End of an era: Brothers retire after 60-plus years as trainers

"[Retirement] had to happen . . . we're getting old and it's getting harder and we've got nobody to ride them [now in training]/"

The Dennis brothers, from left, Martin, Joe, Tony and Ray, have called time on their training career after more than 60 years of producing winners nationwide. Photo: JAMIE SEARLE

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

A chapter on one of New Zealand's most successful families in horse racing has closed with the Dennis brothers signing off as trainers after more than 60 years in the role.

Tony Dennis, 85, confirmed on Monday he and his brothers, Ray, Martin and Joe, all of Woodlands, had retired from training and the three horses they were preparing - The Radiant One, The Hangover and The Cluster - had joined the Ascot Park stable of Tony's son, Robert.

The trio are on a huge list of horses raced by the brothers, who will continue as owner-breeders.

Tony and twin brother Ray started training in 1960 at the age of 21 and they were joined in the partnership by Martin and Joe several years later. At the time the minimum age to hold a trainer's licence was 21.

A newspaper clipping showing The Budget winning on the third day of the Riverton Racing Club's Easter meeting in 1960. The win gave Tony and Ray Dennis their first training success. Several years later they were joined in the training partnership by their brothers Joe and Martin.

The brothers became interested in the sport through their father Harold, who owned racehorses.

The brothers employed a reliable and hard worker in foreman-trackwork rider, Alex Dobrytskyi, but he is now working in another industry. The brothers were sad to see Dobrytskyi move on because he was a big part of the Dennis family's training operations for five years. They had a good rapport.

"[Retirement] had to happen . . . we're getting old and it's getting harder and we've got nobody to ride them [now in training]," Tony said.

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Horses trained by the brothers have won throughout New Zealand, some winning Group I, II and III races.

The Twinkle's win in a Group I race - the Chandon Mile at Trentham - made him the best horse trained by the brothers, Tony said. .

Other top performers in the stable included The Fantasy and The Dimple.

Browsing scrapbooks rekindled memories of race wins in the 60 plus years of training, Tony said.

• A feature story on the Dennis brothers' vast involvement in racing will be published in The Southland Tribune in the coming weeks.