When he gave up his job as a high school teacher to become a thoroughbred trainer, some might have called Tony Noonan a little bit crazy. But those people need to look beyond the time a police squadron chased him down the highway after the Straddy and the time he turned up to Mornington trials in his underwear. Forgetting those moments however, crazy may still be an accurate word to describe the meticulous nature which Tony approaches his training.
Through his love of the horses, he thrives on the opportunity to nurture, educate and develop thoroughbreds to reach their full potential.
Tony prides himself on the excellent relationships he maintains with owners through honest communication, regular updates and a personal touch. By taking owners through their Owner&rsquo;s Journey, Tony is able to share the joys he experiences every day whether it is at the races, at the stable or on the overseas trips he organises around international racing events.
When questioned about his greatest achievement, it wasn&rsquo;t winning three Mornington Cups with Gunnamatta, or countless stakes victories. Instead, it is Tom, Sam, Jake and Laura &ndash; his four wonderful children whom he shares with wife Gabriel &ndash; who inspire him to wake up each morning for work at 4am.
When he&rsquo;s not around the stable or the racetrack, Tony enjoys cheering on his beloved Bombers, going out for Chinese food and spending time with the family.
With his many successes and an adoring family, a little bit of crazy turned out to go a long way.

Tony Noonan Racing

Tony Noonan

You might ring the office and do a double take when you hear a nice Irish gentleman on the phone. But don't panic.You have not dialed the wrong area code. Robert is originally from Ireland but settled here on the Mornington Peninsula in 2008 with his wife Simone and three children. Robert has worked in the Thoroughbred Racing industry at home in Ireland &amp; UK as well as the USA; before traveling to Australia with shuttle stallion Bahamian Bounty in 1999. He then met his Australian wife during this time and as they say &ldquo;the rest is history.&rdquo; In 2011 Robert decided to take out his own trainers license at Mornington where he had ten enjoyable years training before ultimately deciding to put down the stopwatch in 2021.
But once racing is in your blood it's hard to leave and Robert had a keen interest in starting a new chapter as Jockey Manager. Jake Noonan, Jason Maskiell, Celine Gaudray, Adam McCabe and Tatum Bull, keep him quite busy so how lucky were we when he agreed to join our team in June 2021 as Racing Manager at Greendale. With the combining fields he's always got his finger on the pulse, and it's been a joy to have his energy &amp; enthusiasm part of our 2021 season.&nbsp;

Robbie Kingston

When you hear the phrase, &ldquo;racing is in the blood&rdquo;, it&rsquo;s 100% the case for Tom who is the eldest of four Noonan siblings that were riding ponies before they could ride bikes. Tasked with carrying the colors bag to and from the races for his father from a young age, Tom witnessed many of racings highs and lows driving to and from the races on school holidays. O he jumped at the opportunity at the age of 12 to muck out boxes at Greendale on weekends for some extra pocket money.
Working his way up the ranks as a teenager, it was no surprise that racing came so naturally to Tom. As a gifted horseman, Tom thrives on the early morning starts where he brings a team-first mentality to Greendale. &ldquo;I love the camaraderie and sharing the success of stable runners amongst the whole team, I think it's so important.&rdquo;
Amongst his many racing memories, Tom fondly remembers accompanying Ortensia to the 2010 Hong Kong International Sprint, but it was the 2021 Melbourne Cup that was his career highlight. Tony &amp; Tom were trusted with the International trained Spanish Mission by Uk leading trainer Andrew Balding. Tom was sent to the Werribee International Training facility, where he was tasked with accompanying &amp; assisting in training the horse and getting him in tip top shape for his campaign. &ldquo;I've never had weight on my shoulders like that, it was an intense experience but still a very enjoyable one. I spent over 8 weeks, everyday with that horse and from the moment he stepped off the truck from the UK, I knew he was something special. I'll be lucky to ever train another horse like him and I think he can honestly win the Melbourne Cup in the next few years.&rdquo;
But despite possessing the Noonan name, a career in racing has not always been set in stone for Tom who has also been heavily involved in the arts via mother Gabriel, Head of Drama at Padua College. In 2013 Tom ventured to North America to gain international experience on the acting circuit whilst also pursuing interests in screenwriting before returning to Australia in 2018.
Combining his two passions, Tom hopes to one day produce a fictional screenplay about the drama and challenges of a racing stable whilst continuing to turn out winners from Greendale.&nbsp;

