Born in Jembaicumbene, New South Wales, Thomas John Smith AM MBE was a working boy who helped his father break horses from an early age. Although he lacked a formal education, he became one of Australia’s most sought after coaches.
As a child, Tommy liked to ride horses for his father at picnic races. 1955 was the start of Tommy Smith’s first 33 consecutive coaching charges in Sydney. However, Tommy yearned to become a jockey, a desire that took him to Melbourne and then to Sydney. During this time, he also worked at Wagga for Mark Sawyer, a country nobleman. A bad fall during a steeplechase resulted in a broken hip, marking the end of his career as a jockey.
With his dream of becoming the best short-lived jockey, Smith acquired a trainer’s license in 1941, which brought him almost instant success with Bragger, a horse he broke in and also owned. His hard work continued as he rented two horse boxes in Kensington, living in one and putting up Bragger in the other. Bragger proved to be much more than a ‘show off’, winning 13 races, including the Tramway Stakes at group level. His success established Smith’s reputation as a trainer, a success he flaunted with flashy suits, rental cars and drinking. However, it was Bragger who came to the rescue once again, who, until the age of ten, continued his winning streak. Unfortunately, Bragger ultimately died in a floating fire.
Playboy continued from where Bragger left off, winning the 1949 AJC Derby, which was Smith’s first Group 1 winner, and also the first of 35 derby winners Smith coached. Playboy at 100/1, he brought his horse trainer a substantial sum of money. A major controversy over Tommy Smith in December 1950 led to a 5-year suspension which was later upheld by the AJC. Smith got away with a reprimand and had his license reinstated in January 1951.
Smith’s 33 consecutive first training places in Sydney began in 1953. Success continued with Australia’s richest race, the Melbourne Cup, coming his way where Toparoa in 1955 defeated Rising Fast. His next Melbourne Cup would come from Just a Dash in 1981. The other high-class horses to emerge from Smith’s stable in the 1950s were Redcraze and the invincible Tulloch, whose major wins included the Caulfield Cup in 1957 and Cox Plate in 1960. The secret to Smith’s success was obviously the fitness of his horses through what he called the “bones and muscles method.” Constant work and prolonged training methods combined with a high-protein diet were a very important part of his stable routine.
In addition to a consistent run of 33 consecutive premierships, Smith’s next coaching premiership came in the 1987–88 season. His long list of trophies included a record 16 Chelmsford Stakes, 7 Cox Plates and 6 Golden Slippers. Without forgetting, he won 35 derbies throughout the continent. During his exemplary career, Smith had 279 Group 1 winners under his belt. The champion trainer left his mark on all the tracks in Australia, leaving his legacy to his daughter Gai Waterhouse. The TJ Smith Stakes, while his records will no doubt last a long time, this race held annually at Randwick Racecourse is held in his memory.
