Rookie trainer hunts another first with life-changing horse

1 month ago 4

By Craig Kerry

January 22, 2026 — 5.00pm

Welcometotheshow has already taken Tyler Donaldson-Aitken from applying for his trainer’s licence to back-to-back Saturday city wins.

So it’s little wonder the 36-year-old Ballarat trainer is daring to dream of a shot at the $2.5 million All Star Mile with his four-year-old, which can push his claims with victory at Randwick in race seven, a benchmark 88 handicap (1600m), on Saturday.

Welcometotheshow wins at Flemington on January 10.

Welcometotheshow, a $4.80 TAB chance, has given Donaldson-Aitken all five of his wins since taking out his licence in April last year and will now give him a first NSW runner.

After Saturday victories at Cranbourne and Flemington, Donaldson-Aitken opted to bring Welcometotheshow to Randwick rather than Caulfield, where he would have met Lindsay Park’s Touchdown.

The 88-grade assignment will be its toughest, but Donaldson-Aitken was confident of his chances, especially after the scratching of fellow Victorian Taken on Thursday. Dylan Gibbons has the ride on Welcometotheshow, which has won interstate, at Morphettville.

“He’s going very well,” he said.

“If we can get a good run in transit out of barrier five, I think he’ll go very close.

“If the horse does turn up like he has been at the races, and luck goes our way, I think he will be hard to beat.”

Trainer Tyler Donaldson-Aitken, left, with Welcometotheshow after his win at Cranbourne on December 27.

Beyond Saturday, Donaldson-Aitken is eyeing a push to get Welcometotheshow into the March 7 All-Star Mile at Flemington, which offers 10 spots via a fan poll.

“I always thought the All Star Mile would be interesting,” he said.

“He’s got the name that catches people’s attention, so we could get some votes. Every time he’s gone around, he’s been a higher price than I believe he should have been, so a few people have won money off him. I’d love to direct him at that.

“Craig Newitt, last time he rode him, he said he thought he was a horse that could go to stakes level, so we’ll go through our grades, but not jump up too soon.”

A horse breaker and educator with deep roots in racing, Donaldson-Aitken was inspired partly by Welcometotheshow to take out his licence and add the profession to his education business.

“It wasn’t always the plan necessarily,” he said of becoming a trainer.

“A good client of mine pushed me to get my trainer’s licence and I had a couple of horses I was looking to sell on, and he was a horse I picked out and took to the Ready To Run sale in 2024, and he ended up passing in.

“So to be able to have the next avenue up my sleeve of taking him to the races, or any other horse to the races, and kick on like that was also very appealing to me.

“I sent him to a friend of mine for his first couple of starts, then when I got my licence, it opened things up, and as fate would have it, he was my first winner, first metro winner and we’ve now gone interstate.”