Last week brought a gamut of emotion to emerging training talent Danielle Seib. Few people were aware of her innermost thoughts as she watched two year old filly Sweet Treats account for older rivals in a 1500m maiden at Goulburn on June 3rd. Convinced the Castelvecchio filly was looking for more ground, Danielle took a punt in taking on more seasoned gallopers but used Coriah Keating’s 2kg claim to help offset the age disparity. The young trainer’s astuteness was again proven correct.
How incredibly coincidental it was, that she should win a race with a filly called Sweet Treats on the seventh anniversary of the passing of her much loved father Lewis. The respected horseman was training in his own right at Muswellbrook when he succumbed to the ravages of a brain tumour. “My wonderful dad had the sweetest tooth I’ve ever known,” said Danielle. “He usually had a pocketful of lollies and would light up whenever dessert was served at the dinner table. This filly’s name came about because she’s out of a mare called Coconut Dream, but I think of my father’s sweet tooth whenever I look at her.”
Sweet Treats (Coriah Keatings) beat older horses in winning the Goulburn Maiden 03/06/2024 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
With the bittersweet aftermath of the Goulburn win still very much on her mind, Danielle geared up for a groundbreaking experience last Saturday. For the first time in her short training career, the former schoolteacher was represented by runners in three states. Nipotino was the first of the trio to appear shortly after 11.30am in the TAB Highway at Randwick. In a bid to assist the smallish gelding on a track guaranteed to be extremely heavy, Danielle opted for the 3kg claim of stable apprentice Hannah Williams. Starting third pick in the 1100m dash, Nipotino began on terms with the field but was allowed to settle midfield three wide with cover behind Soul Lady. The Snitzel gelding was the best part of six lengths off leaders Ramones and Super Norwest on straightening, but began to let down stylishly on top of the rise. Showing a turn of foot you don’t expect to see on H9 ground, Nipotino dashed past the leaders 100m out with Syrian Star in hot pursuit. His run had probably ended in the dying stages, but he had enough in reserve to hold out Syrian Star by half a length.
Nipotino showed a brilliant turn of foot on a very heavy track in winning the TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Just over one and a quarter hours later Danielle was glued to a TV monitor at Eagle Farm as Due Calzini lined up in a black type 1500m two year old race called The Phoenix. “It wasn’t an easy task, but he’d been impressive in winning a maiden at Goulburn and was worthy of a throw at the stumps in a stronger race,” said Danielle.” He settled well back in the field and looked to travel nicely until they took off at the 600m. James Orman said he felt like a horse looking for more ground, an opinion we’ve held for some time. He was scrambling at the top of the straight but was doing his best work late to finish officially ninth but only four lengths from the winner Imperialist. I was far from disappointed.”
Danielle was back at Harold Norman’s Gold Coast stables when her third runner for the day was lining up at Flemington. Raced by a sizeable Champion Thoroughbreds Syndicate, Hell I Am was having only his second run for the Seib stable after being transferred from the John O’Shea yard earlier this year. “His starting quote of $61.00 indicated he was in a very strong BM 84 and so it proved,” said Danielle. “He disappointed us in finishing with the tailenders, so it’s back home now for a reassessment of his immediate future.”
Hell I Am is one of a number of horses in the Seib stable owned by Champion Thoroughbreds ownership groups. The trainer’s association with the successful syndication company began under unlikely circumstances at the end of 2022. Champion Thoroughbreds Racing Manager Emma Guymer happened to be watching Sky Thoroughbred Central when Danielle was being interviewed during a Canterbury night meeting. At the time the company was in the process of engaging the services of a country based trainer for horses not measuring up in the city. Emma was sufficiently taken by Danielle’s interview, to immediately recommend her to Champions founder Jason Abrahams. The association began soon after and has produced excellent results.
King Of Spades (Zac Lloyd) wins Danielle's initial TAB Highway for Champion Thoroughbreds - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Danielle Seib was twenty years old when she began riding fast work for her late father at Muswellbrook, and it wasn’t long before she was competing in barrier trials. A future race riding career was paramount in her thoughts at the time, but all of that changed with Lewis’ sudden passing. In order to honour a pledge made to her dad, Danielle enrolled for a teaching degree at Newcastle University. “He always wanted me to have a professional qualification, and following his death I was more determined than ever to gain my degree,” she said.
“I was equally determined to keep his little Muswellbrook stable going. You can imagine what an emotional moment it was for the whole family when we won with Nic City at Mudgee just one month after his passing. There’s little doubt that early win inspired me to keep training in my father’s honour.”