Tom Noonan

Jackie brings to her new role at Greendale broad administration and accounting experience that stretches back over 28 years. Most recently working as a trust administrator in real estate, Jackie has also worked in the banking sector as a lead teller and helped run her family&rsquo;s business, but has always found herself choosing to come back to accounting and administration. Jackie is a true Peninsula local, having lived in Mornington for the past 40 years. When not in the office Jackie enjoys nothing more than getting out and seeing the country, especially by Motorhome. With her experience and versatility Jackie looks forward to playing a significant role behind the scenes in supporting and building the team at Greendale.

Jackie Grimmond

John Mathieson comes to Greendale with an extensive professional background, both in Australia and abroad, in financial markets, investment banking and venture capital. But while the fixed income markets have been kind to him, John has always considered racing a better reason for getting out of bed in the morning than bonds.
Over the years he has tried his luck at many things in racing &ndash; owning, breeding, punting and syndicating horses amongst friends. John has also worked behind the TAB windows at the Cup Carnival and even written regular past racing columns on the Sportsbet blog site and more occasionally The Roar, under the pseudonym The Lighthouse. John is convinced through experience that there are few things in life more exciting than being trackside with fellow owners when a horse you have even the smallest share in, wins a race, wherever that race may be. John has many ambitions left in racing - to own a &ldquo;serious&rdquo; horse, to visit all the racetracks he has never been to, and most importantly, to help bring the excitement he has enjoyed as an owner over the years to as many people as possible at Tony Noonan Racing through the stable&rsquo;s Social Syndicate program. He looks forward to hearing from you at <a href="mailto:john@tonynoonanracing.com.au">john@tonynoonanracing.com.au </a>

John Mathieson

She may weigh in under 50kg but you&rsquo;d be wary of getting on Dakotah&rsquo;s bad side once you learn she was a 2-time Australian Champion boxer prior to her arrival in the racing industry. Bringing that tenacity and strength, Dakotah joined the team at Greendale in 2019 where her impressive athletic background has translated seamlessly into her career in horse racing where her balance as a rider is most impressive. With her bubbly attitude and positive demeanor, Dakotah loves a laugh and makes 4.30am starts at a stable something to look forward to for the Team. After years of hard work and gaining valuable experience riding trackwork at Greendale every morning, Dakotah has successfully been admitted to Racing Victoria&rsquo;s Apprentice Program. Becoming Tonys &amp; Greendales first female apprentice.&nbsp;

Dakotah Keane

Mariah joined the team at Greendale in 2016 to take up a senior position at the stable having worked extensively in the industry since 2007. Originally joining the Mike Moroney stable as a Year 10 work experience student, Mariah instantly fell in love with the horses which led her to accept an offer to join the Moroney team in a full-time capacity where she commenced riding trackwork for the stable as she quickly developed a reputation as the most reliable of handlers.
Possessing natural empathy and a loving nature, Mariah seamlessly developed a strong affinity with the young horses coming through the stable where her skills made her an integral part of the successful team that claimed the 2009 VRC Derby with Monaco Consul followed by the 2010 VRC Oaks with Brazilian Pulse. You just can&rsquo;t keep Mariah away from horses but if she&rsquo;s not riding Nugget, her stable favourite or the many other OTTs (Off The Track) horses she homes, then you will find her playing &amp; raising her two beautiful boys Issac and Bennet Noonan.

