Tanith O’Brien, the matriarch of a family that continues to have a major influence on Australian racing, has died.
Via a social media post this week, James O’Brien said his mother died peacefully at her Corinella home in southeast Victoria surrounded by family.
Tanith bought, bred and owned a host of feature race winners in partnership with her late husband Kevin.
None were better than the high-quality mare Gold Edition, a family favourite who raced against the cream of Australia’s sprinters.
Gold Edition, a mare Kevin purchased in 2005 at a Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale, won the 2007 Manikato Stakes as a Group I highlight in a career that spanned 37 starts and delivered 17 victories.
Carrying the O’Briens' orange and emerald green quarter silks, colours that became iconic on Australian racetracks, Gold Edition was also a four-time runner-up at Group 1 level before she was retired to stud as a $3.2 million earner.
Under their Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm banner, the O’Briens also enjoyed tremendous success as breeders, selling their main draft at the Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne.
Dual Group 1-winning mare Global Glamour has been a poster girl for operation, managed by James, the president of Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria.
Global Glamour was a $65,000 Magic Millions graduate who claimed the ATC Flight Stakes and the Thousand Guineas for trainer Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for a syndicate involving 40 women.
Lauriston was put on the market in October with expectations of a “$5 million to $6 million" sale.
Kevin, who also served as a committee member of the Melbourne Racing Club from 2007-10, died in May 2020.
