By Melissa Boswell

It is a long way from a caravan under a tree at Cairns racecourse, and even further from the dusty, empty expanses of the Victoria River Downs station in the Northern Territory, to having the Prime Minister of
Australia - and two of the richest man in the world - as clients.

But that is just where Brian Mayfield-Smith's story has taken him.

In one of the most interesting tales in racing, and as we all know there are plenty, Brian's has had more twists and turns than most.

Kicking off his racing career as a strapper in Brisbane in 1967, Brian was granted his training licence in 1971, based in Cairns before moves to Townsville and later Doomben.

In 1976 Brian travelled to Sydney with Tiger Town, that horse beaten a nose in the Epsom Handicap. It was on that day that the young trainer attracted the attention of the late Millie Fox.

And so, within seven years of being granted a trainers licence in Cairns - training a "team" of one from his on course caravan, Brian landed at Nebo Lodge at Rosehill in charge of almost 100 horses bred by Fox.

Finding his feet quickly in Sydney – training over 600 winners in six years, Brian came to the attention of some of the biggest and newest names in the Australian thoroughbred scene - namely Robert Sangster and Bob Lapointe who in 1986 purchased Nebo Lodge.

In 1996 Brian and Maree came to the disappointing realisation that they could not have the sort of impact on wildlife conservation that they desired and they returned to Australia.

Spending time in the Hunter Valley and at Warrnambool, the couple decided that the best way for them to raise much needed funds for African conservation from afar was for Brian to return to training.

And this he did, with a team of six horses at Flemington in May 1997. Two months later he maintained his 100% first up record at a new training location, cheering home Wry Hero to a home track victory.

Brian's profile grew once more, and since a Group 3 win by the talented but unsound Great Condor, Des Pope of Rubiton Bloodstock has been a major supporter. The trickle of owners calling to place their horses at the stable soon became a flood.

An additional nine stables were added in late 1997 and in early 1999 another nine boxes and two yards.
With 300 winners in the past six years, Brian has again earned the respect of the racing world through the deeds of the Group One winners Oliver Twist, Special Dane, Sudurka and Rubitano and the brilliant filly Innovation Girl.

And as if a seven day racing week isn't enough to keep Brian busy, in mid 2002 he purchased a cutting mare called Chanel Oak, taking lessons and competing in competitions throughout Victoria.

An interest in the sport of cutting began with a trip to Queensland for the 2001 Gold Coast Magic Millions sale, Brian and Maree during that time visiting Donald & Jan Gunn's property at Goondiwindi.

Bred in the purple, being by Doc's Freckle Oak from Queen Holly ("like being by Danehill from a Marscay mare"), Chanel Oak had already produced two foals and wasn't in training but when Brian visited her he was impressed.

"I liked her. She had the performance on the board, good breeding and she was a very nice type. So when she passed the vet inspection I bought her."

Sent to respected trainer Aaron Wheatley who also gave Brian lessons on how to ride cutting horses, Chanel Oak started to compete and the pair have had a great time.

"It has been terrific," enthused Brian. "In my second show at Garfield I should have won the $15,000 Novice but I made a mistake. It was like having an apprentice on a Group One horse - Chanel Oak won the event, but
I lost it for her with my mistake."

Becoming involved in the cutting horse world adds another intriguing chapter to Brian's equine history which has taken him from the backblocks of Queensland as a stockman to Group One glory at Rosehill, to Africa and back to the Group One winners circle at Flemington.

However Brian sees it more as completing a circle - "where I come from, the cowboy hats, spurs and chaps of cutting are familiar territory."

"I enjoy the exhilaration and find it very satisfying to expand my horsemanship into new areas," he added.

"I enjoy learning the new style of riding and the company of the people - they are all very nice and the country atmosphere is appealing."

"The people involved in cutting are doing it for the love of the sport, and in cutting there is more of a one on one affiliation between the horse and rider. You work the cow together, there's no-one to beat. You just have to go out there, hope you draw a good cow and then work it well."

With obvious enthusiasm, Brian continued - "I really enjoy the environment, getting away from the day in day out pressure of racing. Plus cutting is a huge leveller – by the time you've finished, you're about a level as a sheet of newspaper!" he laughed.

So next time you venture out to such country towns as Nar Nar Goon, Merrick, Benalla or Garfield keep your eyes peeled - you might just see one of our leading trainers 'working the cows'.

The following years of success are well documented, including Brian's achievement of ending TJ Smith's thirty year domination of the Sydney trainers premiership.

Training a big team left little time for other interests but in 1987 Brian and his wife Maree made their first trip to Africa, one that changed their lives. Over the following nine years Brian and Maree made a further eight trips to Africa, strengthening their strong interest in the conservation issues facing the region.

In 1995 Brian shocked the racing world by packing up stumps and moving to Africa. Along with Maree he spent the next eleven months travelling over 40,000 kms throughout Africa investigating options for setting themselves up permanently.

Donald showed Brian several horses, including fillies by the leading cutting stallion Get Shorty.

It was almost twelve months before the idea of becoming more involved in the sport started to blossom and in late 2001 Brian rode his first cutting horse - a gelding by the champion stallion Doc's Spinafex. He was immediately hooked.

"I was rapt," Brian recalled. "Once I got the feeling of how to ride him it was exhilarating and I knew straight away that I wanted to get more involved."

And so Brian began to look for his own horse and Chanel Oak - who had finished third in the 1999 Tamworth Derby (which Brian describes as "the equivalent of a Group One during the Melbourne Spring Carnival") - came into his life.