
Episode 573: Gratz Vella - His Golden Slipper placing with Music Time triggered requests for a podcast. We’ve got him this week.
From John Tapp Racing by The Supernova Tribe
March 31, 2026 · 44 min · Season 1 · Episode 573
About this episode
Gratz Vella discusses his experience training Music Time and his recent success in the Golden Slipper.
I’ve had several emails requesting a podcast with Gratz Vella in the wake of his thrilling third placing in the TAB Golden Slipper with Music Time. The Maltese born trainer drifted into the racing game by pure chance and has held a licence for more than three decades. He’s enjoyed a notable measure of success from his Canberra base and is widely respected by all sections of the industry. Gratz secured Music Time for just $45,000 at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale and soon discovered that he’d bought a very promising young horse for long established clients. Music Time probably cost himself a win at his first start but quickly made amends with a hat trick, culminating in the Black Opal on his home track. The Gratz Vella story is one that needs to be acknowledged on our podcast. The trainer says he’ll be pinching himself for quite a while yet. Gratz says he asked his jockey Pierre Boudvillain to ride Music Time as close as possible without overdoing it. He explains the reason why the gelding got a little bit lost in the closing stages. The trainer acknowledges the support of six owners, some of whom have had horses with him for many years. Gratz goes back to the Inglis Classic Sale of…
People in this episode
Guest: Gratz Vella
Topics covered
- horse racing
- trainer insights
- Golden Slipper
- Music Time
- Inglis Classic Sale
- owner support
Keywords
- Gratz Vella
- Music Time
- Golden Slipper
- horse racing
- Inglis Classic Sale
- trainer
- Canberra
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: TAB, Inglis Classic Sale, Black Opal
Places: Canberra
More episodes of John Tapp Racing
- Episode 578: David Taggart - the former crack jockey who battled through post accident trauma to become a favourite with punters on Melbourne’s SEN Track Radio · May 5, 2026 · 60 min
- Episode 577: Justin Sheehan - The heavyweight jockey whose enforced retirement cut a brilliant career far too short. · April 28, 2026 · 1h 12m
- Episode 576: Col Hodges OAM - Broadcasting legend missing in action after home accident. · April 21, 2026 · 44 min
- Episode 575: Brett Robb - Learned about horses from his Dad and got his sense of humour from a lifetime in the bush. · April 14, 2026 · 1h 3m
- Episode 574: Jett Newman - Talented apprentice has topped 100 wins in just thirteen months of race riding. · April 7, 2026 · 40 min
- Episode 572: Kris Lees · March 24, 2026 · 43 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the John Tapp Racing podcast page.