Racing: Curtain falling on Graeme Sanders' decorated career

Graeme Sanders and daughter Debbie Sweeney. Photo / Trish Dunell

Graeme Sanders' entry into New Zealand's training ranks was a memorable one.

The Te Awamutu horseman began his career with his late father, Bill, and their partnership made a flying start.

"I started with Dad in 1970 and on my first day as a trainer we won the Grand National with Spray Doone, it was run on August 1 in those days," Sanders said.

Nearly half a century later, he is calling time and officially retiring from his partnership with daughter Debbie Sweeney after Laddie of Oakview runs in the Weowna Family Trust Hurdle (3000m) at Rotorua on Saturday.

"I started with a jumper and I'll be finishing with a jumper," Sanders said.

However, he will still be very much involved with the running of the stable.

"Nothing will change really, I just won't have my name in the book and I'll be helping Debbie," Sanders said.

"I got a bit crook last year and had a warning sign in November. I had a stroke, but I'm pretty good now. Doing nothing is no good — you've got to keep busy."

Sanders and his father were the country's dominant trainers during the 1970s and won five straight premierships during that period.

"In the early days we had a big team of horses," he said. "We won five in a row and we would have probably won the next two if we had stayed together, but it was time to move on in the game."

Sanders, who has a winning tally in excess of 1200, subsequently trained in his own right and later in partnership with his son Mark and latterly Debbie.

"The best horse I had was Ballroom Babe, she won three group ones, and Elevenses was another group one winner," he said.

Despite an injury-plagued career, Pasta Post won a group one Easter Handicap (1600m).
"He could have been the best, but he was unsound," Sanders said.

"We also won two Auckland Cups with Prized Lady and the second was special because she was ridden by [son-in-law] Mark [Sweeney]."

Sanders celebrated the last group one success of his career with Fanatic in the 2016 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

- NZ Racing Desk