Greer Doig making waves at Roma

By Jordan Gerrans

Horsewoman Greer Doig was involved in elite-level racing as an owner and trackwork rider in her native South Africa and she is enjoying the challenge of establishing her own stable since settling in Australia.

The 46-year-old has lived at Roma in regional Queensland for the last nine years and has gone out on her own training ticket over the last year.

She previously was involved in the caper in the Sunshine State as an owner and trackwork rider for champion local trainer Craig Smith before his retirement in 2024.

Doig decided to put her years of knowledge and experience into the sport to use and took out her own training licence.

She has been chipping away since early November of last year and earned her maiden victory on her home track on Sunday afternoon.

Say When Sutty delivered Doig her first triumph as the mare claimed the Class B Handicap over 1000 metres by almost two lengths.

“When I got her, she was a handful and I couldn't put anyone on her,” the rookie trainer said of Say When Sutty.

“It's taken a long time. I did not want to give up because I knew there was something in her.

“All that perseverance and the patience has finally paid off. I always knew she could, but I needed to get her right.

“I think being on the home track, which she loves, was important on Sunday. She loves to run fresh."

Emerging apprentice Tom Orr rode Say When Sutty to victory on Sunday as she started as the outsider in the market.

The five-year-old mare had not started since the middle of December last year at Gladstone.

Say When Sutty had been chipping away towards a maiden victory as she ran fourth at Toowoomba in early November before running third at Gladstone and Goondiwindi in the following weeks.

Doig prepares a team of six horses at Roma in regional Queensland after relocating to the area almost a decade ago.

She was involved in racing in South Africa while also competing in showjumping and other equine pursuits.

She owned gallopers who competed in big city races in South Africa as well as riding trackwork for top stables.

Doig initially had her horses with top Roma conditioner Smith when she landed in the bush town, but she has since opted to go out on her own.

“I thought, I can probably do this myself,” she reflected on starting her own training team.

“I started to do a bit of watching everybody and all of that before I then started myself from October last year.”

She raced former galloper Hocked under Smith’s banner and the gelding won on seven occasions as well as being placed eight times.

Smith is still on the committee of the Roma club and presented Doig with her winning prize on Sunday following her maiden triumph.

“I think the more that I'm doing it, the happier my horses are,” she said of her training journey.

“At the moment, I feel I'm finally getting there and I can read them more now that I'm doing it myself.

“I know now if they are having a good day or a bad day or I know when to lay off them.

“Being around them every day myself, I can see a big difference. Hopefully I can just be a bit more consistent now that I've had the one win.

“I'm hoping to carry on.”

Away from the horses, Doig works in a local coffee shop at Roma and is aided by her husband at the stables who is a principal of a school in the area.

Doig had prepared five gallopers to place before Sunday’s breakthrough winner.

She also had Laid Back Bon from her team face the starter on Sunday on her home deck and the mare finished fourth in maiden grade.