Episode 545: Sally Taylor

It’s always a pleasure to welcome a member of the country training ranks to the podcast. This week it’s Sally Taylor from the busy Coffs Harbour training hub, home to more than 100 horses. Sally’s training career began with a bang in 2016 when she won the time honoured Grafton Cup with former Victorian galloper Rednav. She bases her training technique on giving horses a change of environment as often as possible. The thirty two year old joins us on the podcast to look back on her journey from pony club to the show ring and later to a six months stint with dual Melbourne Cup winning trainer Sheila Laxon in Victoria. The decision to train in her own right was encouraged by Peter Wood, owner of the Coffs Harbour Telstra shop in which Sally was working a decade ago. The lifetime horse lover talks of the benefits of keeping her team numbers under control.  Sally acknowledges three recent wins by Mission To Win.  She speaks of regular trips to nearby Boambee Beach where her horses enjoy working on “nature’s racecourse.” Sally has been riding from an early age and still handles 10-12 horses in trackwork six days a week. She talks about two nearby properties where she’s able to give her horses frequent changes of routine. Sally talks of childhood days at Corindi Beach and early tuition from her father Brian, owner and part time trainer. The thirty two year old remembers her six months with successful trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon at Seymour. The talented trainer remembers her stint with expat Victorian Jim Jarvis who’d relocated to Coffs. She wonders how she ever found the time to complete an online course in vet nursing. Sally acknowledges the support of Peter Wood who encouraged her to train in her own right. She was working at the time in Peter’s Coffs Harbour Telstra shop.  She looks back on Peter’s acquisition of the unsound Rednav, formerly a member of the Greg Eurell team in Melbourne. Sally takes us through Rednav’s progression to the Grafton Cup and the thrill of winning one of country racing’s most coveted prizes. Almost as thrilling as the Grafton Cup win was Rednav’s success at Doomben sixteen days later, her first metropolitan win as a trainer. She pays tribute to another great favourite Zanardee’s Lane whose owner is a member of the Sally Taylor Racing team. Sally looks back on Coffs Harbour Cup day 2024 when her only two runners scored impressive wins. She acknowledges a few other horses who’ve helped to get her training career off the ground. Taylor talks of Brett Dodson, fellow Coffs Harbour trainer and her partner of seven years. Sally pays special tribute to the staff members who contribute to the smooth running of Sally Taylor Racing. She talks about the online nursing degree she’s currently undertaking.  It’s a laid back chat with a young horse devotee who’s made a rapid impact in the NSW country training ranks.