Dominique Lahiff hits new milestone

By Jordan Gerrans

After working under the watchful eye of the late, great Pat Duff for more than two decades, it was a fitting result for Dominique Lahiff to land her maiden victory as a trainer just weeks after her mentor's passing.

Widely known as the gentleman of the racing industry in the Sunshine State, revered conditioner Duff was farewelled at Eagle Farm earlier this month.

On top of being a brilliant trainer and master horseman, Duff was highly regarded for the influence he had on Queensland’s jockey ranks, guiding the careers of some of the sport’s biggest names including legendary jockeys Mick Dittman, Michael Pelling and Jim Byrne.

While Duff guided the big-name hoops, he also worked closely with his trackwork pilots – including Lahiff.

Lahiff worked for Duff’s stable for more than 20 years.

She rode Star of Florida – who won the AJC Challenge Stakes and AJC San Domenico Stakes – in his work throughout his career.

It was a galloper named Hit that handed Lahiff her first winner as a trainer and Duff’s influence was not lost on her on Saturday afternoon not long after the mare landed the prize.

“Pat would keep you grounded and keep you very level,” Lahiff said.

“He was just there for you. He was very encouraging, Pat, and he never had a bad word to say about anyone. I think he enjoyed his life, Pat, and that’s the main thing.

“He touched a lot of people, Pat.

“I did think after the races on Saturday that it was ironic that Pat had just passed away and I trained my first winner, because we have had such a long association.”

Ridden by Dale Smith, Hit won on the grass at the Gold Coast in a Ratings Band 0 - 58 Handicap over 1000 metres.

Lahiff first started a galloper in a race in her own name back in April of this year.

Hit was just the 12^th runner the Deagon-based trainer had taken to the races under her stable banner.

Lahiff is also a part-owner of the mare, who now has two victories to her name from nine career attempts.

“I thought she would win the race because from her recent trial, there has been good form from it and they ran good time,” she said.

“The horse of Tony Gollan’s that won the trial ran second at Doomben since the trial.

“She won first-up at Gatton earlier this year, so she goes good first-up.”

The four-year-old bay mare was only having her second start for the barn after previously being conditioned by John Phelan, who also trains at Deagon.

Phelan has not started a runner since June of this year and has taken a step back from the caper, which has led to Lahiff taking out her own licence after being around the sport for much of her life.

“I just thought the time is right and I just had to do it,” she said.

“At some point you just have to do it.

“I have been thinking about it for a while and I have been working for John Phelan for some time – we are very good friends – and John didn’t really want to train anymore so I decided to do it myself.”

Lahiff grew up around the standardbreds, driving in races as a teenager at tracks such as Redcliffe and Albion Park in the late 1980s, before switching her attention to the gallopers.

The 49-year-old has ridden work at Deagon for around 30 years and she jokes that there is not many trainers who have passed through the facility over those years that she would not have ridden for.

As well as the late great Duff and Phelan, Lahiff has also worked closely with conditioners such as Darren Bell, Ray Dart, Sharryn Livingstone and Karyn Brewster, among others, in recent times.

Lahiff is regarded as one of the hardest working riders at the northern Brisbane facility.

She regularly punches out double digit gallopers every morning at Deagon.

“I enjoy it and I love doing it,” she said of riding work.

“There would not be many trainers who have been at Deagon over the last 30 years that I wouldn’t have ridden for.”

Hobby trainer Brewster was quick to praise Lahiff’s skills and determination when Gus The Bus got the money at the Gold Coast in late April of this year.

“She is a super track rider and she should take a big bow for Gus,” Brewster of Lahiff.

“He needed so much education and she is a horsewoman. I am so grateful for her to do his work.”

After riding work for decades for numerous people, Lahiff says she has aimed to take little pieces of knowledge from all the trainers she has worked for and implement it into her own growing stable.

“It is good to ride work for a lot of different people because you get lots of different ideas,” she said.

“Pat always said that you can learn something from everyone.

“I think that is a good thing because if you are willing to listen – you can learn something from everyone, no matter what you did and regardless if you think it’s right or wrong.”

Lahiff has a Ratings Band 0 – 58 Handicap over 1100 metres at Ipswich picked out for Hit later this month for her next assignment.

Lahiff prepares a team of four gallopers, who are all mares.

She has Dare I Say accepted to race at Ipswich Turf Club on Wednesday in the Maiden Handicap over 1350 metres.