Gai Waterhouse has cut short an overseas trip and is expected to arrive in Sydney on Friday following the death of her mother Valerie Smith.Mrs Smith had been in ill health for some time and died early on Wednesday aged 91.Waterhouse's racing manager Robyn Hartney said Sydney's premier trainer would leave Cuba on Wednesday morning local time with her husband, bookmaker Rob Waterhouse."Cuba is a tough place to get out of and they will have to get a few connecting flights but they are hoping to be

Gai Waterhouse has cut short an overseas trip and is expected to arrive in Sydney on Friday following the death of her mother Valerie Smith.

Mrs Smith had been in ill health for some time and died early on Wednesday aged 91.

Waterhouse's racing manager Robyn Hartney said Sydney's premier trainer would leave Cuba on Wednesday morning local time with her husband, bookmaker Rob Waterhouse.

"Cuba is a tough place to get out of and they will have to get a few connecting flights but they are hoping to be back on Friday morning and Gai is working on funeral arrangements and Tuesday could be a possibility at this stage," Hartney said.

"Gai was telling me that Val had dinner last night with (granddaughter) Kate and her partner Luke (Ricketson) and was joking and in very good spirits.

"She had been ill for some time and it's a very sad time, she was a lovely lady."

Mrs Smith came from a long line of musical and theatrical performers and over the years Waterhouse said her mother prided herself on her singing and running second to Dame Joan Sutherland in an eisteddfod.

Mrs Smith's long-time husband and Waterhouse's father, legendary trainer TJ Smith, died in 1998.

TJ Smith trained a world record 279 Group winners and a life-size bronze statue of him stands next to the trainers' hut in the middle of Randwick racecourse.

The statue was unveiled last year with Mrs Smith on hand.

"He loved racing. He had three priorities, racing, me and Gai," she said at the time.

Waterhouse issued a statement on her website on Wednesday.

"I don't really know how to describe life without one of my parents being around," she said.

"Only when I moved to England was I able to loosen the umbilical cord, which tied me so strongly to them. Unlike some children wanting to cut off their parents, I just wanted a bit of space to grow up.

"All my married life, Mum has been there. At first, not that involved, but every overseas trip, Mum and Dad were with us.

"Darling, we'll miss you hugely. Rest well, I promise to train lots of winners.

"Mum always asked how the stable was going, did we have any winners (if she wasn't at the races), and had I `sold the yearlings'. It was because she cared and only wanted me to be safe.

"Thanks Mum for all your time showing me the ropes and just loving me."