Mariah Kaminksi

Sophie's journey in the industry began when she started the Racing Certificate Tafe courses while still in high school. &ldquo;Eventually I enjoyed it so much, I didn&rsquo;t want to go to school anymore so mum made me get a job. The next day I went down to my local training track and got one.&rdquo;
One of Sophie's highlights would be working with one of her favourite horses, Tongsai Boss. From the very start, riding him as a 2 yr old, to then traveling &amp; strapping Tongsai Boss at Moonee Valley to watch him storm home and win. &ldquo;Knowing I had been there every step of the way, it was an incredible feeling.&rdquo; After working for 4 years as a foreman for a trainer in Adelaide, Sophie was eager to improve her riding and set herself the goal of becoming a picnic jockey. She moved down to the Mornington Peninsula in 2021 and has since started working for Tony. &ldquo;I love riding each morning and working for Tony because I feel he appreciates me.&rdquo; Sophie's favourite horse at Tony Noonan Racing is Vino &ldquo;and Mystique... and Whitney. Oh and Garfield! Okay there's a few. Haha&rdquo;

Sophie

Mitch got started in racing only recently (mid-2021) out of necessity during the COVID lockdown. &ldquo;I haven't been involved with horses for as long as a lot of the others. I only got into horses around 2016 after a friend invited me out for a ride.&rdquo; One of his biggest highlights was Mitch's first strap for TNR; Belaqua Belle at Mornington. &ldquo;I was 1 for 1. My first strap was also my first win. It was such a buzz and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I then went on to win 5 of my next 6 straps after that which was unreal.&rdquo; So of course Dazzling Lucy, is his favorite horse in the stable. It was like love at first sight &ldquo;Even though I haven't been here for long and I am new to the racing industry, one of the best things about working here for Tony is how understanding and open he is. I've never been blown off no matter how silly my questions might be.&rdquo; In his spare time you'll find Mitch hanging out with my own horses, trying to snag a goal for Sorrento football club or supporting his Crows over in SA.

