Our Team

Dr Eoin Kelly MVB MRCVS

Principal Veterinarian

Dr Eoin Kelly MVB MRCVS grew up on the family farm at St John's Point, Co Down in Northern Ireland.

Eoin developed an interest in horses and racing from a young age and worked in the racing industry in Ireland before and during his time at university.

Having graduated from the Veterinary College of Ireland at University College Dublin in 2004, Eoin was selected onto the Darley Flying Start Bloodstock Management training program and spent the subsequent two years working with and learning from some of the greatest thoroughbred industry leaders around the world.

Having spent time with trainers such as Bobby Frankel and John Shirreffs in the USA, Mike de Kock in Dubai and David Hayes at Lindsay Park in Angaston, South Australia Eoin received an invaluable wealth of knowledge. During the programme Eoin also spent a period of time working at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park racetracks in Los Angeles with renowned American racetrack veterinarian Dr. Jeff Blea DVM (former President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners).

In 2006 Eoin returned to Ireland to work for renowned racehorse trainer Jim Bolger in Co.Carlow as Veterinarian/Assistant. During his time there Eoin worked directly with the champions Teofilo, New Approach and Finsceal Beo along with a host of other Group 1 winners and other impressive horses. With over 200 horses in the stable and an in-house blood-testing laboratory the vet’s role was a vital element to the operation. During this time Eoin was also actively involved with yearling selection at the sales (where purchases included New Approach).

A stint in the UK as assistant trainer to Kevin Ryan, a well known trainer for 2yos and sprinters (120 horse stable) followed before Eoin made the move to Australia in early 2009 to take up a racetrack Veterinarian role at Flemington with The Racetrack Practice. Clients at Flemington included Brian Mayfield-Smith and David Hayes, two of the most successful trainers in Australian Racing history. The following year Eoin relocated to the Mornington Peninsula and has built up an extensive client base in the area including racehorse trainers and pre-trainers, event and dressage riders and agistment farms.

After five successful years with The Racetrack Practice, Eoin founded Racetrack Veterinary Services together with his partner Caitrin in 2014. The business has gone from strength to strength. In October 2017, Eoin was awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Irish Australian Business Awards.  In 2018, Eoin was selected for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Racing Committee.

Eoin has made the Mornington Peninsula his home where now lives with his wife Caitrin and their two young daughters. When he isn't busy working, at the races or watching racing, Eoin enjoys playing golf on some of the great courses the Peninsula has to offer.

Catrin Kelly Practice Manager

Growing up on a dairy farm in Co Meath, Ireland horses and racing were a big part of Caitrin’s childhood.

Alongside being a Nurse, Caitrin has always worked in racing in one area or another. Whilst at Dublin City University, she rode track work for trainers and held an Amateur Jockeys licence, riding in Charity races at the Punchestown and Cheltenham Festivals. While maintaining her nursing career, Caitrin has worked as a bid spotter for Goffs Bloodstock Sales and as a columnist with the Irish Field newspaper as well as working on the Editoral Desk at the Racing Post in London.

After coming to Australia in 2012, Caitrin worked with bloodstock auctioneers Inglis and as a trackrider for Hall of Fame trainer and First Lady of Racing Gai Waterhouse before settling back into Nursing in the Paediatric Intensive Care at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. More recently Caitrin has worked alongside trainer Cindy Alderson while undertaking a Cert IV in Racehorse Training.

Caitrin helped to co-found Racetrack Veterinary Services with her husband Eoin in 2014, is a regular race goer and is the President of the Victorian Wakeful Club, the premier Club for women involved in racing in Victoria. 

Tayla Simpson Veterinary Nurse

Tayla has always had a great love of horses.  Growing up on the Mornington Peninsula, Tayla has been a member of the Mornington Peninsula Pony Club, Morooduc Saddle Club and local Adult Riders HRCAV.

During her latter school years, Tayla would work at an Eventing Yard on weekends and school holidays.  When she completed Year 12, Tayla went on to work for Mornington based trainers Mark Riley and Jason Warren, before deciding to become a Vet Nurse.

With this broad equine background as her base, Tayla enrolled in Cert IV in Veterinary Nurse in 2018 and began working as a Vet Nurse with Racetrack Veterinary Services.

When not working Tayla enjoys camping, water sports and educating her Clydesdale X Sporthorse Leo, who she intends to show and compete at Dressage in the coming years.

Racetrack Veterinary Services Team  

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Pictured left to right: Caitrin Kelly, Dr Eoin Kelly, Tayla Simpson, Dr Hannah Martin & Bobs