By Paul Vettise
Meg Stanley enjoyed a racing trip of a lifetime earlier this year when she attended the Dubai World Cup meeting as part of her prize for winning the Newcomer division of the 2018 Godolphin Stud and Stable Awards.
Her award was open to anyone who had worked in the industry for less than three years and also carried a trophy and $5000, with $5000 to her employer Kathryn Durden to be shared among other employees of her Victorian stable.
“I was over there for five days and it was just incredible,” Stanley said. “We stayed at the Meydan racecourse and went to the races.
“We went to Charlie Appleby’s stables and they also took us to the Burj and a few other cultural events. It was a fantastic experience.”
“We went to Charlie Appleby’s stables and they also took us to the Taj Mahal and a few other cultural events. It was a fantastic experience.” - Meg Stanley
Stanley still works for Durden, although she is on the easy list at the moment.
“I’m a track rider and stablehand and it’s really good fun, but I fell off the other week,” she said. “I’ve got a plate in my humerus , which is a pain and I can’t wait to get back.”
Nominations close next Monday
Nominations for the 2019 Godolphin Awards will close at noon on July 1.
The categories featured are the Leadership Award to an individual staff member in a managerial or supervisory role in a stud or stable who has displayed leadership qualities, the Horsemanship Award for an individual staff member who has shown talent for horsemanship, consistency and reliability in or out of the saddle and the Dedication to Breeding Award for talent in thoroughbred breeding horsemanship, consistency and reliability in a stud role and with five years’ service to the service in the breeding industry.
Also on offer is the Dedication to Racing Award to recognise talent for horsemanship in the racing field, consistency and reliability in racing role with at least five years’ service, the Administration and Ancillary Services Award for open to anyone in an administration role in a stud or racing yard or services ancillary to racing or breeding, the Thoroughbred Care and Welfare Award for demonstrating a commitment to the care and welfare of thoroughbreds not actively racing and the Newcomer Award to an individual who has worked in the industry, in any capacity, for less than 3 years.
Happy staff, happy horses. Do you know someone worthy of a nomination for the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards?
There is also a Thoroughbred Excellence Award with the winner to be selected from all categories except the Thoroughbred Care and Welfare The Newcomer Award.
First held in Australia in 2015, the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards (GSSSA), an initiative of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Racing Australia and sponsored by Godolphin, offer recognition to everyone in every ‘backroom’, every stable, stud or office in the Australian thoroughbred world.
MRC Foundation welcomed
In a recent agreement, the MRC Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Melbourne Racing Club, is to sponsor the Administration and Ancillary Services Award.
The MRC Foundation currently funds the Stable Well Being Program by Link Health and the Track Rider Scholarship operated by Melbourne Polytechnic School.
“These awards have become an integral part of the local and international racing scene and to have an organisation such as the MRC Foundation involved only adds to their significance." - Ross Cole
Godolphin’s Head of Corporate Services, Ross Cole, welcomed the involvement of the MRC Foundation.
“These awards have become an integral part of the local and international racing scene and to have an organisation such as the MRC Foundation involved only adds to their significance,” he said.
