A life of selling groceries and owning racehorses

"Chris was known as an all-round great guy, with a genuine love for the grocery industry and an unwavering commitment to giving back to the community."

Chris Griffin, who was a well known Southland businessman. He was living in Queenstown when he died last month.

• Jamie Searle is a long-time Southland racing writer. For more of his work head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page.

Chris Griffin's grocery stores were operated "beautifully, so clean and tidy and well organised," his friend Clark McLean says.

"He was hugely respected in Foodstuffs,"

Clark's tribute to Chris is one of many since Chris' death in Queenstown last month. He was 69.

Chris and Clark knew each other for almost 40 years. They owned supermarkets separately and latterly raced horses together with other syndicate members.

Chris formerly owned the Gladstone Dairy (later renamed 'Grocer' Griffins) in Invercargill for many years before owning supermarkets in Christchurch and Gore. 

Chris' skill in operating successful grocery businesses enabled him to invest in his favourite hobby - racing horses with friends..

He started off in the grocery trade as a delivery boy at his father Pat's shop in Invercargill before he bought the Gladstone Dairy in the city as a 19-year-old. Years later he entered into a partnership with the Collingwood Foodstore.

In 1997 Chris bought New World Redcliffs in Christchurch before moving on to buy New World Gore in 2008 which he operated until his retirement in 2015.

He served on Foodstuffs South Island board from 1993 to 1997 and the New World executive from 2003 to 2015, including six years as chairman.

Chris was also a huge supporter of the Foodstuffs Community Trust, which he chaired from 2006 to 2015. Under his leadership the Trust gained 100% support of the PAK’nSAVE and New World groups, significantly increasing the support available for communities across the South Island. 

"Chris was known as an all-round great guy, with a genuine love for the grocery industry and an unwavering commitment to giving back to the community," Clark said.

Clark McLean, of Dunedin, said he and Chris together with others had ownership in numerous horses and the many still on the books would stay in Chris' name through his estate.

Joining them in the ownerships is Jim Bruford, of Auckland, and all of their horses run in Chris and Jim’s colours.

Jim thought Chris' estate had 15 horses to race. The best two presently are Impendabelle (second in Group I 1000 Guineas, first in Group II Soliloquy Stakes) and Investigate (second Group III Manawatu Classic).

Cambridge horseman Tony Pike trains both horses, plus several others for Chris' estate. Another Cambridge trainer, Stephen Marsh trains six horses for the estate, including Doddle (three wins) and Penurious (two wins).

"I would have thought Chris would have had interest in well over 100 race wins over the years," Jim said.

"In the past eight years he alone has had close to 50 wins."

Jim applauded Chris' career in the grocery industry.   

"He was hugely respected by the Foodstuffs team and very well thought of by a number of supermarket owners [past and present]," Jim said..

"He was a great fella, people only spoke well of him."

Okay Pal has won seven races for Chris Griffin. Photo: AJAY BERRY (RACE IMAGES).

Christchurch horsemen Michael and Matthew Pitman have trained horses for Chris.

Two of Chris' horses will continue to race from the Pitman stable. 

"A very good bloke, we've been friends for over 50 years," Michael said of Chris.

"We had a lot of success."

Okay Pal (seven wins), whom the Pitmans train for Chris, is due back into work, while another horse the Pitmans now train for Chris' estate - Justanace (three wins) - will race at Riccarton on Wednesday.

Finbar Furey (seven wins) and Fast Money Judy (four wins) were earlier winners Chris had in the Pitman stable.