| PEOPLE |
YEAR: 1998
 |
| 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