About Stephen O'Halloran Racing
Starting Out
My path into the Racing industry started in 1995. Initially, my sights were set on becoming a professional Jockey through the world-renowned Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) situated on the edge of the Curragh plains in Co. Kildare, Ireland.
This trainee Jockey programme offered world-class training facilities and an environment dedicated to refining the art of good horsemanship whilst also nurturing personal development and solid foundations for a successful future in the Racing Industry.
As is the case with many aspiring Jockeys, my natural weight crept up. I decided that a career as a Professional Jockey wasn’t going to be suited for me. I would have to forge a different path to continue my passion for racing.
In 2003 I set off to Australia, where I had the opportunity to work for Gai Waterhouse Racing. As a trackwork rider for Gai, I found myself riding some of Australia’s best racehorses.
It was an extensive Honour Roll that included horses such as Grand Armee, Triple Crown winner Dance Hero, Northern Meteor, Sebring, Theseo, Desert War, Vancouver, Overreach and Manhattan Rain.
The number of Golden Slipper and Group 1 winners I had the pleasure of riding out in trackwork every day and being heavily involved with was like a dream come true.
A couple of my standouts were More Joyous and Pierro. I rode More Joyous in all of her day-to-day work, and every gallop I did on her, she did so effortlessly. Pierro just knew how to turn it on for race day. He understood trackwork was just practice, and when we got to the races, he’d walk around the parade ring like he owned the place. He knew it was Game Day!
For the 17 years I worked for Gai, I had the opportunity to travel to the major carnivals around Australia as a senior foreman. This gave me a lot of exposure and allowed me to experience the top-class Racing that Australia offers.
I also had the privilege to travel to Royal Ascot in 2015 with Wandjina, who finished sixth in the Diamond Jubilee Sprint. Those years working with Gai were full of fantastic experiences.
Beginning Training
In 2020 I had the opportunity to fulfil my dream of becoming a Trainer in my own right.
Paul Fudge of Waratah Thoroughbreds approached me to be his private trainer at his World Class property Bong Bong Farm in the Southern Highlands. It was an opportunity I couldn’t dismiss. In my first twelve months of training at Bong Bong I saddled up ten winners, including my first city win with Prince of Arragon.
After getting my first taste of training, the next step was to go out on my own and have a business that I could call mine. So in 2021, I moved to Hawkesbury, and Stephen O’Halloran Racing was born. I could not be happier with our progress in these first 12 months.
I look forward to a successful future with quality horses and quality people.
Highlights
In 17 years of working for Gai Waterhouse and then with Gai and Adrian Bott, Stephen played a vital role in the careers of each of Tulloch Lodge's Golden Slipper winners. Horses such as Pierro and Vancouver.
Stephen also played a big part with horses such as champion mare More Joyous, English, war horses Desert War and Theseo, Northern Meteor & 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente.
Stephen left Tulloch Lodge to pursue a training career in his own right. He took the opportunity to be the private trainer for Paul Fudge's Waratah Thoroughbreds.
The first winner came within five months of training with Riot Act saluting at Nowra.
To prove that this was no fluke, Riot Act then went on to win again two weeks later at Goulburn. This kicked off a string of winners for Stephen, who enjoyed ten more winners for Waratah Thoroughbreds in a short space of time.
Another highlight came with his first city winner, Prince of Arragon, who won at Warwick Farm. Some other memorable winners in the Waratah silks are Lost Impact, Stellar Performer and Himiko.
In May 2021, Stephen moved to Hawkesbury Race Club to set up his own business. But, again, it didn't take long for the wins to start coming. Martini Crusader was Stephen O'Halloran Racing's first winner when victorious at Newcastle. Wins by Superago and Oceans One soon followed.
