Racing: Whangarei's Michelle Bradley to join Gibbs stable

Michelle Bradley, pictured with jockeys, from left: Sam Weatherley, Cameron Lammas and Troy Harris, will join Chris Gibbs in a training partnership in the 2018/19 season. Photo / Trish Dunell

Ruakaka trainer Chris Gibbs will have a new training partner come the new racing season when he is joined by Logan Racing Stables' long-time office manager Michelle Bradley.

Employed at the stable for more than 10 years, Bradley said she is humbled by the opportunity to join Gibbs in a training partnership.

"Chris and Donna have been talking about it for a little bit now, obviously with Donna going up to Singapore," she said. "It's a privilege to have been asked.

"I have been here for 11 years now. I left school and worked for Kim Clotworthy for four years, then I went to Japan for a couple of months and from there I went to Matamata to work for Paul Jenkins for 10 years."

Bradley spent some time in England working for Lady Tavistock at Bloomsbury Stud, before returning to work for Jenkins where she first met Logan.

"When I returned to Paul's I was lucky enough to go over to Australia with King Keitel for the Doomben Cup," Bradley said.

"I met Donna over there when she was campaigning some horses.

"I finished working with Paul, and Chris was up here and working with Donna at the time. She rang me one day out of the blue when I was working in Pukekohe. It was just going to be for an office job.

"I came up and I liked it and I started riding track work and it has just gone from there. I have managed the office and ride track work, but I'm not riding much track work at the moment."

While working for Logan Racing Stables, Bradley took out her trainer's licence and has recorded five wins from 44 starts in eight seasons of training. Having trained a small team, Bradley is excited to take on the challenge of the much bigger barn of Logan Racing Stables.

"In the time I have been up here I got my licence and have trained a couple of winners, which is always a great thrill," she said. "But coming into a big stable like this, Donna, Dean [the late Dean Logan] and Chris had a lot of success and it's pretty exciting."

Bradley said it will be a challenge to juggle training duties with raising her young child Cooper with husband Aaron, but is fortunate to have the support of family and friends.

"There will be a lot more travelling for me to do. I have done it when we had Danzdanzdance and Endowment over in Sydney, I ran everything over here for a month.

"We have got good staff and I have got family all around us that help us out with little Cooper."

Bradley said she usually takes a family holiday at the start of the season, but may now have to re-evaluate them due to recent developments.

"I always get away for a family holiday around August or September but I'll be holding off in August now. I'll look at heading up to Singapore for a week or two in September.

"I'm humbled to be offered the opportunity, it's very exciting."

– NZ Racing Desk