Young Ballarat trainer Tyler Donaldson-Aitken is unlikely to ever forget Makybe Diva Stakes Day 2026, having secured a career-defining victory with his stable’s standout, Welcometotheshow.
The tenacious gelding propelled Donaldson-Aitken to his maiden Black Type success, a significant milestone achieved with his 50th starter, in the $175,000 Listed Tontonan Stakes run over 1400 metres.
Welcometotheshow, with Craig Newitt in the irons, demonstrated superior grit to defeat horses trained by international Group 1 winner Henry Dwyer (Cote Atlantique), Lindsay Park’s Hayes brothers (Cafe Millenium), and prominent trainer Danny O’Brien (Sass Appeal), providing Donaldson-Aitken with an unparalleled career highlight.
“It means a lot,” he expressed.
“It means a lot to the team, as well. Horses only run well when you’ve got them happy and you’ve got the right people behind them.
“So a big thank you to everyone involved. Big thank you to my partner, Briony, she’s a big support of mine and to come here and get a win like this, it’s massive.”
Donaldson-Aitken now faces the pleasant dilemma of identifying future targets for the five-year-old entire, but first, he intends to fully celebrate the magnitude of Saturday’s accomplishment.
“I’m pretty over-tired, so I wouldn’t mind going home having a rest,” he commented, knowing such a plan was improbable.
“All the guys are here, the missus is here, so we’ll go to have some dinner, we’ll have a good time and we’ll treat everyone and make the most of the win.
“They’re few and far between and we’ll make a big deal of it.”
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