Taggart (28), an operations manager for Gallop South based at Wingatui and a former jockey, he was granted an owner-trainer licence three weeks ago.
Toro was having his third start and Taggart took over training the 4yr-old from Wayne Stevens, the Wingatui racecourse manager.
Taggart rides work at Wingatui.
He shares the ownership of Toro with his partner Lauren Enright, a former jumps jockey.
She found Toro for sale on the internet when he was a 2yr-old.
"A Japanese owner was selling up at Matamata and I liked the look of the horse. I thought he had the potential for eventing if he did not make it as a racehorse," Enright said.
Taggart won over 100 races as a jockey, including the 1999 Churchill Stakes at Riccarton on Hilton Jewel.
He was apprenticed to his father, who trained numerous winners including the speedster Palley and Next Please (1967 Dunedin Cup) from Riccarton.
Barry won his first race with Charlborough at Wingatui in June 1964.
Toro and Charlborough both won the first race on the programme.
Trainer Michael Pitman is planning to mark time with Coup Anabaa for a month.
Coup Anabaa regained winning form yesterday with a bold display of front running.
"He won't race until Riccarton on May 8 when there is a $35,000 race for him," Pitman said.
Coup Anabaa was having his fourth start in a fresh campaign.
He did not race for 11 months from December 2008 after having bone chips removed from his knees.
He had won twice at Riccarton from three starts as a 3yr-old. in November 2008. Chaparella will have her lungs scoped today after pulling up distressed at Riccarton on Saturday.
She finished well back in the race for 3yr-old fillies.
"She pulled up distressed and the vet said her lungs sounded like a human with asthma," Steven Prince, her trainer, said.
"She will have a spell now but we will have her scoped as a precaution."
Chaparella had won the race for 3yr-old fillies at Wingatui at her previous start. Heza Kool Cat, winner of his two starts at the Riverton Easter meeting, is to campaign in the upper North Island with his stablemate Awsum Dude.
"I have decided to go north as there are no races for 3yr-olds in the South Island," Kelvin Tyler, the Otautau owner-trainer of the pair, said.
Tyler will leave next Saturday.
He will be based at Mount Maunganui with trainer Stuart Manning, who was staying with Tyler when campaigning horses at Riverton.
Manning won a race at Wingatui yesterday with the 9yr-old mare Diamondsareforever.
Tyler is viewing a 2000m race at Te Rapa on May 1 as the first assignment for Heza Kool Kat and Awsum Dude.
Heza Kool Kat displayed mastery of heavy tracks at Riverton with a 10-length win in a maiden 1600m on the first day and a five-length win in the 2000m race for three and 4yr-olds on the second day.
Awsum Dude was an impressive maiden winner over 2000m at Cromwell last month on top of the ground.
Daniel Stackhouse, the Ashburton apprentice, advanced his tally for the season to 19 wins when he rode Pennylane yesterday.
He rode El Chico to win the open 2000m at Riccarton on Saturday.
