By Jordan Gerrans
Racing has been a labour of love for Kay O’Neill since she was riding horses as a teenager at Morven in regional Queensland.
The long-term trackwork rider, owner and breeder ticked over a couple of significant milestones in her life in the month of September in 2025.
She turned 50 years of age while also preparing her first winner as a trainer.
O’Neill did so when Denman Avenue won the opening event at Gladstone, a Maiden Plate over 850 metres, earlier this month.
After starting her maiden runner in a race in November of 2022 at Mount Perry, O’Neill and her husband Michael, who she trains alongside, have been desperately searching for their breakthrough winner.