Mitchell Murgia

Clive

Mick successfully trained Rain Lover to back-to-back Melbourne Cup Victories in 1968 and 1969 before joining the team at Greendale in the 90's as a mentor to Tony. He is one of just four men to train a horse to consecutive Cups.&nbsp;
From the mines of Broken Hill to Flemington: Mick Robins and Rain Lover Published 30 October, 2014 by Alfred Chan at <a href="https://www.theroar.com.au/2014/10/31/mines-broken-hill-flemington-mick-robins-rain-lover/">The Roar</a>
Racegoers were left in awe when a metal miner from Broken Hill produced Rain Lover to win the 1968 Melbourne Cup, in what was to be believed to be Mick Robins&rsquo; third month as a licensed trainer. Robins had taken out his Victorian trainer&rsquo;s license on August 1, 1968 and on the first Tuesday of that November he lifted the Melbourne Cup in an era dominated by household names of Cummings and Smith.
&ldquo;When I came over to Melbourne for the spring, I had to get a Melbourne license because you needed a permit,&rdquo; said Robins.
&ldquo;So when I won, a lot of people were like, &lsquo;How lucky he won &ndash; he&rsquo;s only had a license since August!&rsquo; &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t say it at the time but little did they know I had a license since 1950.&rdquo;
It was the first time he had been to the Melbourne Cup and was shaking as he got off the float with Rain Lover. Although he had been to Flemington before, Robins was the new kid on the block, having spent much of his professional life in Adelaide. With his father being a butcher, Robins followed his bloodline and commenced his butcher&rsquo;s apprenticeship at the age of 15. But by the age of 18, he realised he was earning less than a third of what his friends were earning and tossed aside his apron to take up a job in the mines.
There he worked for the next ten years while training a handful of horses as a hobby. Following a decade in the mines to the ire of his father, Robins accepted a job in Adelaide to be the foreman for Graeme Heagney. When Heagney moved to the United States to continue training Tobin Bronze for his new owner, Heagney&rsquo;s stable was disbanded and Rain Lover was assigned to Robins, who had broken him in but had never expected him to become the horse he did.&nbsp;
Rain Lover had already put together an impressive resum&eacute; when entering Robins&rsquo; care, having won the 1968 Adelaide Cup as a three-year-old. As an Adelaide Cup winner, Rain Lover was assigned 8 stone 2 pounds (51.7kg) for the 1968 Melbourne Cup, which Robins was delighted with. He would carry it to an eight-length win in record-breaking time.
After the race, jockey Jimmy Johnson declared to Robins that there was not a horse in the world that would have beaten Rain Lover that day. While winning a Melbourne Cup in his first appearance was a remarkable story, the real legend of Rain Lover could not be appreciated until his second crack in 1969. In between his two Melbourne Cups, Rain Lover had won the St George Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes, Craiglee Stakes and Underwood Stakes &ndash; all at weight-for-age level. He even won a Fischer Plate and ran second in a Sydney Cup, both under handicap conditions. Having won just about all before him, Rain Lover was allotted 9st 7lb (60.3kg) in his title defence, which surprised of Robins.
&ldquo;I knew he would go up but I didn&rsquo;t think he would go up that much.&rdquo;
After being assigned the weight, Rain Lover&rsquo;s preparation appeared in disarray, with a disappointing run in the Mackinnon Stakes. &ldquo;There were only five or six in the Mackinnon and he ran fourth at 2-1 on. Big Philou ran second for Bart Cummings and in my mind, Big Philou would win the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. &ldquo;I said to Jimmy, I don&rsquo;t like the idea of Tuesday now. He was at weight-for-age in the Mackinnon, he couldn&rsquo;t run a place and he&rsquo;s got to jump to 9 stone 7. &ldquo;Jimmy just threw the reins over and said it will be different on Tuesday over two miles.&rdquo;
A doping controversy ensued over the coming days and Big Philou was scratched from the Cup just 39 minutes before the race.
&ldquo;I knew he (Rain Lover) would run well but when they went past the trainers&rsquo; stand, which is about half a furlong from the post, I said to the strapper standing next to me, &lsquo;Not bad to win one and run second&rsquo;, because I thought he was beat.&rdquo;
Carrying 2 stone (12.7kg) less, Alsop went head-to-head with Rain Lover for the final furlong and they hit the line locked. Robins had already given up, thinking there was no way Rain Lover could have won with 60.3kg and it wasn&rsquo;t until Tommy Smith started jumping up and down while screaming &ldquo;You won&rdquo; at Robins that the reality hit.
Robins had become the first person in 107 years to train a horse to consecutive victories in the Melbourne Cup, courtesy of Rain Lover&rsquo;s monumental weight-carrying effort.
Looking back at the 60.3kg Rain Lover carried in 1969, Robins is surprised by the amount of weight-related headlines for modern Cups. He believes the handicapper is now more lenient than ever, especially for &ldquo;drawcard&rdquo; horses.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When you look at it now, Maykbe Diva carried less weight in her third cup (58kg) than what Rain Lover carried in his second (60.3kg). &ldquo;He earned that weight. Being a handicap, that&rsquo;s the idea &ndash; to give others a chance.&rdquo; Asked if we&rsquo;d ever see another back-to-back winner, the apprentice butcher-turned metal miner-turned trainer chuckled.
&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t, but you might.&rdquo;

Meet The Team

Tony Noonan

Trainer

Robbie Kingston

Racing Manager

Tom Noonan

Assistant Trainer

Jackie Grimmond

Business Manager

John Mathieson

Social Syndicates Manager

Dakotah Keane

Apprentice Jockey

Mariah Kaminksi

Pre-Trainer

Sophie

Track rider

Mitchell Murgia

Stablehand

Clive

Stablehand

Mick Robins

Mentor