Cup Carnival Launch on Monday 28 October in The Park at Flemington Racecourse and Trackwork Breakfast on Tuesday 29 October where she will watch her horses go through their final paces ahead of Cup Week.

Gai has been a valued VRC ambassador since 2017.

“I am delighted to continue as an official ambassador of the Victoria Racing Club because I genuinely love Flemington and the Melbourne Cup Carnival,” she said.

“I have such fond memories of Flemington from across the years. I love my time here, whether it is at my stables with the team at track work in the wee hours of the morning or being amongst the tens of thousands cheering on our runners during one of the world’s biggest weeks of racing, Cup Week.

“The Lexus Melbourne Cup is the pinnacle of racing in Australia, it is the one race that transcends our industry and truly stops our nation.

“I’d love to win another Lexus Melbourne Cup with my training partner Adrian Bott, and I encourage everyone to make sure they get to Melbourne this year to experience the wonder of Cup Week.”

VRC Chief Executive Officer Kylie Rogers praised Gai’s remarkable passion and success, highlighting her as an outstanding ambassador for the club.

“Gai is a true trailblazer in the world of racing and a powerful advocate for women in sport. She has inspired so many and dedicated hours mentoring the next generation of our sport,” Ms Rogers said.

“Gai’s unwavering commitment to the racing industry and her efforts to promote it are truly commendable. This dedication, not to mention her energy and sense of fun, has made her a household name, and a much-loved icon of Australian sport. We are grateful and so proud to have Gai as an ambassador of the Victoria Racing Club and the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

“We look forward to celebrating Gai’s achievements with her across Cup Week.”

The 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival begins with Penfolds Victoria Derby Day on Saturday 2 November, followed by Lexus Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 5 November, Crown Oaks Day on Thursday 7 November and TAB Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 9 November. 

All the action from the 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival can be seen live and free across the Nine Network, the official broadcast partner and new home of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.