The relationship between trainer and foreperson is among the closest and most important in racing. Among other things, it is a partnership that requires the utmost trust and devotion, qualities clearly possessed by the finalists in the Dedication to Racing category of the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.

Hayley Nichols, the forewoman to Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida, and Mark Burling, foreman to Marc Conners at Warwick Farm in Sydney, are both employed by trainers who value their work and appreciate the extra effort they put in.

Schweida lists “extreme dedication and single-minded focus” among a long list of attributes displayed by Hayley. “Hayley is the first line of care for all our horses – she could have been nominated for almost every category of the awards,” Schweida said.

To Hayley, the nomination came as a surprise, but one she welcomes wholeheartedly.

“Being a foreman or a strapper means that you do your work day-after-day and don’t always expect much recognition outside your own stable,” Hayley says.

“But these awards mean we are finally recognised, people will know about us and what we do. I take my hat off to Godolphin for acknowledging all the people who work so hard behind the scenes, it shows that they really care.”