Tommy Smith (racing)
|
Tommy J. Smith MBE |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Thomas John Smith 3 September 1916 Jembaicumbene, New South Wales |
| Died | 2 September 1998 (aged 81) Sydney, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | T. J. Smith |
| Occupation | Thoroughbred horse trainer |
| Children | Gai Waterhouse |
| Relatives | Tom Waterhouse (grandson) |
Thomas John Smith MBE (3 September 1916 – 2 September 1998) also known as Tommy Smith or T. J. Smith was a leading trainer of thoroughbred racehorses based in Sydney, Australia.
Inducted into the Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in 2001 and elevated to Legend status in 2012, Smith dominated Sydney racing for over three decades, winning the Sydney Trainers' Premiership every year between 1953 and 1985. His notable feats as a horse trainer included two Melbourne Cups, four Caulfield Cups, seven W. S. Cox Plates, six Golden Slippers and thirty five Australian derbies. Notable horses trained by Smith included Tulloch, Gunsynd, Kingston Town, Redcraze and Red Anchor.
Born in Jembaicumbene (near Braidwood, New South Wales) and raised at the small town of Goolgowi in the Riverina district of New South Wales, young Tommy worked with his father driving bullock teams and breaking in horses. When Tommy looked back on his life, he always recalled with regret his lack of formal education.
Smith yearned to be a famous jockey and as a youth won many races for his father at the picnic races. Smith rode as a jockey until he was age 20, but he was never very good. When weight became a problem he took to hurdle racing, but a bad fall and broken hip ended his riding career.
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