How things have changed.

In the years that have followed the formidable training duo have taken out both two-year-old classics – the Gold Crown and the Gold Tiara – as well as the three-year-old fillies feature final the Gold Bracelet.

In fact Davies and Alexander have claimed four Gold Tiara trophies, two Gold Crowns and one Gold Bracelet to make them the most successful training duo over the 24 years of the annual Bathurst carnival.

Given the Gold Crown Carnival is now celebrating 25 years, the Bathurst Harness Racing Club decided to make the duo the 2011 Gold Crown Honourees.

“It was a surprise, it is a great honour to be named honouree,” Davies said.

“I’d say we have been coming [to Bathurst] for the past 20 years, we didn’t come to the initial couple, but I can remember Sportsmaster won the Gold Crown the first year we came.

“We started off by bringing a couple of trotters and have just gone on from there, I don’t think we have missed one since, I think we’ve been to every one.”

Aside from enjoying an impressive strike rate at the carnival’s finals night, Davies said the atmosphere of the annual event plus the chance to view other juvenile horses in action helps lure them back each year.

Davies and Alexander, who usually bring a team of around 10 horses to Bathurst, view attending the Gold Crown Carnival as not only part of their work as trainers, but also a break from normal duties.

“People are very, very friendly up there, it is nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of it all, even if we do have a big team with us it is still enjoyable,” Davies said.

“We look forward to it each year, it’s a great carnival to be part of and that is why we have been coming for all these years.

“It is good to watch all the two-year-olds, I really enjoying watching the babies go around. You know the standard of racing will be good and there is good prize money on offer as well.

“When we go to a yearling sale we are always looking for ones which are eligible for Bathurst.”

While Davies and Alexander clearly have an eye for juvenile talent, it is harder for Davies to nominate what has been the most special win at the carnival for her.

Nemeeshar was the first filly to claim the Tiara-Bracelet double, Whitby Sportsman was the training duo’s first big winner, having taken out the 1996 Gold Crown, and last year Davies was delighted when Aussie Made Lombo won the Tiara as a $47 chance.

“They are all pretty special; it is hard to distinguish one over the other. Last year [with filly Aussie Made Lombo] was special because I had a soft spot for her mother Tailamade Lombo, she

just looks so much like her. That and because she

won from such a bad draw [barrier 11] was a real thrill,” she said.

“To see an owner’s face when they win and get up to get the trophy is great, I know Mick Lombardo is always really happy to get up.”

This year Davies and Alexander have a number of two-year-old colts that could threaten for the Gold Crown while Aussie Made Lombo is likely to return for the Gold Chalice three-year-old colts and geldings series.

Still, Davies is not talking up her chances as she knows that success in Bathurst is not easy to come by.

“It is hard to win, all the big races are, there are a lot of quality horses going around and there have been some very, very nice horses to come out of Bathurst,” she said.

“It would be good to win something as an honouree, but it will be hard because there are a lot of good horses going around and they are getting faster I think.

“Which horses we bring really just depends on where they are at, we just take it as it comes.”