Kym Healy and John Keating have taken out the Leading Trainer and Leading Jockey honours at the 2026 Birdsville Races, following a highly competitive two-day carnival.
Supported by Nutrien Ag Solutions, the challenges were decided on the number of wins recorded across the carnival, with $1,500 awarded to the Leading Trainer and $1,000 to the Leading Jockey.
Healy enjoyed an outstanding carnival, finishing with three wins from 13 starters, along with three seconds and a third. His three victories gave him a clear win in the Leading Trainer challenge, with no other trainer recording more than one victory across the 13-race program.
Healy also collected a further $1,000 trainer double bonus after preparing two winners on the opening day, highlighted by Hello World’s victory in the Akubra Big Red feature race on Friday 4 September.
There was almost an even bigger payday to come.
Hello World backed up in Saturday’s $70,000 TAB Birdsville Cup, where victory would have secured Healy the $5,000 feature double bonus. The gelding produced another excellent performance but had to settle for second behind Raetihi, beaten 2.66 lengths.
The Leading Jockey challenge was won by John Keating, who produced an exceptional strike rate across the carnival. Keating rode three winners from just seven rides, as well as two seconds, to finish one win clear of Les Tilley, Kody Nestor and Samantha Pointon, who each rode two winners.
Keating and Healy proved a particularly potent combination, teaming up with Forever A Diamond, who won on both days of the carnival.
The Nutrien Ag Solutions Leading Trainer and Jockey challenges added another layer of competition to a memorable Birdsville Races, rewarding the participants who delivered consistently across the two-day program.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Leading Trainer: Kym Healy — 3 wins — $1,500
Nutrien Ag Solutions Leading Jockey: John Keating — 3 wins — $1,000
Trainer Double Bonus: Kym Healy — $1,000
