Vale Robbie Laing

It is with great sadness that Racing Victoria (RV) and the Australian Trainers’ Association (ATA) acknowledge the sudden passing of Group 1-winning trainer Robbie Laing overnight at the age of 66.

Across a career spanning more than 50 years in the Victorian racing industry, Laing trained over 1,100 winners including over 50 in stakes company.  

His passion for racing was sparked in the early 1960s after a visit to the Phar Lap exhibition at Melbourne Museum, and after injury curtailed his aspirations of becoming a jockey after several years apprentice to his father Eddie, Laing took out his training licence in 1980 at just 21 years of age.  

Laing rapidly established a name for himself and tasted his first success at racing’s highest level in 1983 when his filly Perfect Bliss won the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.  

It was his move to a state-of-the-art training facility in Sutton Grange in the early 2000s, however, that sparked a period of sustained success for Laing, as he saddled up a succession of feature race winners highlighted by Group 1 victories for Pantani (2004 Adelaide Cup and 2002 South Australian Derby) and Roman Arch, who claimed six stakes wins including the 2006 Australian Cup (2000m).    

Whilst achieving great success as a flat trainer, Laing also forged a reputation as an astute trainer of jumps horses and arguably his greatest performance came when he prepared Sir Pentire to win the 2009 Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) first-up after an absence of two years.  

But it was perhaps the feats of his three-year-old Polanski that helped thrust Laing into the national spotlight, as the $4,000 bargain buy embarked on a winning spree in the spring of 2013 culminating in his triumph in the Victoria Derby (2500m) under Hugh Bowman.    

That was the last of Laing’s Group 1 triumphs but he continued to produce horses capable of competing at the highest level, with the likes of Lord of the Sky, Stars Of Carrum, So Si Bon and Missrock – who fetched $2.3 million at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale – all Group 1 placed.

His long list of feature race victories also included Grand National Hurdles in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, a Grand National Steeplechase, three Australian Steeplechases and a swag of Victorian Country Cups including Ballarat, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Werribee and Kyneton on two occasions.

His final winner came on the middle day of this year’s Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, when Factcheck carried Laing’s black, red and white hooped colours to victory in the Maiden Plate.        

“On behalf of everyone at Racing Victoria and the wider Victorian racing industry, I would like to pass on our sincere condolences to Robbie’s family and friends on the shock news of his passing,” said Aaron Morrison, RV’s Chief Executive Officer.

“Robbie was an astute horseman who was widely respected for his training craft in particular his ability with stayers and jumpers, often turning cheap purchases into feature race winners.  

“Working with horses was indeed Robbie’s life and he enjoyed notable success over many decades, with arguably his biggest win coming in the 2013 Victoria Derby at Flemington with Polanski.

“Robbie’s sudden passing will be felt by many in our industry, in particular those who have worked and ridden for Robbie and owned horses that he’s trained. Our thoughts are also with them at this sad time.”

“The ATA is deeply saddened by the passing of Robbie Laing,” said ATA President Robbie Griffiths.

“Robbie was an outstanding trainer who always thought outside the square, producing some incredible feats including winning the Grand Annual over 5500 metres first-up from a spell with Sir Pentire.  

“Robbie would win the first two-year-old race of the season and everything in between. He mastered beach training long before the modern trend, and had an incredible eye for value purchasing VRC Derby winner Polanski for only $4,000.  

“He was a great historian with unbelievable passion for his roots and his love for the Epsom training centre, where he began his training career. An exceptional footballer, champion trainer and pedigree guru all rolled into a colourful and resilient character who was never short of a story to tell. Robbie will be sadly missed and fondly remembered.” 

Laing is survived by eight children including sons Jack and Aaron, who have both followed their father into Victoria’s training ranks.