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Ned Taylor and Aaron Bain will have their first official runners in partnership at next Wednesday’s opening meeting of the 2023-24 racing season on their home track at Gawler.
Taylor, who has been Bain's right hand man since the dual code horseman branched out into thoroughbred racing 2021, is the latest former Ciaron Maher and David Eustace employee to enter the training ranks.
"I had just under seven years with Ciaron, started as a very green kid who knew nothing about horses really,'' Taylor said.
"When I got there we had 20 horses in work and watched it grow to 1000 on his books and 300 in work across many sites.
"It was a lot of work but was a really good grounding, I got to meet a lot of great people and a great insight into what it takes to be the best,'' he said.
He will be hoping he to can forge a name like multiple Group 1 winning trainer Annabel Neasham, Jack Bruce in Queensland and Lucy Yeomans who will start the next chapter of her training career in partnership with former SA horseman Lloyd Kennewell in Victoria this season.
"Aaron's got big goals, big ambitions and hopefully we can see that come to fruition,'' Taylor said.
Bain said bringing in someone with Taylor's resume which is matched by the desire to make it to the top was critical they make their mark in SA racing.
"Ned day to day looks after the operation, we bounce off each other and he's got a great eye for horses,'' Bain said.
"You're long chasing the dream, it's Group 1 success and we aspire to be at the level, and we'll keep improving out stock until we've bought that success to our owners,'' he said.
Bain and Taylor won't be the only new names in the race book in SA next season with Dion Koch and wife Raygan to also be training in partnership in what is an exciting time for their Strathalbyn stable.
It's familiar territory for Raygan who rode 96 winners and was Dux of the SA Apprentice Academy in 1998 during her riding career and has enjoyed success as a trainer previously.
"She rode close to 100 winners and has been in the game a long time,'' Koch said.
"It gives everyone the recognition, we're a small team but it's nice to have her name alongside me as everyone involved in our team knows how much work she put in.
"She had a licence and a winner or two in her own name a few years ago,'' he said.
Koch said it was an exciting time for the family with the recent purchase of a new property they'll take over later in the year.
"It's a beautiful place, it will give us the ability to train our team here and it also has a lot of room for agistment which is nice,'' Koch said.
"We'll also be able to maintain our pre-training that we do for David Jolly as well as the 12 or 14 horses of our own we have here,'' he said.
And leading Port Augusta trainer Kylie Mckerlie will have another name alongside her in the form guide next season set to join forces with Waylon Hornhardt.
McKerlie currently sits third on the South Australia Country Trainer Premiership in season 2022-23.
