2025 Finalists

Allyssa Mitchell (Blake Ryan)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: Lady Extreme, Just Awesome.

Alyssa Mitchell has worked for the Blake Ryan stable for four years now and has been his number one staff member since the day she arrived.

She goes well above and beyond.  She’s the first one to arrive, long before anyone else. And she’s the last one to leave. She’s always the one to fill in when staff are sick, to stay back for the vet, and to co-ordinate the horses’ comings and goings.

Her dedication and attention to detail is second to no one Blake has ever seen during his lifetime in the industry. She highly regards the animals’ welfare and wellbeing each day.  This allows Blake to commit to other avenues of the business such as sales and breeze ups, knowing the stable will be in excellent hands.

As well as running the barn, she takes quite a lot of our horses to the races, including Kote, Lady Extreme and Just Awesome as well as many of our winning horses over the last 12 to 18 months.

Alyssa deserves this nomination as strapper of the year due to her many, many tireless years in the industry. She loves racing, she loves the horses, and she’s an asset to not only to this stable, but to any stable.

Brad Williams (Nathan Doyle)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: Private Harry, Dalaalaat, Wooloowin

Although only employed by Doyle Racing for twelve months, Bradley Williams has made a massive impact on the stable.

Employed as a foreman, Bradley is responsible for the co-ordinating of saddling and general running of track work of a stable of forty-two horses.

His knowledge of horses is second to none, and coming from an equestrian background his attention to detail is faultless.

Bradley is extremely driven and will not hesitate to assist another staff member should it be required.

As the regular strapper of Private Harry, Bradley has the massive responsibility of looking after the stables “leading light”. Above all, Bradley is a friendly, much-loved member of staff who leads by example.

Jeison Gamba (John Thompson)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: Gold Pattern, Welcome Gypsy, Impunity, Welcome Red Sun, Jacob’s Ladder, Pure Hydrogen, Deceive.

Jeison has been a valued member of the John Thompson Racing team for the past 2.5 years.

 Originally from Colombia, Jeison has embraced life in Sydney while pursuing his studies, all the while bringing his deep passion and talent for horse care to our stable.

Jeison is a highly skilled horseman whose natural ability, calm demeanour, and work ethic set him apart. Whether he is working with young, nervous, or high-spirited horses, Jeison handles every situation with professionalism and confidence. His dedication to the horses’ wellbeing, both at the races and back at the stables, is nothing short of exceptional.

Beyond his technical skill, Jeison is a team player whose positive attitude and reliability make him a cornerstone of our operation. His contribution to John Thompson Racing goes far beyond daily responsibilities—he embodies the spirit, dedication, and care that this award seeks to celebrate.

We can think of no one more deserving of the title Sydney Strapper of the Year than Jeison. He is an outstanding representative of what it means to be a strapper in the racing industry, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him as part of our team.

Lauren Smyth (Peter Snowden)

Horses attended in Sydney this season: Huetor, King of Roseau, .King of Sparta, Beadman, Redzel, Coco Jamboo, Memo.

Lauren Smyth came to Australia from the UK in October 2018 on a working holiday visa.

There was no doubt that we wanted Lauren to stay so we sponsored her.  In all my years of working, I have not found a more dedicated horse woman.  Lauren looks after Huetor, who has been very badly injured twice in his racing career.  He has had so much bad luck but is a treat to train.  His injuries were such that Lauren had to administer treatment every 3 hours day and night for 3 weeks.

Last year in the Caulfield Cup, Huetor was badly injured and Lauren’s nursing for 6 months of box rest has him back in work now and all healed.  She was overwhelmed when Huetor won two Doomben Cups.

Lauren travels our horses to Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast during the carnivals, and we know that she will take the utmost care and attention of them always.

Lauren is an absolute gem.  She is a valued member of staff, and she turns her horses out for raceday impeccably.  In my training career, we have had two winners of the stablehand award (Michael Dooley and Lindy Wharekura) and Lauren is certainly deserving of this award. It would be an award for her hard work and dedication recognised by the industry.

Leonard Todd (Ciaron Maher)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: I Am Me, St Lawrence, Railway Man, Cheval Savant

There will no doubt be a small hole in Lenny’s heart after the retirement of sprinting mare,   I Am Me, earlier this year. He started strapping her in 2022 when she ran at Scone and since then, strapped her in every one of her NSW starts. She was a mare who continued to improve as she matured, and there’s no doubt Lenny’s care and dedication played a part in her success.

Often, long after the rest of the stable had clocked off, you’d find Lenny giving her an extra massage with the massage gun or carefully grooming her to make sure she always looked immaculate — and she did!

Although I Am Me gave him that sparkle in his eye, Lenny is so much more than a one-horse man. Reliable and trustworthy, he’s often sent on “one-man” missions, taking care of the driving, strapping and saddling when we have sole runners around NSW. He’s the man we turn to when we need a senior hand at a trial or on raceday to get the job done, no fuss. This often means he is at a provincial or country meets on weekends, representing the team.

He takes pride in every CMR-trained horse and is the definition of a brilliant team player. No job is too big or too small — and we’re incredibly lucky to have had him in the stable for so many years.

