Thomas John Smith, widely known as Tommy or T.J., was a towering figure in Australian horse racing, leaving an indelible mark as both a renowned owner and a highly successful trainer. Born on September 3, 1916, in Jembaicumbene, New South Wales, Smith’s early life was characterized by poverty and limited formal education. His father’s varied occupations as a laborer, carter, tank sinker, and butcher meant young Tommy often had to assist, foregoing schooling. The family’s humble dwelling lacked basic amenities, highlighting the financial struggles they endured. It was during visits to local race meetings that Smith developed a passion for horse racing, a passion that would define his life. At the tender age of thirteen, he began his journey in the racing world as an apprentice to trainer Bill McLaughlin in Mordialloc, Melbourne. This period was marked by hardship, with meager resources and few horses to ride.
Smith’s early career in racing was a testament to his resilience. After a brief apprenticeship in Mildura, he moved to Sydney and was indentured to R. W. ‘Son’ Mackinnon. Facing underpayment and malnourishment, he found employment with Newmarket owner-trainer Mac Sawyer, serving as both an apprentice jockey and stablehand. Despite his efforts on the flat and over hurdles, Smith lacked the natural talent for riding and never achieved a city win. A turning point came in 1938 when a fall during a hurdle trial resulted in a broken right thigh. This injury prompted a significant career redirection, steering him towards training. His connection with the Sawyer family proved instrumental. Mac Sawyer’s father, Matt, a prominent grazier and horse owner, recommended Smith take over the Sawyer stables in Cootamundra. Here, Smith began to cultivate a reputation for training winning horses. Following Matt Sawyer’s death in early 1941, Smith returned to Sydney, bringing with him a horse gifted by the family, a reward for his service, which he would later inaccurately claim to have purchased.
The horse, named Bragger, was initially unmanageable. Despite being granted an owner-trainer license in 1941, it took Smith until the following year to prepare Bragger for racing. After a slow start, the horse began a winning streak, providing Smith with his initial income through prize money and successful stable betting plunges. However, an injury to Bragger in late 1942 led to a prolonged spell, forcing Smith to reassess his spending habits. This period of quietude curbed his penchant for expensive clothes, fine dining, heavy drinking, and compulsive gambling, instilling in him a lifelong lesson in financial prudence, even amidst future prosperity.
Bragger returned to the track in 1943, by which time Smith had established himself as a discerning judge of horseflesh and a trainer capable of extracting peak performance. Wealthy owners, including E. R. Williams, commissioned him to acquire yearlings. To train for clients beyond himself, Smith secured a Number 2 Training Licence from the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) in 1942 and a coveted Number 1 Licence in 1943. Despite his growing success and reputation, his stable remained modest, housing only thirteen horses during the 1952–53 racing season. Remarkably, this small stable achieved the highest success rate in Sydney that year, marking the beginning of an unprecedented streak of thirty-three consecutive premierships.
A significant development in Smith’s postwar career was his marriage to Valerie Lilian Finlayson on November 4, 1951. While both were Catholic, their personalities differed significantly: she was reserved, while he was gregarious and street-smart. Valerie’s influence was profound; she refined his manners, softened his gruff exterior, and became his staunch defender against critics of his training methods or those who underestimated his contributions to racing. This partnership provided a crucial foundation for his sustained success.
Smith’s training record remains unparalleled in Australian racing history. His stable amassed over seven thousand winners, including an astonishing 246 Group 1 victories. Among these triumphs were two Melbourne Cups, four Caulfield Cups, seven W. S. Cox Plates, six Golden Slippers, and thirty-five Derbies. A particularly cherished victory for Smith was the 1949 AJC Derby, won by the maiden performer Playboy (a nickname he also adopted), at long odds, which he considered his greatest personal pleasure in racing. The talented three-year-old Tulloch achieved two major Group 1 wins in 1957 before a bout of colon-scouring sidelined him. Under Smith’s expert guidance and the care of stable veterinarian Percy Sykes, Tulloch made a triumphant return in 1960, securing fifteen victories and showcasing Smith’s exceptional ability to revive and train champions. Kingston Town, initially unwanted at the yearling sales, flourished under Smith’s care, winning fourteen Group 1 races, including three consecutive W. S. Cox Plates. Bounding Away, a horse bred, owned, and trained by Smith, achieved six Group 1 victories, including a Golden Slipper, and was considered by Smith to be the finest mare or filly he had ever trained.
Smith’s remarkable success was built on his keen eye for selecting quality thoroughbreds and his innovative training and racing strategies. His horses received nutritional supplements, particularly protein, and were subjected to more rigorous training regimes and shorter spells compared to their competitors. He advocated for riding horses on the pace, a tactic enabled by their exceptional fitness levels. While Smith was never convicted of malpractice, his stables were not without controversy. Horses under his care were occasionally found to have been doped, with the cases of Sunshine Express (1950) and Tarien (1953) drawing significant public attention. In both instances, however, racing authorities attributed blame to others rather than Smith himself. Known for his confrontational demeanor, Smith often engaged in heated public disputes, notably with his stable jockey George Moore. Although his stables were associated with betting plunges, Smith eventually ceased gambling, relying primarily on prize money. This financial success was not always equitably distributed. In 1960, he was ordered to improve living conditions for his staff at the Kensington stables, and in 1981, his Rosehill stable was penalized for underpaying stablehands.
Recognized for his immense impact on racing and society, Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1982 and a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1987. Illness eventually led to his retirement in 1994, with his daughter Gai taking over the reins of the stables. Smith passed away on September 2, 1998, in Darlinghurst, survived by his wife and daughter. His funeral service was held at St. Mary’s Cathedral, after which he was cremated. At the time of his death, he left behind a substantial real estate portfolio, including commercial and residential properties. The public perception of Smith evolved from a braggart and playboy to a respected family man and the preeminent figure in Australian horse-racing during the latter half of the 20th century. His legacy was further cemented with his induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Australian Racing Museum Hall of Fame in 2001. In 1999, the Endeavour Stakes was renamed the T. J. Smith Stakes in his honor.
References
- Ballantyne, Derek. ‘T.J.’ Walkabout 36, no. 11 (November 1970): 28–31
- Ellicott, John. Waterhouse and Smith: The Rise to Power of Two Racing Dynasties. Richmond, Vic.: Hardie Grant Books, 2014
- Ibbett, Ian. ‘1949—The Playboy and the Maiden!’ Kings of the Turf: A History of the AJC Derby from 1861 to 1983. 14 April 2018. Accessed 17 March 2022. https://www.kingsoftheturf.com/1949-the-playboy-and-the-maiden. Copy held on ADB file
- Lillye, Bert. ‘“I Would Run 10 Miles to Make a Shilling.”’ Sydney Morning Herald, 26 August 1981, 49
- Lillye, Bert. ‘Off to Melbourne on a Calf’s Back.’ Sydney Morning Herald, 25 August 1981, 31
- Lillye, Bert. ‘The Boy From Jembaicumbene.’ Sydney Morning Herald, 24 August 1981, 24
- Painter, Martin, and Richard Waterhouse. The Principal Club: A History of the Australian Jockey Club. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1992
- Perkins, Kevin. TJ: The Midas Man. Sydney: Pan Macmillan, 1993
- Stephens, Tony. ‘The Woman Behind a Racing Dynasty.’ Sydney Morning Herald, 13 December 2008, 48
Citation: Richard Waterhouse, ‘Smith, Thomas John (Tommy) (1916–1998)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/smith-thomas-john-tommy-32722/text40674, published online 2024, accessed online 11 February 2026.
