New Zealand racing mourns loss of Tony Dennis

New Zealand racing is mourning the loss of one of its most respected horsemen, with the passing of Tony Dennis at the age of 86.

Dennis, alongside his twin brother Ray and younger siblings Martin and Joe, formed a formidable training and breeding partnership from their Woodlands base near Invercargill. For more than 60 years, their family operation produced high-class performers before they retired from training at the end of last year.

The brothers’ horses were easily identified by their ‘The’ prefix, and their success was achieved despite operating far from the main racing centres of the country.

“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 son Robert Dennis, himself a successful trainer.

“To continue to do it for decades was so impressive.”

Among their standout gallopers was Group 1 Penfold Chardon Mile (now TAB Classic) winner The Twinkle, while The Dimple and The Fantasy amassed 34 combined victories at stakes level.

“Dad was a farmer first and for him, training and breeding was a hobby,” Robert Dennis said. “It was pretty much a common-sense approach, combined with a stockman’s eye for a horse.”

The family also made their mark in breeding, producing the outstanding The Phantom, a three-time Group 1 winner and runner-up in the Melbourne Cup (3200m). His brother, The Phantom Chance, captured both the New Zealand Derby (2400m) and the Cox Plate (2040m), while The Jewel was successful in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Waikato International Stakes (2000m).

Another star to emerge from their program was The Chosen One, who won at Group 1 level and placed in both the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Sydney Cup (3200m).

The Dennis family’s influence across decades has left a lasting legacy on New Zealand racing, with their famed ‘The’ horses etched into the sport’s history.