Madeline Shalders (Joe Pride)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: In Flight, Sounds Of Heaven, Aberlour, Headley Grange, The Replicant.

Maddi joined our stable nine months ago with strong industry experience, and in that short time she has become an integral part of our team.  From day one, she’s taken everything in her stride without hesitation – whether it’s travelling horses interstate, floating them to trials, or taking them to the races, she approached every task with confidence, care, and a can-do attitude.

She is a calm and capable horse handler who builds genuine connections with the horses in her care.  Her attention to detail is second to none, and she takes real pride in making sure her horses are beautifully presented.  She treats every horse as an individual, and it shows in the way they respond to her.

Her work ethic is exceptional, and she brings reliability and quiet leadership to the team.  She’s the kind of person you want beside you on a busy day – dependable, and always ready to lend a hand.

We feel very lucky to have her as part of the stable and are proud to nominate her for this award.

Melwin Mandy (Richard & Will Freedman)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: Rolling Magic, Pocketing, Piraeus, Coastwatch.

Melwin Mandy was as green as grass when he started, he hassled me (Will) for an opportunity to work with horses, even though he hadn’t before. He began trying to observe, and spent many months, doing jobs that are tedious and distanced from handling horses.

Building confidence, he graduated to be one of the main horse handlers, showing great love and care for the horses, and developed a keen eye for detail. He always asked to work more and more hours, to understand more about the industry and be a vital part of the team. Through that desire to observe, he noticed how important all jobs are for the care of the horse. This is what makes Melwin so fantastic. Throughout a 2 year process, he crafted his horsemanship skills and became a leader in the barn.

He now runs his own barn, and has developed the full respect of his peers, through his tireless work ethic, that sees him work almost every afternoon and almost every weekend. And the fact that there is no job too little, or unimportant for him to do, raises morale and sets an unbelievably high standard for the whole stable. Even though, he could spend his time supervising staff, you’ll most likely see him with a pitchfork and bin, digging out boxes or scrubbing waters. Anything asked, consider it done. 

Like all strappers, it’s not always the one that leads the horse into the mounting yard that should get the credit. This nomination is a representation that all jobs are important to success, and our (Richard & Will’s) stable’s success this year is a testament to Melwin and who he represents. You could not find a more deserving winner, if it happens to go his way. He represents the true essence of what a strapper should and can be. This industry is built off the people like Melwin.

Michaela Shirvington (Tash Burleigh)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: Poker Jack, Iron Will, Mosgold, To The Nines.

It has been a pleasure having Michaela work for our stable.  She started with us some 6 years ago and has grown so much as a person. 

She had never worked in a racing stable. A true horse lover, owning her own horsesand it reflects onto the horses and makes the wheels turn..  She took to working woth racehorses like she had done it before.  Her passion and love for the horses is so valuable.

She turns up early for work every day.  She never complains, is always happy, and it reflects onto the horses and makes the wheels turn. We are truly lucky to have Michaela as a part of our small team.

She is caring towards the horses – giving them extra scratches and treats – and helps new staff to find their feet.

Michaela is always polite and always makes sure everything is in shape before she leaves at the end of every shift.

Robert Smith (Wayne Carroll)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season: Salute Again.

Robert Smith is our backstop.  He can run the stables in my absence

With over 30 years’ experience, Rob does it all.

This includes doing all the horses feeds both morning and night, cleaning the horse stalls with a through wash of the stables once a week, tacking on a horse’s shoe, education of our staff and horses, ordering feed & hay and unloading it into the shed.

He is always first to offer to help and is always willing to be there when you need him. He is a phenomenal teacher of apprentices.

Racing is his life.

He loves the horses, he loves the industry, and he loves the people in it.

Wendy Li (Chris Waller)

Horses strapped in Sydney this season:  Existential Bob, Atishu, Maybe Moet, Bright Red, Make Mine Moet, She’s Got Veuve.

Wendy Li is the heart and soul of our stable and the definition of dedication. She’s one of the first to arrive in the morning and often the last to leave, always giving more than what’s asked—because that’s just who she is. Wendy joined the stable in 2022 with no horse experience whatsoever, not ever handling a horse before and she is not entrusted taking Group 1 horses to the races such as Atishu. Whether it’s a city Saturday or a quiet provincial midweek, Wendy is there strapping horses with pride, even on her days off and whether or not the horses are her own to look after. She is always impeccably presented in her uniform, with her hair neat and tidy. She takes great pride in how she represents the team.

Her positivity is infectious—she’s always smiling, full of energy, and lifts the spirits of everyone around her. Wendy routinely goes out of her way, often returning to work late in the evening to load horses travelling interstate, without a second thought. She steps up without hesitation when our Warwick Farm stable is short-staffed, even with little notice and travels there from her home base of Rosehill. Wendy will help wherever needed without hesitation.

Wendy doesn’t just do her job—she lives it. Her tireless work ethic, can-do attitude, and genuine love for the horses and the team make her an absolute standout. She is more than deserving of the title Strapper of the Year.