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Alister Kerslake

ALISTER KERSLAKE

Alister Kerslake, who had been in ill-health over recent months, died at his Methven home on Monday.

Aged 73, Kerslake was a straight shooter who made a name for himself as a breeder, owner and trainer, and over the years prepared some of the country's notable drivers and trainers. Champion driver Maurice McKendry, Phil Williamson, Ian Cameron and his son Lindsay all did their apprenticeship under Kerslake.

But it was his ability and knack of setting young horses for big races and winning them that set him apart from most others. He won the 1971 NZ Derby with Bachelor Star, the 1975 NZ Derby with Main Adios, the Great Northern Derby three years later with Main Star, and the 1979 NZ Derby with Game Adios. All were out of the Captain Adios-Loyal Guest mare Adio Star who won the Broodmare of the Year in the 1977-78 season.

Kerslake was born in Rakaia, starting off riding trackwork for the local butcher, Bill Black, later for Dill Edwards, and also for Wally Tatterson. As a lad, he took the Tatterson-trained Emulous into the birdcage for the New Zealand Cup. His early working life was at the Railways, then as a butcher in Methven, before doing what he had always wanted to do, work with horses.

That came in 1968, though he had started a lot earlier, winning five races with Lady Knight, and others with Burns Night in the 50s. On shifting to Highbank, his first winners were Loyal Adios and True Forbes, he sold New Guest who became the dam of the outstanding racemare Hilarious Guest, and near the end of his career he raced Bionic Chance, a cracker filly who he maintained should have won a Derby. Bionic Chance won the NZ Standardbred Breeders Stakes, 17 other races and $323,630 in stakes.

Kerslake trained more than 180 winners. They were all well bred, well trained, and he always used top drivers. He stood three of the horses he trained at stud, Adios Bachelor, Main Star and Bionic Adios; Main Adios and Bachelor Star were sent to Australia.

When interviewed just recently, Kerslake said: "Horses were everything to me. They were my life from the time I could run around. I was always around them and I always wanted something to do with them.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 27May98

ROYCE COURT

The death occured recently of Royce Court, a prominent Canterbury owner-breeder and trainer.

Aged 70, Court produced many good horses including Golden Lustre, Bonnie Lustre, Dream Lustre and Glen Lustre, an upset winner of the first Superstar 4-year-old Championship when driven by Bobby Nyhan.

Bonnie Lustre, by First Lord, was tough and a good winner at three and four, mainly driven by Felix Newfield. Lustre Scott, by U Scott, had a great two mile record and won a race at the NZ Cup meeting in the hands of Bob Young.

Court was a steward of the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club, and his three sons Graham, Ivan and Brian are all involved in harness racing.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 5Nov97

CARL BRINSDEN

Carl Brinsden, who died in Tauranga Hospital early on Tuesday morning of complications from an internal disorder, will be remembered as the devoted groom of the outstanding Kiwi pacer of the 1970s, Young Quinn.

Brinsden, who was 57, worked for successful Canterbury trainers Cecil Donald, George Noble and Felix Newfield before moving north, where in turn he became a key man in the operations of Nevil White, Kevin Holmes and Charlie Hunter.

Commissioned by Hunter to accompany Young Quinn to America in May 1975, Brinsden remained as the gelding's caretaker for the bulk of his North American campaigning over the next five years. In that time, Young Quinn, who had won 38 races and just on $175,000 in Australasia, chalked up a further 22 wins in town-hall class and pushed his career earnings to $759,227.

After Young Quinn returned to New Zealand, Brinsden set up training in his own right in California, handling mainly horses sent to him by Wellingtonian Sir Roy McKenzie. Forced out of the game by illness, he recovered to team up with compatriot Paul Jessop in New Jersey some four years back. He returned to NZ a year ago, and more recently had been assisting in the blossoming stable of Te Puke trainer John Peary.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 5Nov97

SAM HENDERSON

South Canterbury harness racing lost one of its most recognisable characters with the death of Sam Henderson early this month. Mr Henderson, 77, synonymous with harness racing in South Canterbury, trained standardbreds for 40 years at Orari where he was born and educated.

Although he tried many jobs, including bush work, solo butchering, baker, grocer, barman and shearing, training standardbreds was what he wanted to do.

Because of his stature Mr Henderson was tempted to become a jockey. As he went to school with the Skelton brothers who were with Lionel Pratt and with 150 horses trained at Orari it was not surprising that he rode work.

It was Bob Townley who gave Sam advice and encouragement regarding the standardbreds. By 1955 Mr Henderson had a trials drivers licence and at his first outing drove three winners and two second placegetters. His first training and driving win was behind Gold De Oro at Greymouth on March 10, 1956. His last winning drive was 30 years later when Imperial Jack won at Marlborough on June 21 when he was forced to surrender his horse drivers licence.

