Tom's Biography

Racing is in Tom Waterhouse's blood. The son of Australia's first lady of racing, Gai, and bookmaker Robbie, Tom represents the fourth generation of Waterhouse bookmakers.

With Tom's inside knowledge and passion for the sport, it is no surprise he is Australia's leading on-course bookmaker. And even less of a surprise he has moved his expertise online.

It is not all work, though. Tom showed his lighter side as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. And on the rare occasions his tote bag's stored away, he loves testing out some of the world's most challenging ski slopes.

Tom splits his week between Melbourne and Sydney and recently retired as the east coast’s favourite bachelor by marrying Hoda Vadkili in 2011.

Waterhouse Family Biography

The Waterhouse name has been associated with racing in Australia for more than 100 years. Tom's great grandfather, Charles, started it way back in the 19th century when he became one of the country's first official bookmakers.

However, it was Tom's grandfather, Bill, who really made the Waterhouse name synonymous with racing. Bill is a larger-than-life character who was the world's biggest bookmaker in the 1960s and 1970s. He took the world's first bet to win $1,000,000.

The next in the Waterhouse bookmaking line is Tom's father, Robbie, who led the Sydney rings before he was out of his 20s. Robbie developed a new way of studying racing form, operating for nearly 20 years as a successful punter. It was Robbie who introduced Tom to bookmaking as his part-time clerk in 2001.

Tom's mother, Gai, is the daughter of legendary trainer TJ Smith. She is a premiership-winning trainer and widely regarded as Australia's best known racing identity.

Tom's sister, Kate, is Fashion Editor of The Sun-Herald. Like Tom, she has drifted more towards racing since reaching adulthood and is a regular at the major racing carnivals in Melbourne and Sydney.