Vale Gary Williams

By Garrick Knight

Northern harness racing has lost of one its biggest supporters with the sudden and unexpected passing of Gary Williams.

The 72-year-old father of three died while swimming at his local Kohimarama Beach in Central Auckland last Saturday morning.

It came as shock to many in the racing industry, including the dozens of people who had their weekly conversation with him at Alexandra Park the night before.

Williams was ever present at the Auckland track on Friday nights in his role as a Race Night Steward, one that the genial and personable gentleman was so well suited to.

“Gary joined the Auckland Trotting Club in 2013 and was a valuable, engaged and proactive member of the club,” said Club President, Jamie MacKinnon.

“More recently, he joined the Race Night Steward team, which looks after the sponsors, winning owners and trainers of each race.

“Gary was very good at this with his friendly and interested manner.

“Each race night he wandered the course and always had a time for a hello and chat with everyone who crossed his path.

“He will be sorely missed by the ATC and all the industry.”

Williams was also a member of the Caduceus Club and a former committee member with that group.

His biggest contribution to ‘the game’ was no doubt as an owner where he enjoyed considerable success as a syndicate member in both equine codes.

In October 2023, he celebrated his 500th winner as an owner and was on course to see his charge, High Step win in Melbourne.

At the time, 374 of those winners were in harness racing and many more have been added to that tally in the ensuing two years.

Many of those came with involvement in lots of syndications; firstly the now-defunct Auckland Trotting Club Syndicates and more recently, as part of the annual syndicates put together by Breckon Farms to race their retained fillies.

“Gary was a member of ten of the ATC Syndicates and had a total of 166 wins, including the Group 1 winners, Changeover, Tintin In America, Matai Mackenzie and Ideal Belle,” said Rob Carr, manager for both syndication groups.

“He was also member of 10 Breckon Farms Syndicates and had a total of 130 wins, including the Group 1 winners, Luby Lou, Partyon, Tickle Me Pink, Bettor Twist, A Bettor You and High Energy.

“Gary enthusiastically shared his thoughts on his horses’ performances and attended most of their race meetings, travelling throughout New Zealand and Australia.

“He will be sadly missed, for his very positive and enthusiastic attitude, his kindness and friendship to all and his contribution to the racing industry.”

Changeover gave Williams a cherished win in the biggest race on the calendar – the 2008 New Zealand Cup.

“Changeover was one of four horses in a 50-person syndicate, but it was the most profitable of any that I’ve been in,” said Williams in a 2023 story in RaceForm.

“He won over $2 Million on the track and when he retired to stud, we collected another $2.5 Million!”

Williams’ gallops successes were highlighted by the prodigiously talented Xcellent, whose four Group 1 wins included the New Zealand Derby and Kelt Capital Stakes.

But he is best remembered for his 2005 Melbourne Cup placing.

Williams also won an Easter Handicap and City of Auckland Cup with Pasta Post and, just this year, a Grand National Steeplechase in Australia with the Mark Walker-trained Leaderboard, who also won a Wellington Cup.

Away from horses, Williams lead an interesting and varied life, that started out in Mosgiel, near Dunedin, where he grew up.

Many Saturdays were spent at nearby Wingatui racecourse or any other racetracks in the wider region that were running meetings.

He was drawn to the industry and was soon helping out at the stables of local trainer Gordon Thomson, who prepared the mighty mare, Show Gait.

Eventually, his career took priority and Williams studied accountancy at Otago University.

He was a talented sportsman, captaining Otago Boys High School’s First XV Rugby side and he played first class cricket as a wicketkeeper for Otago eight times in the mid-to-late 1970s.

Once graduating, he spent seven years in Bermuda, where he met his wife, Canadian-born Roseanne.

He even represented Bermuda at the World Table Tennis Championships.

After returning to New Zealand in the late 1980s, he and Roseanne settled in Nelson, where they purchased two McDonald’s fast-food franchises and raised three children – Guy, Maria and Paul.

“It was 20 years of hard work, but it enabled me to retire earlier than most people,” said Williams in that same RaceForm story.

One of the first horses he bought in to was the appropriately named galloper Mac ‘N’ Fries but soon to follow was Xcellent and champion pacer Changeover, among many others.

“I only had four percent of Xcellent, but what a time we all had! He won the Derby at just his third start, and the following spring he finished third in the Melbourne Cup.

“That day at Flemington, there I was looking for a seat in the stand, and I ended up sitting next to Bart Cummings – you could never buy those sorts of experiences!”

Williams spent his retirement in Nelson playing and coaching basketball and table tennis, as well as managing the Nelson Giants basketball team.

The Nelson Giants and Table Tennis New Zealand were among the many to post tributes to Williams this week, as well as trainers of both equine codes, too many to mention.

The messages bore a common theme – that Williams was a kind, genuine man that had a real affinity for people.

Eldest son, well-known comedian Guy, posted a tribute to his father on Thursday and re-enforced what those in the racing industry had come to learn over the past few decades.

“Dad was a beautiful man, incredibly kind and friendly.

“I reckon his main goal in life was just having a laugh with anyone and everyone.

“He was an incredibly patient and gentle father who gave everything his all, he was kind and generous to everyone around him.”

Gary and Roseanne moved to Kohimarama just over a decade ago and those lucky enough to have him on Facebook saw regular postings of his regular exploits around his community, including swims, bike rides and walks.

It was on one of those daily jaunts, and amongst his good friends - a swimming group known as the High Tide Club - that he met his sudden end.

If there is such a thing as divine intervention, two of Williams horses may well salute the judge this weekend.

Firstly, at Cambridge on Friday night, Rubble On The Double will shoot for a second straight win for trainers, Dylan and Jo Ferguson.

And then on Saturday, at Riccarton, Court Of Appeal will contest the Gr.3 $450,000 New Zealand Cup for trainers, Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.

Williams had plans in place to attend Cup Week in Christchurch. The colours of both horses will bear black armbands in his memory.

“Gary loved the industry, and he was everyone’s biggest supporter,” said Jo Ferguson, who would see him every Friday night at Alexandra Park.

“He was such a lovely man, and his loss will be widely felt across the industry up here.”

Williams will be farewelled next Saturday, at St Ignatius Church in St Heliers, from 11am.