Points of interest...
Danica Guy's boutique racing stable has produced a succession of high-quality black type three-year-olds including G1 winner Gaultier, G3 Bonecrusher Stakes winner Lupo Solitario, and G2 Eight Caret Stakes winner Capella and G1 placed Gobi Ranger.
Guy enjoys training sprinters and has a unique record of turning around a few of the less fancied slower ones. G1 Railway winner Instyle came to her as tried 3 year old with little reputation. And after five straight wins the mare landed the G1 feature on New Years Day. Bottom draw $8,000 yearling Tomorrowland arrived around the same time, braking the 1200m record at Te Rapa in 1.08.82, following on with two G3 wins. And now dropped maidan 5 year old Gavelhouse purchase Cleat has won six races and over $140,000 in stakes.
The stable has maintained a strong professional association with Kingmakers Director Leighton Howl for more than 15 years, reflecting a shared commitment to identifying and developing quality thoroughbreds. Together they have raced some smart types including: G1 Gaultier, G3 Lupo Soltario, G3 Tomorrowland, as well as Arraignment, Galaxy Miss and various other black type runners. To add they have pin-hooked various horses to Hong Kong and pulled off a few of the biggest betting plunges in NZ Racing.
Alongside her racing team, the stable has developed a specialised rehabilitation and pre-training facility featuring dedicated rehabilitation boxes and an on-site treadmill. The service provides Kingmakers owners with tailored conditioning, recovery and fitness programmes designed to maximise horse welfare and long-term performance.
About
For more than two decades, Kingmakers’ Matamata horse trainer Danica Guy has demonstrated that success in thoroughbred racing is not determined by stable size. Typically training no more than 12 horses at any one time from her 40-acre property, Guy has built a respected boutique operation that consistently produces results rivaling stables many times larger.
Group One success came through outstanding sprinter Instyle and fellow elite performer Gaultier, while Fast ’N’ Famous progeny Instyle and Tomorrowland further highlighted Guy’s ability to develop top-class racehorses. Her stable has also produced a succession of quality classic three-year-olds, including Group Three winner Lupo Solitario, Capella and Gobi Ranger. To add Danica has also produced three different runners in 3 different additions of the 2 year old Karaka Million feature.
Respected throughout the industry for her horsemanship and attention to detail, Guy has maintained a strong professional association with Kingmakers Director Leighton Howl for more than 15 years, reflecting a shared commitment to identifying and developing quality thoroughbreds.
More recently, Lupo Solitario’s Group Three Easter Handicap victory showcased another strength of Guy’s operation. Returning from Hong Kong after a race fall that affected both his confidence and racing performance, the gelding was carefully rehabilitated and returned to black-type success under Guy’s guidance.
Alongside her racing team, Guy has developed a specialised rehabilitation and pre-training facility featuring dedicated rehabilitation boxes and an on-site treadmill. The service provides owners and trainers with tailored conditioning, recovery and fitness programmes designed to maximise horse welfare and long-term performance outcomes.
This combination of proven training success and rehabilitation expertise places Guy in a unique position within the industry. Danica Guy continues to demonstrate that boutique operations can compete successfully at the highest level of New Zealand racing, combining elite performance with a modern, welfare-focused approach to thoroughbred management.
Accidental’ trainer makes Group 1 success of role
Written by: Paul Vettise
Danica Guy first entered the thoroughbred world more than 20 years ago with an initial intention of it being a fleeting involvement, but subsequent events saw her become fully immersed.
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