If the trotter in Australia is the poor relation of the pacer, no one has tried to explain this to Chris Lang. Over the past decade, trotters from the Nagambie stables he and his wife Sharon operate have won just about every Group or Classic event in Australia for this gait. Chris has chalked up six Breeders Crown winners (the most by any trainer); produced three Inter Dominion champions (the most by any trainer); won two Cochran Cups; had three consecutive Grand Prix winners on the Grand Circuit; along with four Derby and four Oaks successes, the blue-ribbon classics of horse racing.
No less than four of his horses have been voted Australian ‘Trotter of the Year’. Working back from this latest season, these stars were Sundons Gift, Kyvalley Road, Right Interest and Jauriol. Sundons Gift has won the award the past two years and looks set to make history by becoming the first trotter to win the award for three consecutive seasons.
The ability to select young trotters at yearling sales in New Zealand and Melbourne has played no small part in his success. However, he has also experienced wonderful success when taking over ‘cast offs’ from other stables, spending time and patience in turning their form around. The Lang’s have established a first-class training establishment comprising four tracks -- a 1000-metre all-weather training track, a 950 metre heavy sand jogging track, a revolutionary three kilometre purpose built slow and fast working track and also a 1000 metre straight track. The most comprehensive purpose built Trotting training tracks in Australia; First class stabling and irrigated agistment paddocks with the latest in safety fencing.
Adjoining the training establishment is the recently developed Alderbaran Park. Developed in partnership with long time stable client Duncan McPherson, this state of the art Stud and Agisment facility is the home to some of the best bred trotting horses in Australasia. It is also, of course, home of future 'Super Sire' Skyvalley. With Sharon Lang managing Aldebaran Park the stud continues to go from strength to strength.