The racing industry has lost one of its most colourful characters with the recent passing of Bob Autridge, aged 85.
The patriarch of the Autridge family, Bob was a successful amateur jockey and accomplished trainer, and he passed his passion on to his sons Stephen and Toby, who forged their own successful paths in racing as both jockeys and trainers.
“That’s all we were going to be, Toby and I – jockeys,” Stephen said. “We were both apprenticed to Dad. When we came along he slowed up on being a farrier and became more of a horse trainer. At least he had some horses to put us on if no one else was going to put us on.”
Born and bred in Matamata, Bob was a well-known face in the Waikato township, particularly at the local racecourse, where he spent a large portion of his life.
The life of the party, Stephen said his father had a large friendship circle and he would leave a smile on everyone he met.
“He was born and raised in Matamata, and everyone knows him here,” Stephen said. “He was a bubble of energy, he had a lot of mates everywhere. Wherever he went, he made mates.”
The son of a blacksmith, Bob followed his father into a similar vocation as a farrier, with his skills utilised by many in the racing industry.
Bob also inherited his father’s passion for racing, shadowing him at the training track and races as he prepared a couple of horses, and he followed suit, taking out his own license as a young adult while also competing on the track as an amateur jockey.
“His father was a blacksmith and trained the odd horse and Dad came along and he started training horses when he was quite young and he was a successful amateur rider as well,” Stephen said.
Bob particularly enjoyed riding on the East Coast at Gisborne and Wairoa, where he met his wife, Gloria.
“That’s where Mum’s side of the family lived, so he had a reason for going down there quite often,” Stephen said. “We always went to the races down there.”
While Bob had success in the saddle as an amateur jockey, his biggest achievements came as a trainer, particularly in jumping.
“He has won most of the big jumping races, he has won Great Northerns, Wellington Hurdles and Grand Nationals,” Stephen said.
His early victories over fences included training Foxonewa to win the 1969 Great Northern Hurdles and Destino to win the 1973 Wellington Steeplechase.
His topflight jumper Cuchulainn dominated the New Zealand jumping scene in 2003, winning the Wellington Steeplechase, Koral Steeplechase and Grand National Steeplechase all in succession, before returning a year later to win the Great Northern Hurdles.
Bob also experienced plenty of success on the flat, including with his Group One performer Al Dwain, who he campaigned in Australia, 1975 Winter Cup winner Kaurere Lad, and Group One winner Olga’s Pal, who he trained in partnership with his late son Toby.
“He has been to Aussie a few times and he took a pretty good horse called Al Dwain over there and he won a Bendigo Cup and Sandown Cup and was third in a Caulfield Cup,” Stephen said.
Bob Autridge’s funeral will take place at Matamata Racecourse on Thursday, May 28, at 1pm.
