Two years ago, Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher became the first trainers to send out the winners of $50 million in an Australian racing season.

Waller’s runners raked in just over $51.6 million in 2023/24. Maher, including prizemoney earned in partnership with David Eustace through the first half of the season, was just behind on $51.4 million.

In 2024/25, with a bump from Bella Nipotina’s Everest win, Maher broke through the $60 million barrier, finishing on $60,477,648. Waller had to settled for second on $55,355,128.

On Wednesday this week, as Best Bets went to press, Waller had up to 13 runners across the Kensington, Sandown and Eagle Farm meetings. He was set to have two more at Illawarra Grange on Thursday and one at Geelong on Friday, ahead of the horses’ birthday on Saturday.

If those 16 runners (less after scratchings) could pick up $123,996 among them, Waller runners would have cracked $80 million in Australian races in 2025/26.

Without an Everest win, second-placed Maher has gone backwards, but not by much. To midnight on Sunday his runners had earned $55.4 million.

A form assessor analysing this monetary race would undoubtedly take note of the gap to third. The Hayes brothers take the bronze with $21.2 million while Bjorn Baker is fourth, a tick over $20 million.

The previous season saw six stables crack $20 million – Maher, Waller, the Archibalds ($26.7m), Baker ($25.8m), the Hayeses ($22.7m) and Waterhouse/Bott ($21.8m).

A total of 14 stables earned $10 million in 2025/26, up from 13 in 2024/25. Number 17 this time, with $7.5 million, is David Hayes. He had one runner.

A new mark has been set among the jockeys too, and you’ll never guess by who.

Yes, James McDonald ($41.8 million) has broken his own record, set in 2021/22, of $36.1 million.