Didham continuing family legacy

[Wandering Eyes]

Trent Didham has become the fourth generation in his family to become a trainer after joining his father, Peter, in partnership earlier this month.

The Awapuni horsemen have lined up four horses together in the last week, recording two runner-up results at Awapuni’s synthetic meeting on Sunday, a day that had three generations of the family on track.

“It was pretty cool to do it (commence training) with Dad in partnership, I am pretty proud,” Trent Didham said.

“Grandad was there as well (on Sunday), which was good. He trained a few and took a few to Australia, and even his father before him was a trainer.”

Born into the industry, the 27-year-old has always been destined to follow his forebears into the industry.

“I have always been around it. Robbie Hannam is my uncle, so I was born into it,” he said.

“I grew up, until I was five, at Awapuni where Dad was the track manager and then we moved out to Wellfield (Lodge, stud farm),” Didham said.

Growing up at Wellfield Lodge helped lay a strong foundation for a career in the industry for Didham, but he said racing was always where his passion lay.

“It was good to get a base with the stud work, but the racing side of the industry was what I was always interested in,” he said.

While Didham has spent the majority of his working life under the tutelage of his father, he has spent several years across the Tasman working for some of Australia’s leading trainers.

“I worked for just under a year for Mick Price and two years for John O’Shea,” he said.

In-between those stints, Didham’s father raised the idea of entering a training partnership, but Didham felt like he had more to learn before heading down that path.

“The idea was put forward by my old man a couple of years ago, but I said to him I wasn’t ready, and I wanted to work for someone overseas again,” he said.

“I went and did that and then decided to come back and give it a crack.”

The father-and-son duo are still in search of their first victory and they are hoping it will come this weekend when their promising four-year-old Lucullan resumes at Trentham.

The son of Rich Enuff has won one and placed in three of his four starts to date and opened his preparation with a pleasing 800m trial win at Waverley earlier this month.

“Lucullan will kick-off his campaign this Saturday and he is one to look out for,” Didham said. “His main target is the Stewards (Listed, 1200m) down south.

“We will get through Saturday and hopefully he will head towards that.”

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