Episode 424: Todd Smart

John Tapp Racing

Great to catch up with an ever enthusiastic Todd Smart who’s based at Canberra’s Thoroughbred Park with his fifteen horse team. A welder by trade, Todd graduated from bull riding to thoroughbreds when he sustained a serious shoulder injury. He’s sure it was meant to happen. He talks of early mornings in the bleak Canberra winters.

Todd says he began his training career at Wagga but was talked into a move to Canberra by a fellow trainer.

He talks of his early life in Gundagai and early education on his favourite pony.

Todd pays tribute to the local trainer who taught him the basics of horse management.

He remembers his reluctance to join the family butchering business, and the completion of his welding apprenticeship.

Todd looks back on an unlikely connection with bull riding and his relocation to Canada in quest of big prize money. He doesn’t remember a lot about his major accident.

The trainer talks of his return home for surgery, and a subsequent trip to London with a group of mates. This is where he deployed his welding talents.

Smart hasn’t forgotten the phone call to Randwick trainer John O’Shea which would set him on the path to a life in racing.

He talks of his introduction to riding trackwork, and fondly recalls a couple of special horses on the O’Shea team.

Todd remembers a move to Melbourne and a job with a leading trainer which lasted only four days.

He remembers the chance phone call to a Melbourne based friend who told him of a job opportunity destined to change his life.

Todd regards himself as extremely lucky to have known and worked with the recently retired Colin Little.

You’ll enjoy the Canberra horseman’s reminiscences about his time at the unique Macedon Lodge training operation.

Todd remembers Macedon for another special reason. One night at the Macedon pub he met the remarkable lady who would become his wife and the mother of his son Harry. Todd and Jayann are a great combination.

When it was time to launch his own training career, he was fortunate to acquire boxes at the Wagga racecourse. He knew the going would be tough but was in for a major shock. He was close to quitting before he started.

He pays tribute to the former John O’Shea galloper who got him up and running.

Todd speaks of the history behind the acquisition of his dazzling stable colours.

The dedicated horseman runs through some of the talented horses who’ve helped him along in recent years with special acknowledgement of Love Shuck who recently provided his career highlight at Scone.

Todd speaks of a promising unraced horse he has in the stable currently. Might be one for the punters to watch.

It was nice to catch up with the trainer once described by Colin Little as a “gun horseman”.