Mr Henderson was known to put the horses on the float and leave for the races at any time of the day or night, he appeared to be able to go without sleep for long periods. At one shearing shed he and Laurie Patrick worked through until well after midnight to get the job done so they could go to the races. The effort was made worth-while when the horse won at long odds. On another trip round the South Island he was said to have knocked over a power pole in Christchurch and a veranda in Kaikoura.

Mr Henderson was always grateful to the owners who supported him but Muir Thomson was special. Mr Thomson was said to have tied a horse up at the stables, put £750 in an envelope with a note telling him to train it until the money ran out. While Mr Henderson trained many useful horses over the years including Minstra, Pee, Star Land, Young Trouble, Seafield Dream and Brian Hanover, he was robbed of a potential top liner when Every Chance broke down.

Winning or losing Mr Henderson's demeanour didn't change, the trademark roll-your-own invariably in the corner of his mouth.


Credit: NZ HRWeekly 24Sep97

OWEN QUINLAN

Owen Quinlan, who died suddenly aged 75 last week - two days after playing 18 holes of golf - was a low profile trainer who had his share of good horses.

He drove more than 100 winners and trained the outstanding trotting mare Uteena to win 18 races from his Rolleston stable. Quinlan took particular satisfaction in training trotters, and never in his career raced one with a toe-weight or a half-hopple.

Uteena, a daughter of U Scott, was the best he had. Her wins included a heat of the Inter-Dominions at Forbury Park, where she beat Acquit and Tronso but ran unplaced in Poupette's final; she won the Bridgens Free-For-All at Alexandra Park twice, from Scotleigh and Highland Flight, and French Pass and Rannach Lad; she beat Mountain Pride and Mighty Chief in the Reta Peter Handicap on Show Day at Addington, and she ran third to Tronso in the 1966 Dominion Handicap.

He also returned Aronmot - who had not won at six, seven and eight - to winning form as a nine-year-old, his two wins at that age including the Festival Trotters Championship at Forbury Park.

Quinlan came from Greymouth, starting his career with Jack Shaw. His first win was with Loyal Peg on his home track in 1945, and his first at Addington was a year later, in the Canterbury Juvenile Stakes with the Grattan Loyal filly, Darkie Grattan. He rated Zenith, who won eight, among them the Marlborough Centennial Cup; and Antonius, who won six, as his best pacing winners.

Other good winners were Morano mare Monarrg, who beat Royal Ascot and Walk Alone in a heat of the Dunedin Festival Cup; Castleton's Gift(nine), Chatmos(five), Vivace(five), Le Whip(five), Court Verdict, Sir Hall, Aunt Ada, Siki, Toll Call, Rory, Loylan, Fyvie Queen, Composite, Soubrette, Fifth Brigade, Deuce, Lord Springfield, Frozina, Frozen, Sir Leonard and Margaret Logan.

By his own admittance, Quinlan never trained a top horse, but it was something that never affected the pleasure he had for harness racing. On his retirement, he said: "No, I guess I have not had the vital ounce of luck to get a really top horse of my own, but it hasn't made my time in the game any less enjoyable. And I suppose, I have been luckier than some."

He is survived by his wife Francis and son Michael.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 4Oct95

CLARRY MAY

The death occurred last week of Clarry May, a prominent Methven identity who started his career as a blacksmith but made his mark later as a trainer.

Aged 88, Clarry was born in Southland, and married Anne Robinson 63 years ago. After an engineering apprenticeship, he became a blacksmith and trained a horse while his three sons, Clyde, Terry and Leo grew up. He eventually gave way to family pressure, bought a farm and increased his stable numbers to a dozen.

His major success was the Auckland Cup he won in 1946 with Loyal Nurse but he rated Aerobee one of the best he had. A mare by Highland Chief, Aerobee did not start racing until she was six, and won six races. He took Oreti through to Cup class, and forged a winning partnership with his son, Terry.

Other smart horses he trained were Adios Adieu, Walk Alone, Royal Walk, Fanciful, Ruling River, the trotters Tasman and Glen Dee, Stroll Away and Deeside. One of the best was Banjo, a son of Young Bob he gave Anne after forgetting to buy her a birthday present. Banjo won nine races.

Among Clarry's six grandchildren is top driver Ricky May.


Credit: NZ HRWeekly 23Aug95

HAM MONK

Hanmer Ronald Monk, a keen harness racing enthusiast and prominent owner, died in Greymouth last week.

The 76-year-old, publican was known to most Canterbury race followers and was a regular at Methven meetings and others in the Mid-Canterbury region.

Formerly mine host at the old Bealey Hotel, Ham, as Mr Monk was known to all who knew him, took over the Paroa Hotel in 1954 and until his death was the oldest publican on the West Coast.

Ham was a great follower of the straight out trotter and over the years owned many fine runners. While Ray Morris trained for him in Greymouth in early years, Colin Berkett and then Max Miller became the mentor of his horses in later years.

