BRISBANE'S TOP 10 TRAINERS. A 2023/24 - 2024/25 SEASON TO SEASON COMPARISON

By Graham Potter | Friday, August 1, 2025

A detailed look at the movement of trainer’s positions in the top ten places on the Brisbane metropolitan trainer’s ladder between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 racing seasons indicates that, for the most part, the more things change the more they stay the same.

The short version is … an untouchable leader, a one place switch around in the second and third place finishers and no less than five stables holding the same position they did on the ladder last year means there has been little change in the core results but, digging down further, the number of winners and starters of these Top 10 trainers make interesting reading in terms of how these stable are travelling.

Who has had the biggest increase in the number of starters? Who has had the biggest decrease in the number of starters? Who has been the biggest mover up the ladder? Who has been most consistent numbers-wise? Who improved their stats in terms of prize-money won?

Read on.

First place

TONY GOLLAN

He placed first in both seasons … in fact he was a runaway winner on both occasions and has now landed twelve successive Brisbane Trainer’s Premiership titles. He is basically untouchable up front and continues to hold the bar at a very high level. Landed 147 wins last season … 134 this season during which time he sent out 853 starter starters compared to the 826 of the previous season.

Second place:

ROBERT HEATHCOTE

Up one place from third the previous season … 45 wins up to 50 wins. Had more runners this season compared to the previous season… 426 to 391. Has finished in the top three in each of the last three seasons.

Third place:

CHRIS WALLER

Swopped places with Heathcote. Finished second last season with 64 winners … down to 40 wins this time around. That 37.5 percent drop in winners was the highest decrease in winners in the Top 10. He was the only trainer in the Top 3 to have had less runners this season compared to last season ...445 down from 466. For all of that, he still managed to improve the amount of prize-money won by ten percent.

Fourth place:

KELLY SCHWEIDA

Hold his ground in fourth place … same finishing position as the previous season in spite of having less starters this season … 257 as opposed to 291. Marginally down in number of wins from 40.5 to 36.

Fifth place:

CHRIS AND COREY MUNCE:

Officially a new entry into the top ten because of formation of the family training partnership. Essentially though, the stable did hold its position in fifth place with Chris Munce (then training solo) claiming the same finishing position last season. 35 winners this season just shades last season’s 34 winners. More starters this time as well …309 to 268.

Sixth place:

DAVID VANDYKE

The big mover on the ladder coming in from thirteenth place last season into sixth place here and being just one win short of double the amount of winners he had last season … up to 35 winners from18 winners. Increased his number of starters this season from 155 to 203.

Seventh place:

MATTHEW DUNN

Slips one spot from sixth to seventh place and comes up two winners shy of last season … 31 compared to 33. Has the largest increased runner percentage from one season to the next of any trainer in the Top 10. (23.87 percent, only marginally more than David Vandyke’s 23.64 percent).

Eighth place:

STUART KENDRICK

The most consistent showing of any trainer in the Top 10. Eighth place last season. Eight place this season. 280 starters last season. 285 starters this season. 30.5 winners last season. 30 winners this season.

Ninth place:

MATTHEW HOYSTED

Yet another stable that basically held the same place as the previous season with the difference being that Matt Hoysted was now training in his own right after previously being in partnership with Steven O’Dea. There was a decrease in numbers this season … 197 starters down from 240.and a marginal drop in winners … 29 to 26. That 17.91 decrease in starters was the most of any trainer in the Top 10.

Tenth place

ANNABEL AND ROB ARCHIBALD

Just to confuse things this stable has two listings in the official trainer’s ladder with the subtle change of stable identity mid-season from Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald to Annabel and Rob Archibald, but in essence the same stable yard. The two listings for 2024/25 have Annabel and Rob Archibald in tenth place and Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald in seventeenth place. Those statistics combined give them 34 winners from 266 starters as opposed to the 31 winners from 200 starters that Neasham had the previous season. Last season Annabel Neasham finished in seventh place on the ladder. If working in that 34 winner mark, that would place them … guess where … in seventh spot.

*KRIS LEES was the only trainer to drop out of the top ten in the seasons under review. He finished in eleventh place.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

For all of the above, racing is a game where you can have less winners than before, and less runners, and still do better than you did previously because a viable stable’s bottom line is all about the amount of prize-money earned.

Five stables in the Brisbane Top 10 advanced their cause in that regard on the Metropolitan stage. That stakes ladder, listed in percentage gain is:

MUNCE STABLE … up to $4 706 540 from $2 525 110 (46,35 percent)

DAVID VANDYKE … up to $1 979 740 from $1 173 995 (40.69 percent)

KELLY SCHWEIDA … up fo $3 320 358 from $2 349 050 (29.25 percent)

TONY GOLLAN … up to $11 945 743 from $9 378 946 (21,48 percent)

CHRIS WALLER … up to $5 143 603 from $4 624 856 (10.08 percent)

Statistics, they say, don’t lie.

Another train of thought says statistics mean nothing.

Take your choice.

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