Simon Adlam isn’t one to get too caught up in the big stuff, he’d rather just go about his business and get things done.
So, when he notched up his 100th training success with Julia Lady in the Marlborough Cup Prelude last Friday, there wasn’t much of a fuss.
But after having a couple of days to thing about the effort, Adlam was quite happy to acknowledge the achievement.
“It’s hard enough to train one winner, let alone one hundred,” he said.
“So, you have to be happy to get there, but I’ve been lucky and had some really nice horses and good owners who have helped me along the way.”
Adlam became aware he was close to the magical mark earlier in the month when he drew near to the milestone and was alerted by a friend.
“I think that might have been when I was on 98 or 99, but I didn’t really think too much of it.”
But when Julia Lady burst through the inside to beat a small but select field last Friday – there was no denying it.
It was fitting too that it came in Blenheim, which was where Adlam really cut his teeth in the game.
“I came up here to work for R Hamilton and it’s actually where I first got my trials license and began driving.
“We used to go over the hill to Nelson and all that and even down to Murchison when they had trials there, but I had my first drive at Blenheim and spent quite a bit of time there, so it was quite good to get it there.”
Adlam doesn’t do much on the driving side of things these days, preferring to use guys like Craig Thornley, Gerard O’Reilly and Ricky May, but he does have 30 driving wins next to his name.
Working a team numbering “always around six” he’s got some handy ones at the moment, including an in-form Julia Lady and To Ri Caitlin, who looks promising.
Unfortunately, the racing career of last start winner, To Ri Elsie is over after she shattered a bone in her fetlock.
Adlam saved the mare and will use her for breeding.
“It’s quite a handy family.”
Adlam’s first winner came in 1993 when Breeny Boy was victorious at Timaru.
He trained Second Wind to win the Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park in 2010 – his first and, thus far, only Group One success.