By the middle of 2019 Danielle was feeling the strain associated with running a racing stable combined with the constant travelling to Newcastle University. She made the important decision to finish her degree online, a task she performed with total dedication. It was a proud moment for the entire family when Danielle graduated as a Bachelor Of Secondary Education with Honours in Science, majoring in Biology.
Danielle's love of horses has been evident from pony club days - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
In order to further her experience in the racing world, Danielle decided to accept an offer made to her a year earlier by Danny Williams, when the respected Goulburn trainer was in Muswellbrook for the Country Championship Qualifier. She spent three months in the role during which time she landed a job as a Science teacher at nearby Crookwell High School. Soon after an opportunity arose for Danielle to train a small team of horses in her own right. For quite some time she was getting out of bed at 3.30am and helping with stable chores while waiting for the track to open at 6.00. She’d ride four or five horses trackwork before changing into teaching garb and rushing off to Crookwell High School.
Inevitably that kind of pressure got the better of a young lady whose love of horses had become a dominant force in her life. Five years on Danielle Seib and partner Aaron Day are running a busy twenty eight horse operation with a full time staff of six. She’s already tendered an expression of interest in extra stabling when Racing NSW undertakes its commitment to the construction of a new barn at the Goulburn racecourse.
Danielle still rides regular trackwork at Goulburn.
Aaron Day was born and reared into a legendary local trotting family. His grandfather Frank Day trained a number of outstanding harness horses including 1981 Miracle Mile winner Friendly Footman, while his father Dennis and uncles Neil and Michael have enjoyed great success in the sport. Like many harness horsemen Aaron has become a high class farrier, a talent he puts to regular use in the Seib thoroughbred operation. “Aaron is currently shoeing all twenty eight horses in our stable, and nobody does the job better,” says Danielle.
Nipotino brought up Danielle’s seventh TAB Highway success on Saturday. The trainer won two editions with her old favourite Assault ‘N’ Bathory, while King Of Spades, Smokeshow, and Blood River have all won a Highway apiece. Nipotino will next appear in a 1200m TAB Highway at Randwick on June 22nd. Most of Danielle’s current city runners are enjoying the luxury of a 3kg claim for stable apprentice Hannah Williams who transferred from Wagga trainer Gary Colvin at the end of 2022. Hannah and partner Nick Heywood are living in Goulburn where their talents are universally recognised by local trainers. “Hannah’s a very gifted rider who gets on brilliantly with my horses,” said Danielle. “She seems to put them in the right spot in their races and knows when to push the button, as she did on Nipotino at Randwick.”
Hannah Williams about to weigh in after Nipotino's win - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The Goulburn trainer made special mention of two horses punters should keep an eye on going forward. “Associate’s three wins to date include the Country Championship Wild Card at Goulburn in March,” said Danielle. “He was a victim of a very heavy track in Asgarda’s Final after which we gave him a freshen up. He ran a cracking third in blinding rain behind Rematch at Rosehill and has done really well since. He’ll almost certainly run in a BM race at Randwick on June 25th.”
Danielle remains upbeat about the prospects of lightly raced three year old Cable Express, despite his failure on the Kensington track recently. “Danny Beasley said he didn’t go one stride on the H9 ground,” she said. “Prior to that he’d impressively won the Wagga Guineas Prelude and was a good second to Invincible Spy in the Guineas decider. Invincible Spy won again in town a couple of weeks later. Cable Express is a lovely, big strong horse who’ll get better as he gets out in distance.”
Cable Express (Jean Van Overmeire) wins his maiden at Canberra early this year - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Danielle is excited but understandably slightly nervous about the future of the most expensive yearling she’s ever had in the stable. Seib Racing clients partnered with Champion Thoroughbreds at the recent Inglis Easter Sale to secure for $260,000 a very attractive filly by record breaking stallion I Am Invincible. The yearling is the first foal of the Snitzel mare Macroura, a four time winner and a three quarter sister to Gr 1 Surround Stakes winner Sunshine In Paris. “She’s a quality filly with a beautiful temperament,” says Danielle. “The breaker was very impressed. We now do what every yearling buyer does, and that’s wait and hope.”
There’s only one negative in Danielle Seib’s move to the full time training ranks. Her success to date testifies to the wisdom of that important decision, but by the same token the NSW education system has lost one hell of a Science teacher.
(Banner image - Nipotino (Hannah Williams) holds out Syrian Star to win Saturday's TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)