A member of one of New Zealand racing’s most famous and successful families has died, with the recent passing of Tony (Anthony) Dennis, aged 86.
Dennis, twin brother Ray and their younger siblings Martin and Joe, established a formidable training and breeding operation and were based at Woodlands, near Invercargill, for more than 60 years until their retirement from training at the end of last year.
The brothers enjoyed spectacular success with their charges instantly recognisable as carrying the prefix ‘The’.
“It was unbelievable, they never had big numbers and achieved so much from the opposite end of the country to where the centre of it all is,” said Dennis’ son Robert, also a successful trainer in his own right.
“To continue to do it for decades was so impressive.”
Among their leading flagbearers was the Gr.1 Penfold Chardon Mile (now TAB Classic) winner The Twinkle, while The Dimple and The Fantasy were the stakes winners of a combined 34 races.
“Dad was a farmer first and for him, training and breeding was a hobby,” Dennis said.
“It was pretty much a common-sense approach, combined with a stockman’s eye for a horse.”
The breeding side of their operation included the three-time top-flight winner and Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) runner-up The Phantom.
His brother The Phantom Chance triumphed in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m), while The Jewel won the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and trained on to claim the Gr.1 Waikato International Stakes (2000m).
The Oaks Stud resident sire The Chosen One was another elite level winner who also placed in the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
“They would always have lengthy round table discussions about the decisions they made for both breeding and racing,” Dennis said.
“It was all about what was best at the time and what worked best for them and the horses.”
He’s A Doozy (Thorndon Mile) and The Perfect Pink (1000 Guineas) were two more recent homebred Group One winners for the family.
The brothers’ achievements across both sectors were recognised at the 2015 Horse of the Year Awards when they were presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Racing Award.
Tony Dennis is survived by wife Sharon and children Mark, Gavin, Lucinda, Robert and Hayden and grandchildren.