One of his best squaregaiters was Westham which clocked up eight wins in NZ and was a top third to Tussle in the 1987 Inter-Dominion Trotters' Grand Final at Addington when he was trapped out three wide from the 1800m and then parked from the 800m. Princess Armbro won nine from Miller's stable and is being bred from.

Other good performers owned by Ham included Mendlespride(6 wins), Paroa(5), Central Range(5), Berwin(4), Broderick Bay(3), Mosaic(3), Special Princess(3) and Battle Colours(3). Most of these, including Westham and Princess Armbro, were descendants of the Supersonic mare Special Offer.

Ham is survived by his wife Corrie and sons Bernie and Winston.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 16Aug95

DARREN DE FILIPPI

Last Saturday night, on a stretch of road between Ashburton and Hinds, harness racing lost a youth of great character; a horseman of immense potential. Driving alone, 19-year-old Darren De Filippi was involved in a three-car accident that cost him his life.

The last of his 264 career drives was on Stambro, who died in a separate accident on the same road, on the same day.

To say Darren De Filippi was a role model, a bright light amongst the apprentices in th industry, was a fact. He was bred to be nothing else. His father Colin has long been at the top of his profession and his mother Julie is the daughter of the highly-respected trainer and mentor, Bill Denton.

Right from the start, Darren made his career plans obvious. As a 13-year-old, in the holidays and weekends he would bike off to the stables of Robert Dunn where the education started by his parents would continue. He told Robert he had better horses than his father. He got away with that. When he was old enough, he asked Robert for a job. "He just sat in the cart like a natural. He had a lovely set of hands. And he had an easy rapport with owners, trainers and all those he had dealings with," he said. Employed ever since then by Robert, Darren won his first race behind Judicial at Addington in September, 1994, and finished with nine wins. This season, from 70 drives, he had driven six winners.

His qualities were again recognised off the track at the annual cadet night prize-giving at Addington on Monday night, where he won three awards - the J S Dalgety prize, the second prize for third-year cadet, and the cadet representative prize. In his first year as a cadet, he won the prestigous Regional Training Officers prize. "He had human qualities well beyond his years," said Cadet Director, Jack Mulcay. Everwhere you turned, everyone had the same opinion."

Along with his renowned politeness - his seniors were always addressed as "Mister" - Darren had the ambition to reach the top as a driver. "He asked me at morning tea on Wednesday if I would let him drive down south because he wanted to have a real crack at the South Island junior drivers title. I said he could, and we would sit down and work out the best way to go about it," said Robert.

Bill Denton said Darren loved all sport, but lived for his horses. "He was a super kid," he said. That was a quality about Darren that made him the fine, young man that he was. He touched the lives of many with his open, engaging and cheerful manner; his ability to enjoy the success of others as much as his own. His grandfather, who so enjoyed his company, and could see the future he had, is thankful for the times they had together..."but it's something I wanted more of."

You speak for us all, Bill.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 29Nov95

ANNE WILSON

Anne Wilson, who bred and raced some of NZ's greatest horses, died last Friday. She was 91. Mrs Wilson was the wife of the late Andy Wilson, a former secretary of the Wyndham Harness Racing Club.

Freeman Holmes, now retired from a notable career as a leading Canterbury studmaster and trainer, recalls Mrs Wilson as "a highly respected person, whom I had a lovely association with." Holmes found her modesty while racing the great pacer Noodlum together as one of her personality strengths.

Many years earlier her husband had been given the fine pacer Nell Grattan, who had been trained by Stan Edwards to win nine races. From Nell Grattan, they bred Tactics, a top racemare who won the New Brighton Cup and 10 other races from the stable of Maurice Holmes and after being sold left to Hal Tryax the outstanding young pacer, Tactile. Tactics also left Deft, a daughter of Captain Adios who produced Noodlum to Bachelor Hanover.

After an illustrious career on the track, in which he won 28 races, Noodlum was twice leading sire in New Zealand and for the past two seasons has been leading broodmare sire.

A keen and very capable golfer, Mrs Wilson bred Adroit, winner of the Golden Slipper Stakes, and won the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes with Petite.

She is survived by a son, Brian.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 23Aug95

BERNIE WILKS

The death occured in Christchurch last week of Bernard (Bernie) Wilks, who raced many fine horses, most of them in partnership with Maurice Holmes.

Tall and always impeccably groomed, Wilks was a steward of the New Brighton Harness Racing Club from 1964, joined the committee four years later and later became an honorary steward.

His two best horses were Wedgewood, who won 15 races, including the 1985 Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup, and Twinkle John, a Cup class pacer he raced in partnership with Sandra Wilkinson.

He won three Golden Slipper stakes with 2-year-olds trained by Holmes - Rossini (1968), Fidelio (1971) and Strauss (1972). Another top juvenile he raced in this period was Violetta, who won the Timaru Nursery Stakes and the NZ Welcome Stakes.


Credit: NZ HRWeekly 9Jun94