Benalla trainer Anne Taylor reflects on her career

The club is set to recognise Taylor's contribution to racing with a race named in her honour.

She handed in her trainer's licence at the end of the racing season last year after a lifetime in the sport.

The 69-year-old was brutally honest when asked why she had decided to decided to retire from training.

"Old age," Taylor said.

"That plus it's getting a lot tougher to compete with the bigger stables.

"It's just the right time, I'm not as quick as I used to be."

Taylor has been involved in horses all of her life after being born and bred on a farm.

She married North-East jockey Paul Taylor and has been married for 49-years and has two children Paul and Chris.

Taylor has been training for four decades and said the Albury carnival was among her favourite meetings on the racing calendar.

"I always loved the Albury cup meeting and always seemed to have a lot of success at the track," she said.

"It used to be a three-day carnival back then."

Taylor also trained multiple city winners.

She recalls having a runner at the first ever night meeting at Moonee Valley on Australia Day in 1998, in front of 30,000 fans, with musician Paul Kelly part of the entertainment.

Taylor was reluctant to pinpoint the best horse she trained in the fear of offending the 100's of owners that she had trained for.

Although she admits to having a soft spot for the Mooncoin breed which she enjoyed a lot of success with.

"There were quite a few of the Mooncoin horses that I trained that were quite successful which had 10 or more wins," she said.

"Mooncoin Magic and Rose Of Mooncoin are two that spring to mind.

"Burnbrae Lad was a city winner and was the most unluckiest horse I trained.

"He finished with nine wins and was runner-up 25 times and a lot of them were short half-heads."

Taylor alongside close friend Liz Aalbers are considered trailblazers for women trainers in the North-East.

The experienced horse woman said she wasn't allowed to train initially because she was the wife of a jockey.

"We weren't allowed to train or own horses back when I first got married," she said.

"But I was a pioneer in regards to being allowed to train and also be the wife of a jockey.

"Times have changed so much.

"I remember going to Chiltern races and you would get there at mid-day and wouldn't get home to after 7pm and the bucket would be filled with ice because you knew how many a can trip it was to get home.

"These days you go to the races for your race and then you get in the car and go home.

"We didn't have much money back then but socially it was so much fun and I have still got lifelong friends from those days."

Taylor cherishes her friendship with Aalbers.

"Liz and I have been friends for almost forty years," she said.

"I call her "Google" because she knows everything.

"It's fair to say I've seen her drop a bottle or two of Ricadonna in that time.

"We have had a lot of good times and shared a lot of laughter and no doubt we will be reminiscing again on Friday over a few Ricadonna's.

"Liz said she is coming to the races at Benalla tomorrow and so she bloody should after I went to all her send-offs.

"I feel privileged to have a race named after me even though I'm not sure if I deserve it or not."

"Darren and Mick Gauci are making the trip to Benalla and rode a lot of winners for me.

"Nick Souquet will also be there and I basically taught him how to ride and I regard him as part of the family."