Racing journalist dies aged 68

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 6

Racing journalist dies aged 68

Air Morgan O’Brien, an industrious worker in the interests of the thoroughbred industry in the South Island, and particularly in Canterbury, died in Christchurch on Friday evening. He was aged 68.

, At the time of his death, ■ Mr O’Brien was the secretary of the Canterbury : branch of the New Zealand ® Thoroughbred Breeders’ Asi; sociation. He began a career in racing journalism as a conJ’ tributor to the “Referee,” which was something of the ii racing man’s bible until it went out of business not long 1 before World War 11. In his contributions to the “Referee,” and later as a

columnist for the New Zealand Racing Calendar, Mr O’Brien drew on a rich store of experience gained with horses when he worked in the stable of his father-in- . law, the late W. J. Tomkinson, one of New Zealand’s 1 most skilful trotting trainers. , He had a taste of race driving behind Young Blake, ' a highly successful trotter owned by his father and the late Mr G. J. Barton, but 1 the activities of the gallopers captured a greater share of [ his attention later. During World War 11, he was engaged by the New ■ Zealand Racing Conference ! as a stipendiary steward and ’ officiated on many South Island courses. Later he switched to the ranks of owners, and won races with Quarry, a Treasure Hunt gelding trained at Riccarton by his brother-in-law, J. C. Tomkinson. More recently, he became Canterbury galloping representative of the “Sunday Times,’’ and was employed in the racing and advertising departments of “The Press,” at times travelling extensively in the South Island in i preparing galloping and trotting supplements. He was also widely known i in hotel circles, and at one 1 time was licensee of McKendry’t Hotel in Christchurch.