Thomas John Smith AM MBE, born in Jembaicumbene, New South Wales, was a hardworking child who helped his father tame horses from an early age. Although he lacked a formal education, he became one of Australia’s most in-demand coaches.
As a child, Tommy liked to ride horses for his father at picnic races. 1955 was the beginning of Tommy Smith’s 33 successive coaching premierships in Sydney. Yet Tommy longed to become a jockey, a desire that led him to Melbourne and then Sydney. During this time, he also worked at Wagga for Mark Sawyer, a country nobleman. A bad fall while overcoming hurdles caused him a hip fracture, which marked 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 that he himself acquired and also owned. His hard work continued as he rented two horse stalls in Kensington, living in one and housing Bragger in the other. Bragger proved to be much more than a “brag”, winning 13 races, including the Tramway Stakes at the group level. His success established Smith’s reputation as a coach, a success that he flaunted in flashy suits, rented cars, and drinking. Yet it was Bragger who came to the rescue once again, who, up to the age of ten, continued his winning streak. Unfortunately, Bragger eventually died in a floating fire.
Playboy picked up where Bragger left off, winning the 1949 AJC Derby, which was Smith’s first Group 1 winner, and also the first of 35 winners of the derby Smith coached. Playboy at 100/1 brought his horse trainer a significant sum of money. A major controversy for 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 first 33 successive training spots in Sydney began in 1953. Success continued with Australia’s richest race, the Melbourne Cup, reaching where Toparoa in 1955 defeated Rising Fast. His next Melbourne Cup would come from Just a Dash in 1981. The other upper-class horses to emerge from Smith’s stable in the 1950s were Redcraze and the invincible Tulloch, whose main victories included the Caulfield Cup in 1957 and the Cox Plate in 1960. The secret to Smith’s success was obviously the fitness of his horses through what he called the “bone and muscle method.” Constant work and prolonged training methods, combined with a high-protein diet, were part of his stable routine.
Aside from a steady streak 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. Not to mention 35 derby victories across the continent. During his exemplary career, Smith had 279 Group 1 winners to his credit. The champion coach made his mark on all the tracks in Australia, leaving his legacy to his daughter Gai Waterhouse. The TJ Smith Stakes, although his records will undoubtedly last for a long time, this annual race at Randwick Racecourse is held in his memory.
